Tuscaloosa (LST 1187) - Naval Cruise Book

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The Bears have a difficult task of rounding up the uninitiated, and also dousing watches in the canvas water tank. The fat- test Shellback is dressed in a diaper and is designated as the Royal Baby. All Pollywogs are required to pay homage to the Royal Baby by kissing his belly. The night before the ship crosses the line it is the custom that Davy Jones will appear on board with a mes- sage to the Captain from His Majesty Nep- tunus Rex, stating at what time he wants the ship to have the reception of the Royal Par- ty, and with summons for the Pollywogs to appear before the Royal Court for trial. ,,,,.M.,.,....-my-V QBELOWDZ Aboard, Shellback. You finally made it. Welcome A mouthful of joy. i i i i vt WaShiVlQ off the slime after initiation

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Q4 Nevertheless, Neptunus Rex is today the majesty that rules in the ceremonies. Those who have crossed the line are called Shell- backsf' These Sons of Neptune compose the cast for the present day ceremonies. lt is a curious fact of human nature, but Pollywogs will suffer a very severe initi- ation in order to becorne Shellbacks. The Crossing- the-Line ceremonies of today's modern Navy have retained Much of the tra- ditional discomforts and are picturesque. Al- though the physical discomforts seem se- vere, and the initiation cannot be called ex- tremely rough, as most of the inflictions usu- ally affect only one's pride. Those who sur- vive the initiation become Shellbacks , the Sons of Neptune. The eldest and most digni- fied Shellback of the crew is usually selected as Neptunus Rex, his first assistant is Davy Jones. Her Highness Amphitrite is usually one who will appear well in deshabille of seaweed and rope yarns with his face made up so as to appear very alluring. The court in general consists of the Royal Scribe, the Royal Dentist, Royal Doctor and the Royal Chaplain and others that suit the fancy of the party. QABOVE LEFTJ: Neptunus Rex oversees the proceedings with his lovely queen, Yates, ruling by his side. QABOVE 81 LEFTJ: Royal Baby nabs another wog- QBOTTOM LEFTJ: Dental hygiene ser- vices are provided free of charge for the underpriveleged wogs. QBELOWJ: The Royal Court in Session. 419 'wi . , PC P -it -M T. 5 I .ill E If

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.Ki l AUSTRALIA No one was more eager to get down the brow and enjoy the taste of Australian liberty than the Sailors and Marines onboard the USS TUSCALOOSA, especially after the ex- hausting five day exercise we had just com- pleted. The Aussies were in the midst of gear- ing up for the America's Cup Yacht Races which were scheduled to begin soon, so it wasn't long before dozens of Sailors were down by the docks critiquing the partici- pants. Others enjoyed the uniquely Austra- lian shops in downtown Fremantle, or ven- tured out to the city of Perth, Western Aus- tralia's capitol, which was laden with Aussie polish and hospitality. For the fortunate few who got to it, Rott- nest island proved to be an exceptional so- journ, with its relaxing pace and breathtak- ing views. Meanwhile, romantic King's Park fornd Sailors shoulder to shoulder with tour- ists visiting form all over the world. Seeing this thousand acre park which overlooked all of Perth was indeed a oncein a lifetime ex- perience. Australian friendliness, scenic beauty, kangaroos, and koala bears made our stay a topmost highlight. 4755 1w3kLxwL' ww-s-' .:.. ,- .- -. . ,. .1 :- , mg? . ti, V I i jf' fr! frfqg fr V .M v 4 ' 7 Y' x,A'g X. 5' rytjgatq, Yymffiw 2' Wgt'i?2'Z'Lg:pQ1b ,, ., ,,,,,f,xY,,fcr - .M , A, -, , W., , ,wr r,,, ,fa ,Urn-Y ,2:4,rffe.Qt--,'.'fJ317 -gy , . ., 4.,,. ,,.,y, f r,., ...JW -,,f 5 'MW 1 ,.,. , , ' 4 , ,, H -,,,, If ,, 4 S if Lyfiiiy, t , .. rr' , ,,.,f ,, 'Klaus-Q QABOVE LEFTJ One of the many spectacular sunsets that we observed on our way to Fremantle Western Australia QABOVEJ Fremantle s city hall with a clock tower perched on top is located in the center of town. tLEFTj America sAustralia s Cup Trophy Who will be the next to bring it home? 6 f 'K' ' j 'E il it 5 A XX ' 'Y .m5,-.4ff,y,39'2CX,-3 . tfihwrmgfbk