airfrogusmc wrote:
Pollywogs before we crossed he equator and shellback after we had crossed and gone through the initiation. They took it very seriously. We got 2 full days off flight ops and the ship stayed on the equator for 2 days (July 1976 IIRC) Even though it was a small aircraft carrier (LPH) the flight deck was still huge. It was an intense to say the least. Keep you head down wogs.....
Sounds like a similar arrangement, but I imagine it might have been toned down a little for us. But yes the Shellbacks took it very seriously. The buildup was about a week long, the culmination being the initiation ceremony which left us with seaweed in our hair & Arctic water down our back. But when it was all done we got a couple drams of rum to warm us up. Super cool to be a part of it, I won't forget it.