Here Sergeant Major ......
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That's what your supposed to say during roll call. It's a Army/Marine thing. During my time in the Navy a simple "Present" or "Here" was sufficient. During formal roll calls we would say "Here Chief" or "Here Senior Chief".
The Chiefs just wanted to see who was standing for duty that day. If a silence came after the call of a name our Chief would call the sailors name again. If a second silence came Chief would ask about the missing 'squid'. Most of the time your shipmate would cover for you. "He's at sick call." or "He's standing watch."
Roll call was a function of the job. Like reading the POD and getting the Uniform of the Day. You did it because you had to. You did it because you wanted to. More often than not it was a chance to volunteer for the cherry duties, skate jobs, or to do something other than PM.
Underway the thing I remember the most was the monotony. The endless port and starboard watches, knowing when chow was, and keeping tabs on the time the movie you wanted to watch was on. Waking your replacement at 3:30 in the morning. Asking the Captain permission to strike '8 Bells' (a tradition that goes back a couple of centuries). So constant was the regimen you started to lose the normal concept of time.
To my brothers and sisters in arms I bid you not 'Happy Veterans Day' but more of a 'Thinking of you on this day' for there is nothing 'Happy' about today. It's meant to be held in reverence and remembrance for those that will come and for those that have gone on before us.
May God keep you and watch over you until we meet again.
The opening of this track is from the roll call at Fort Hood on Nov. 10, 2009. The music that follows is Lotus - Long Legged Stumble.
Comments (6)
Though I'm a day late and a dollar short..Thank You Chris.
BAH! The navy is not the real military CodyB. All they do is sail from port to port... its like a cruise ship that you get paid to ride on. They get great chow, the see the world... all those men in tight pants.. (thats why they put the name tags on the rear pockets!).
Just Kidding I am. i am Airforce, not much better, we just drink coffee instead of pina colada's like you. And the new uniforms... is that sadistic or what.
"Hey I got an idea, lets give them blue camo.. so when they fall in the water......... we ... wont be able to see them...."
BRILLIANT!
Salute!
You served. Thank you. Don't let the wingnut get to you, we got all the respect in the world for you squids
hehehe
there was too much emotion seeping through to comment on first pass, so I waited. To quote Pete Townshend, "I have known no war"; and often feel alternately lucky and undeserving...and then there are times (like this) when it feels like I missed out on something. thanks Chris (and all)
Your mix is brilliant, btw!
Salute! Hoo-rah, Sailor.