Not long ago, a discussion took place here concerning the white hat worn by enlisted men. I found it interesting in part because some contributors referred to this article as a "dixie cup." Even though I spent five years on active duty and never wore any uniform but that of a Navy enlisted man, I had never seen or heard the term dixie cup except in reference to the waxed paper cup used for serving drinks. Moreover, research suggests that the sailor's white hat was in evidence long before the dixie cup appeared (it dates to 1919). In the course of this research, I learned of another curious reference to the uniform. An article from "All Hands," a magazine circulated widely among Navy people, referred to a sailor's blues as the "crackerjack." This clearly relates to the boy in blue on the familiar box of caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts. Yet this confection wasn't introduced until the 1890's, long after the sailor's uniform was adopted. And in my time in uniform I never heard anyone refer to his blues as anything but blues, except to distinguish his liberty uniform as his "talor-mades."
Times change, and likewise the glossary of terms. For example, the submarine of my time was called a boat, but it would be riidiculous to call today's huge nuclear-powered submarine a boat. So it is accurately designated a ship. I've sometimes wondered what has been done to accommodate the women of today's Navy: can they properly be promoted to any rating that includes "man?" I know what's been down with "radioman": with the advent of the computer, the rating has simply disappeared. About the others, I could probably find the answer on the internet. But I don't really care.
Re: The White Hat, Again
Posted by Harvel Arnold on April 11, 2010, 7:55 pm, in reply to "The White Hat, Again"
Hello Mr. Kent good to hear from you on any subject. I agree with you I was active for 4 years and never heard a white hat called a dixie cup or blues called cracker jack. We had dress blues and undress blues the difference was undress jumpers did not have the white piping on collar and cuffs. They came out with short sleved shirts just before I got out. Said we had to buy them so I did'nt get any as I only had a few months to go. From what I have heard soon all services will wear the same uniforms . As for rates like signalman ,radioman ect. I think most of them have gone the way of the stoker and water tender. Subs were calle boars when I was in also.
I began a 'brief' 33 year relationship with the Fleet in enlisted blues - dress with piping, working with none, and a 'working' rig with dungaree trousers and light blue long/or short-sleeve shirts, depending on season. Enlisted "flat hats" died out before I signed on, bbut those bill-less headgear were memorable in their day because of the unit ID sash around the headpiece (that device was changed when command shoulder ID tabs came into use I know now when, bu are still 'reg' today). It is probably safe to note that flathat sailors can still be found in foreign navies - most of them, for that matter. Baseball caps somehow seem a bit too lacking in the long, deep traditions associated with older headgear. I think "cracker jack" and "dixie cup" monikers were fostered for PR purposes but, as noted in this thread, are not tracable. Alas, Management (I won't call them 'leaders' have put co-ed sailors into rigs that look to me (either) to come from Army Overage stores - or were slapped together by designers who wanted to make some statement about khaki at the grades below CPO and commissioned officer. When in enlisted rigs I was proud of my appearance and would have scratched my head when donning Navy "Battle Dress Uniform (whatever)!" Nobody asked me...or any other retired USN "person" when it came to uniform policy changed. But that's all right. As long as I have a viable set of Service Dress Blues, I'm prepared to totter along on Memorial Day - or to participate in my burial at sea as a silent onlooker. To the Fleet! CAPT Steve Myers USN Ret.
The dungaree shirt with short sleeves is another inovation that came after my time. We had no choice. Small stores offered only "shirts, chambray, blue," which came with long sleeves, and we rolled them up at the risk of getting put on report for being out of uniform. Another change we would have welcomed that came later: adoption of a shortened jumper, making it unnecessary to have a tailor eliminate the blouse effect we hated. Only the most hard-nosed officer would write up a man for "mutilating" his uniform by having the jumper altered. The same type wouldn't let a man off the ship wearing white sox with dress blues. Nits were meant to be picked, right? -- Fran
We also only had long sleeved dungree shirts but on most tin cans they did'nt say anything if you rolled the sleeves up. I was an electricians mate and stood all steaming watches in the engine room and it could get pretty warm sometimes. Had already done away with bell bottom dungree pants but still had 4 back pockets 2 on the front and 2 on the back.
The tin can Navy was pretty casual, as I remember it, and that's understandable, given the sometimes miserable conditions you people had to put up with. Most of my time with the Fleet was spent with one flag division or another. There, we lived pretty much by the book, with junior officers going the extra mile in an effort to please their superiors.