Manatee (AO 58) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 58 text:

Headed by Royal Shellback Lieutenant KOELBL and Royal Shellback BTC Barber KELLY, the Shellbacks dis- played cunning and initiative in planning the morning ' s activities. Also participating and aiding in the preparations were Royal Shellbacks HMC BICE, MMC LUNDY, MMC ROSS, EMC SPRINGER, BTC McMURTRY, BT1 YOUNG, MM1 DAHL- ENBURG, SD2 ORDAS, MM2 CALFY, MM3 MASDON, FN MANNING, BMS AULDS and TN CAPISTRANO. At approxi- mately 8:00 King Neptunis Rex himself appeared (royally depicted by MM1 William DAHLENBURG) with his bride (BT1 Trellis YOUNG) to begin the celebration. After making his way through throngs of prostrate polly- wogs, the King made himself ready to receive the humble Senior Pollywog, Captain FAAS. The Captain pleaded for mercy for his crew, saying they were of the top quality and character and could be trusted to the highest degree, there- by declaring them fit for entrance into Neptune ' s bounding domain. Mm f w Assembled on the forward tank deck, the Pollywogs face the equator asking pardon.

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Ik : i N Pollywog Inspection. Woe to those who fail. SKSBfci K , »». Since the crossing of 00-00 Latitude occurred in the evening hours, the official inaugural exercises were not launched until the following morning. And it was early morning when the sleepless pollywogs were rudely rousted out of their racks. The night had been filled with gloomy warnings, predicting great wrath from Neptune and warning: Pollywogs beware. Prepare to make yourself humble in the presence of King Neptunis Rex. It was soon evident that while the pollywogs tossed in bed, the Shellbacks had been cooking up elaborate schemes. Group supplication and meditation seemed to help. 53

Page 59 text:

After the arrival of Neptune, a formal inspection of all pollywogs was held on the cargo deck where mustache wax (packing grease) was liberally distributed to those slimy neophytes with face hair. Summonses were also issued calling for offending pollywogs to appear at the specified time and offer defense to King Neptune. The charges ran from minor offenses such as failure to enter the domain of King Neptune (4000 lashes) to more felonious acts such as MANATEE ' S navigator was charged with: Willfully navi- gating MANATEE away from the equator. As expected these crimes were indefensible, and the guilty pollywog was punished to the limits of the Deep Sea Scrolls. No mercy! says newly initialed Shellback DOYLE to his less fortunate compatriot. A group of well dressed Pollywog Officers. W VtfiU F Ar0 -d X i ■« 4jlk Wr ' i 4m +J0S J 55