New Orleans (LPH 11) - Naval Cruise Book

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,s'Y' CROSSING THE Ll ln the tradition of greasy slimy polliwogs the world over, here the senior polliwog on board, the Executive Officer Commander james W. Olson and his trustee aide Chaplain Cecil B. Threadgill performed their duties. Tradition has been honored since the days of the Phoenicians, that when a ship crosses the equator, honors must be rendered unto King Neptune. New Orleans was no exception. The afternoon of january 26th was re- served for Polliwog watch standing. For you must know that any craft who'd fain Cross the Great Sea Lord's Royal Domain, Must pay the tribute that King Neptune wishes And be received by mermaids, bears, and fishesi We will see you on the morn, And any who resists will wish he had not been born. iFrom the Crossing the Line ritual of the British Navyl The Crossing the Line ceremonies are of such ancient vintage that no one really knows when or where they were derived. Such cere- monies took place as far back as the Middle Ages, and even before that when ships crossed the thirteenth parallel or passed through the Straits of Gibralter. These ceremonies were extremely rough and were supposed to test the novice crewmen, or boots, to see if they could endure the hardships of a life at sea. The Vikings reportedly practiced similar ceremonies upon the crossing of certain paral- lels. Consequently, many historians believe that the present day. ceremony was passed on from the Vikings to the Angles, Saxons and Normans, continuing to our present time. -Q.,-,,..,,, tum... On the evening of the 26th, Davey jones and the royal headsman appear to present Captain Nloore with his orders for the following day and to inform the crew and the senior polliwogs that King Neptune will make his appearance the following morning. The Royal Sheriff insures that King Neptune's orders are carried out.

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1 The UDT personnel practice their roles in the recovery. ,QI

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The morning of the 27th dawns with an eerie silence. lt was a bright sunny day in the South Pacific. lt started out a bit unusual, with reveille being held at 5 a.m. instead of the regular time of 6 a.m. The date: january 27, l97l. The event: the crossing of the Equator. Instead of the regular way of holding reveille, the shellbacks held it, going around to all of the compart- ments and staterooms yelling at the top of their lungs, Wake up you slimy polliwogs and prepare to meet your Maker. Breakfast is now being served. GET UP y You SLIMYI mtuwoeef ff' Xx T 'XXX 'XX For breakfast, there was the usual menu, unseasoned beans and the most hideous tasting coffee the shellbacks could brew. lt seemed as though they chose a person that has never made coffee before in his life. lt tasted like dish water fwhich it probably was.l For the ceremony, all of the polliwogs had to wear dungarees worn backwards. Tee-shirts, socks and shoes were optional. Many of the polliwogs elected not to wear shoes, and either wore tennis shoes, shower shoes, or went in their stocking feet. ' ,ZX - 4:54- 'W,:',aw-H ...,.--,Mv ni