Old sailors sit And chew the fat About things that used to be, Of the things they've seen The places they've been, When they ventured out to sea.
They remembered friends From long ago, The times they had back then, The money they spent, The beer they drank, In their days as sailing men.
Their lives are lived In the days gone by With the thoughts that forever last. Of the bell bottom blues, Winged white hats, And good times in their past.
They recall long nights With the moon so bright Far out into the lonely sea. The thoughts they had As youthful lads, When their lives were wild and free.
They know so well How their hearts would swell When old glory fluttered proud and free. The underway pennant Such a beautiful sight As they plowed through an angry sea.
They talked of the chow Ol' cookie would make And the shrill of the bos'n pipe. How salt spray would fall Like sparks from hell When a storm struck in the night.
They remember old shipmates Already gone Who forever hold a spot in their heart, When sailors were bold, And friendships would hold, Until death ripped them apart.
They speak of nights Spent in bawdy houses On many foreign shore, Of the beer they'd down As gathering around, Telling jokes with a busty whore.
Their sailing days Are gone away, Never again will they cross the brow. They have no regrets, They know they are blessed, For honoring the sacred vow.
Their numbers grow less With each passing day As the final muster begins, There's nothing to lose, All have paid their dues, And they'll sail with shipmates again.
I've heard them say Before getting underway That there's still some sailing to do, They'll say with a grin that their ship has come in, And the Lord is commanding the crew.
Author Unknown
Re: (no subject)
Posted by Francis Kent on June 14, 2012, 1:00 pm, in reply to "(no subject)"
Unquestionably, the author of this spoke from experience. He was there. Thanks to the one who posted it here. -- Fran
American Flag
Posted by Gerald Burr on June 14, 2012, 3:16 pm, in reply to "Re: (no subject)"
I just recieved an E-mail from a friend, and am advised Lowe's is selling the American Flag as a door Mat. They have had so many complaints it has gotten to their company headquarters. They still haven't pulled these from the stores. If you have a Lowe store near you go have a look and let the manager know what you think.
Re: American Flag
Posted by Ron Carlson on June 17, 2012, 9:48 am, in reply to "American Flag"
This is not entirely true. Lowe's sells a doormat with a red, white and blue design of stripes and stars that somewhat resembles the flag but is not a flag in exact design. On the other hand, the design is a little too close and perhaps could be confused with the flag. And for what it's worth, it is manufactured in the U.S. Draw your own conclusions: http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/doormat.asp.
Incidentally, snopes.com is a great website for checking out rumors that come to you via e-mail. As a rule of thumb, if it's too good (or too bad) to be true, it's probably not true.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster Armed Guard / Merchant Marine website
Re: American Flag
Posted by Francis Kent on June 14, 2012, 4:38 pm, in reply to "American Flag"
I think the people who made this thing are probably ignorant, interested only in profit, and therefore insensitive to the enormity of their act. On the other hand, the people who made it, likely Chinese, are probably fully aware of the significance of treading on our flag. -- Fran
