"I am convinced, Our Father, that your fondest feelings are reserved for the least pretentious and most genuine of us. I am sure that Aviation Boatswain's Mates are some of your favorites. Certainly Aviation Boatswain's Mates have yet to find the virtues of humility, or soft-spokenness or gentleness. They do lead with their jaws, and they always seem to be more ready to fight than to switch. They can be singled out by their red eyes, and by a grubbiness which is a mark of their trade, but their wills match their strong backs, and their love of each other is a wondrous thing to behold. They are the salt of the deck, and the saltiness is honest and open, and they are uniquely your sons. We are grateful for them. As you love them specially, we mark them particularly tonight. Bless them every one, and forever keep them from harm and hurt. In Christ's name, Amen."
Best Moment Arriving in Japan for the first time and loving it right off of the bat.
Other Memories While waiting to be sent to the boat in the Gulf, me and one other guy got assigned to paint the Admirals office. He bought us a case of Mountain Dew to help with the project. It was a strange thing to have those two ranks (E-1 and O-8) in the same room. The world is lucky that this did not cause a rift in the space time continuum.
