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Page 74 text:
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The Ancient Tradition Of Becoming A Sliellbacl : En route to the island continent of Aus- tralia, the Missouri crossed the sacred boundary of the equator at longitude 068.41 E. To all seagoing salts , that pas- sage could mean only one thing ... a Crossing the Line ceremony! There are two kinds of sailors on any Navy ship: Shellbacks and Pollywogs (more commonly referred to as wogs ). Shellbacks are those privileged few who have endured the crossing of the equator already and have been initiated into the mysteries of the briny deep. In the waters underneath the equator lies the undisputed domain of his majesty Neptunus Re.x, King of the Deep. The night before a ship crosses over into this realm, the King ' s messenger, Davey Jones, appears on board and informs the ship ' s captain that certain land-loving sailors are to appear before Neptunus Rex the following morning. The wogs are served a summons, and a talent show is held amongst them in order to provide a queen for his majesty. MIS- SOURI ' S pollywog competitors were a shapely lot this year. With hips grinding, bottoms bouncing and lips puckering, they tried to outdo each other for the coveted title of queen . The show left the crew screaming for more. The following morning, the wogs were treated to a gourmet breakfast on the mess decks, compliments of the Shell- backs. Following the meal , it was time for the lowly wogs to purge themselves of their slime. As MISSOURI had crossed the line barely 12 months earlier, several disgruntled wogs were heard to complain that they were sorely outnumbered. Many a humble wog was relieved to finish his arduous trek around the ship ' s main deck and claim the coveted title of Shell- back . The ceremony took a toll on old shell- backs and new shellbacks alike, and every- one was glad to see Neptunus Rex, Davey Jones and the entire entourage from be- low, return to the murky waters beneath the sea. The Mighty Mo continued on her course, cleansed of all pollywogs and other slimy vermin.
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Page 76 text:
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CDR Smith, Medical Orficer, wishes he were a shellback already during Mighty Mo ' s crossing the line ceremony
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