U.S.S. YANCEY AKA-93

Ken Grooms's Navy A story for the USS Yancey

The Identity of Bosun "L"

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I wrote the story titled "Looking for "L" in all of the Wrong Places" a year ago in the January issue of the Yancey Newsletter. I did not identify Bosun L, and will not, but I would like to point out some of his characteristics. I am sure there are shipmates that remember more details than I remember as well as what I have been told.

I think the best way to describe him is that he was sort of like Jack Nicholson, the actor, In the movie "The Last Detail". You know, he had a permanent devilish grin. He always wore tailor made dungarees with a wide leather belt. He had a tanned and leathery appearance and also wore tailor made dress uniform. On his slim hips he had his favorite Bosun knife strapped to his side.

One of his famous reveille calls he liked to use when he had the 4:00 am to 8:00 am quarter deck watch is shown below. He could pipe the "all hands" with his Bosun pipe with a sound so sweet that I can remember it today. His own words after piping were:

"Wakie, wakie rise and shine you have had yours and I've had mine;

The cooks are in the Galley burning the stew So heave out, leap out, lash up and turn to..

Sweepers man your brooms, clean sweep down to and froe get the corners as you go"

I purposely left out one line so as not to offend anyone. Also I probably have the sequence of the lines mixed up, but that is the best I can remember after half of a century. Maybe some of my shipmates can fill some lines in for me.

I am told by others that they have counted up to 25 tattoos on Bosun "L" and I can verify some. They include:

"True Love" on fingers ship's; Screws on lower cheeks; Babes on forearm; lip print on a "special spot"; the words "sweet & sour" 'n blue birds battleship on his chest.

Ken Groom
9/26/2005

Submitted 2/10/07
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