Received from an old shipmate ………. more truth than fiction here! Such traditions are not confined to the US Navy; rather just about every military branch of every nation has some kind of tradition, the origins of which can be lost in time.
A Navy Captain took over as the Commanding Officer of Naval Station, Pearl Harbor on a Friday.
The following Monday, the Captain decided to take a walking tour of his new base. When he emerged from his office, he noticed two sailors that appeared to be ‘guarding' a bench in front of the building. The Captain walked over to the two sailors and asked them why they were ‘guarding' the bench.
One of the sailors answered…"We don’t know, sir. The previous Commanding Officer told us to, so we are guarding it! We believe it’s some sort of base tradition.”
The Captain, a little puzzled, went back to his office to call his predecessor to ask him why he wanted sailors to guard this particular bench.
The previous Captain stated over the phone…"I don’t know. The previous Captain had sailors guarding the bench… so I kept up the tradition.”
The Captain, more confused than ever about this ‘tradition', did some research.
The Captain went back another four Commanding Officers whereby he found a now 100 year old retired Admiral.
The Captain called the Admiral and asked him…"Excuse me, sir. I am Captain Kennedy, the Commanding Officer of Naval Station Pearl Harbor. There’s two sailors assigned to ‘guard' a bench outside my office. I heard you started this tradition…can you tell me why, sir?
There was a long pause…then the Admiral slowly said…"What? Is the paint still wet!?”
And that, my friends, is how traditions gets started!
A Navy Captain took over as the Commanding Officer of Naval Station, Pearl Harbor on a Friday.
The following Monday, the Captain decided to take a walking tour of his new base. When he emerged from his office, he noticed two sailors that appeared to be ‘guarding' a bench in front of the building. The Captain walked over to the two sailors and asked them why they were ‘guarding' the bench.
One of the sailors answered…"We don’t know, sir. The previous Commanding Officer told us to, so we are guarding it! We believe it’s some sort of base tradition.”
The Captain, a little puzzled, went back to his office to call his predecessor to ask him why he wanted sailors to guard this particular bench.
The previous Captain stated over the phone…"I don’t know. The previous Captain had sailors guarding the bench… so I kept up the tradition.”
The Captain, more confused than ever about this ‘tradition', did some research.
The Captain went back another four Commanding Officers whereby he found a now 100 year old retired Admiral.
The Captain called the Admiral and asked him…"Excuse me, sir. I am Captain Kennedy, the Commanding Officer of Naval Station Pearl Harbor. There’s two sailors assigned to ‘guard' a bench outside my office. I heard you started this tradition…can you tell me why, sir?
There was a long pause…then the Admiral slowly said…"What? Is the paint still wet!?”
And that, my friends, is how traditions gets started!
