U.S.S. YANCEY AKA-93

Ken Grooms's Navy A story for the USS Yancey

Sea Bats - A Story of Mystery and Intrigue

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By Ken Groom

"I never saw a Sea Bat, I never hope to see one, but I would rather see than be one". On a long, boring voyage from Sasebo, Japan to Oakland Naval Supply Center you might see most anything. As I remember it, we out to sea for about two weeks and with things a bit crowded since we were carrying Navy passengers. These Navy personnel were on their way to reassignment or discharge. I don't know who first started this activity, but it probably goes back to the Revolutionary War or is an English tradition that we adopted. We were just carrying on as we had been taught.

Some of the crew would get a cardboard box about the size that contain canned goods
- but this box had something else. A small opening would be cut into the top of the box about the size of a baseball. It had to be that size because the devious crew members that were behind this had to insert some kind of a ball in the box. It was convenient (if not mandatory) that the ship be in calm, but rolling seas.

The next element of this plan included a box of crackers. One of the crew would kneel down and proceed to throw small parts of the crackers into the opening. As the ship would roll, the box would 'twitch" and give the appearance of some sort of animal or beast inside the box. His accomplice (sometimes called an Ace Heab) would stand back a few feet with a broom and be casually sweeping the same spot on the deck.

I observed this event near number four hatch. An innocent passenger would happen by and inquire what they were doing. "Why we caught this sea bat and are keeping it as a pet and feeding it" - was the reply. Sooner or later, the passenger would bend over for a closer look. About that time the "broom custodian" would advance a pace or two and whack the passenger in the aft midsection (rump). I actually saw one passenger have this happen to him, but he still wanted to see his first sea bat, so he stooped over again. The next instance he ran after the "broom custodian" to try and give him a whack. Usually the first whack was enough, the passenger understood what a sea bat was and he would sit over on number four hatch to watch the next victim. In about one out of five times the victim would go to find another passenger to see the sea bat.

I am still looking for sight of my first sea bat - but I am cautious that no one has a broom near by. If any shipmate remembers this story different or has something to add -please send it in.

Submitted by:

Ken Groom
2/15/2002

Submitted 2/10/07
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