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PX in the USN terminology


Gregory
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Hello,

 

One small question for the WWII era US Navy lovers -- what was the name of such place in the USN as called "Post Exchange" and abbreviated "PX" in the US Army and USMC? All dictionaries tell that the term "PX" is reserved for the US Army and USMC only. Is it true? The USN had to have the same places as "PX" but how they were called?

 

Thanks for possible help.

 

Best regards

 

Greg

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Hello,

 

One small question for the WWII era US Navy lovers -- what was the name of such place in the USN as called "Post Exchange" and abbreviated "PX" in the US Army and USMC? All dictionaries tell that the term "PX" is reserved for the US Army and USMC only. Is it true? The USN had to have the same places as "PX" but how they were called?

 

Thanks for possible help.

 

Best regards

 

Greg

It was simply refered to as the "Exchange". Formaly the "Navy Exchange". "PX" was an Army term as only the Army refered to their bases as "Posts". The Navy and Marines had "Bases", but used the general term "Navy (some times Marine Corps) Exchange. Eventually, the initials "NEX/MCX" began to be used. When the USAF set up their own system, they had "Base Exchanges" or "BX".

 

Steve Hesson

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I think you'll find that "PX" in the Navy was also known as "Ship's Stores" on sea and land back in the WW2 days. The little place on board that sold cigs, ice cream and sodas and other 'smalls' was known as the "geedunk"! Don't know the origin of the word but I'll bet some squid here on the forum can set us straight!

Semper Fi.....Bobgee

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Bobgee! -- thank you very much.

 

I am also interested in slang wordings describing those historic "PX" in the USN.

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Bobgee! -- thank you very much.

 

I am also interested in slang wordings describing those historic "PX" in the USN.

Dad was in the Navy (SeaBees) during WW2 and (probably illegally) kept a little pocket diary while at Camp Parks, California and then at Pearl Harbor. Once in awhile he would mention going to the "Ships Store" but usually just said "the store" when referring to the Base Exchange.

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Gary -- thank you very much!

 

What I am tracking down is the name of USN place where all those civvie / "semi-civvie" items could be bought by the sailors and USN aircrews. Simply "the store" sounds normally and properly to the place I am looking for. Certainly all of you wrote about the same place that is why this is so interesting for me. I need the name of that USN place where all those razors, cosmetics, additional survival knives, holsters and a million of other civvie street items could be bought.

 

I forgot about one more question: Did the Red Cross distribute its stuff as well at those "Stores", "Geedunks", "Exchanges"?

 

Gents -- I am very thankful for your help! :)

 

Greg

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post-397-1204494527.jpg

 

Marine Corps Barracks, Guam, used 'post exchange' in 1936. Of the two Marines pictured, one has altered his khaki trousers making them bell-bottomed.

 

Hope this helps, Jim

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The name "Navy Exchange" was established in 1950. Prior to that, it was pretty much called the Ships' Service Store or Ship' Store.

 

Charlie

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Jim & Charlie - thank you very much.

 

I am posting below two Florida-based PXs of WWII. I have always been curious if all those goods were co-financed by the War Department and if were they cheaper for servicemen than on civil market? I suppose the USN stores looked similarly.

 

Best regards

 

Greg

post-75-1204536437.jpg

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BOB K. RKSS

Exchange stores, & Commissaries are run as Not for profit: they sell with a small % mark-up from cost; that just covers the expenses of operation (pay for civilian empolyees, & overhead).

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PXs actually do make a profit but they don't keep it it is distributed back to the units of the base. This is one of the main sources of the "Unit Funds" you hear about. These funds are used to buy things the unit needs but are not issued like dayroom equipment (TVs, games, etc) also company parties and outings. Unfortunately a lot of this money now goes for things like Camelbacks and body armour. A lot of the things in the PX seem quite cheap because there is no tax on it, cigarettes are a prime example, most of the cost is tax.

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  • 2 months later...

Howdy,

 

It was called a "Ships Store", on my ship. I was aboard a Post WW-2 Destroyer, USS Hawkins, DD/DDR873.

 

John Krzos

Tincan Sailor

Trusty Shellback

Vietnam 65-66

 

 

My 1911 beats a 911 call!

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Steindaddie

I called the local NEX and here's what I got: 70& of exchange proits go to MWR and the other 30& are used to run the operation. They are required to be competititive with civilian prices but are typically lower. The overhead for an exchange should be quite low (no property taxes comes to mind) and they don't have stockholders trying to squeeze every penny from the GI's. Now, the commisary sells at cost with a 5% surcharge for operating costs. For those unfamiliar, the exchanges are like department stores the commisary is a supermarket, and they are run by different agencies. Neither charge taxes.

Given the cost of living in this area, I save about 30-40% on groceries by using the commisary.

Note: The NEX here is in a 1942 seaplane hangar, the parking lot is the original aircraft parking area complete with tie-downs and concrete huts where .50 cal ammo & guns were stored when not in the PBY's & such.

 

Will

 

PS I found the following on the internet

 

GEEDUNK - To most sailors the word geedunk means ice cream, candy, potato chips and other assorted snacks, or even the place where they can be purchased. No one, however, knows for certain where the term originated, but there are several plausible theories:

 

1.) In the 1920's a comic strip character named Harold Teen and his friends spent a great amount of time at Pop's candy store. The store's owner called it The Geedunk for reasons never explained.

 

2.) The Chinese word meaning a place of idleness sounds something like gee dung.

 

3.) Geedunk is the sound made by a vending machine when it dispenses a soft drink in a cup.

 

4.) It may be derived from the German word tunk meaning to dip or sop either in gravy or coffee. Dunking was a common practice in days when bread, not always obtained fresh, needed a bit of tunking to soften it. The ge is a German unaccented prefix denoting repetition. In time it may have changed from getunk to geedunk. Whatever theory we use to explain geedunk's origin, it doesn't alter the fact that Navy people are glad it all got started.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 months later...

Sorry to exhume a thread but I thought that I would add my 2 cents.

 

On board ship there were two stores.

Ships store and small stores.

 

Clothing &Small Stores

The small stores issuing room is located on the ports side just below the operations compartment. All purchases are for cash except in special cases where issue is required for health and comfort of men without funds. Men requiring health and comfort issues must submit special request slips. Men are specifically forbidden to purchase small stores for persons not in naval service.

 

Ship's Store

The ship's store is located on the main deck, atharwtship's passageway, frame 130......... All kinds of toilet articles, candy, tobacco, writing materials etc. and certain articles of clothing are on sale.

 

Quoted from Information booklet USS Chilton APA-38 circa early 1950's

 

So.... sea going sailors from that era might well refer to Navy exchange as ship's store.

 

In the late 80's we referred to it as either NEX or The Exchange and small stores became the Uniform Shop

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Sorry to exhume a thread but I thought that I would add my 2 cents.

 

On board ship there were two stores.

Ships store and small stores.

 

Clothing &Small Stores

The small stores issuing room is located on the ports side just below the operations compartment. All purchases are for cash except in special cases where issue is required for health and comfort of men without funds. Men requiring health and comfort issues must submit special request slips. Men are specifically forbidden to purchase small stores for persons not in naval service.

 

Ship's Store

The ship's store is located on the main deck, atharwtship's passageway, frame 130......... All kinds of toilet articles, candy, tobacco, writing materials etc. and certain articles of clothing are on sale.

 

Quoted from Information booklet USS Chilton APA-38 circa early 1950's

 

So.... sea going sailors from that era might well refer to Navy exchange as ship's store.

 

In the late 80's we referred to it as either NEX or The Exchange and small stores became the Uniform Shop

Everything depended on where you were. There were Small Stores ashore also until 1975. This was where you purchased uniform items that were "Issue". The Exchance ashore had all the other items including commercially produced uniforms and the extra goodies like lighters fancy belt buckles and the like. In '75, the Small Store ashore was combined into the exchange.

 

Aboard ship, the larger ships had Small Stores as space allowed. Again, this was where "issue" items could be purchased. The Ships Store had the toilet items and some "luxery" items like lighters, fancy belt buckles and the like. If the ship was big enough (Carrier) there would also be books and magazines, watches, camers and such.

 

Smaller ships had a ships store that carried basics. Soap, tooth paste, cigarettes, lighters belt buckles ships ball caps in the '60s on. They seldom carried any uniform items, and it they did it was very limited. The small ships I served in sometimes would get a case of dungarees and shirts, skivvies or socks, and keep them in a store room. They would put out a list of what they had and you could buy that and they would get it up to you with the next break out (restocking of the store). I learned with my first Destroyer that when we deployed to carry enough stuff from soap to socks to last 9 months. Even though you might hit a port like Subic or Yokouska, generalkly you were with a battle group and the exchange would have nothing but Zest soap and size 24 dungarees left.

 

Steve Hesson

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In today's Army PX and Air Force BX they operate together under the AAFES

 

Link:

http://aafes.com/

 

"Major General Keith L. Thurgood assumed duties as the Commanding General and CEO of the Army and Air Force Exchange in August 2007. Prior to his current assignment he was deployed as the Commanding General, 143rd TRANSCOM (Forward) and Deputy Commanding General, 377th Theater Support Command (Forward) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with subsequent assignment as the Director of Movements, Distribution and Transportation, Combined Forces Land Component Command Kuwait.

 

In this role he was responsible for the reception and onward movement (deployment / redeployment) of personnel, unit equipment and all sustainment supplies for U.S. and Coalition forces in the Theater of Operations. General Thurgood is a native of Ogden, Utah. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps, after earning a baccalaureates degree from Brigham Young University, in August 1981, where he was a ROTC scholarship award winner, Distinguished Military Graduate, and the recipient of the George C. Marshall Leadership Award.

 

During his over 26 years of service, he has been assigned to a variety of command and staff positions, including command at company, battalion, and brigade levels. His overseas assignments include a long tour in Germany and multiple training assignments in Japan and Korea.

 

Previous assignments include: Assistant Division Commander Operations, 95th Division; Brigade Commander, 8th Senior Reserve Officer Training Corp, 95th Division; Battalion Commander, 2-382 (Logistics Support), 75th Division; Brigade S2/3, 4th Brigade, 95th Division; Executive Officer, 3-381, 75th Division; Motor Transportation Plans Officer, 96th Corps Support Command; Highway Traffic Engineer, 311th Movement Control Center; Motor Transportation Plans Officer 311th Corps Support Command; Support Operations Officer 4th Infantry Division; Company Commander, 4th Infantry Division; Battalion S2/3 Operations Officer, 4th Infantry Division; Exercise Plans Officer, HHC, 4th Transportation Command; Platoon Leader, 69th Transportation Company.

 

General Thurgood is a graduate of the Transportation Officer Basic and Advance Courses, NATO NBC Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Supply Management Officer Course, the Military Policy Orientation Course, the Observer Controller Certification Course and the U.S. Army War College. He holds an MBA from Boston University, a Masters in Strategic Studies, a PhD, a.b.d., in Organizational Management and Leadership from Capella University and professional certificates from the University of Tennessee and Northwestern University.

 

General Thurgood has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters), National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star), German Army Proficiency Fitness Badge and the Parachute Badge.

 

In his civilian occupation, General Thurgood serves as the Director of Strategy and Integration for PepsiCo, INC in financial, logistics and systems development roles. He is responsible for the development of supply chain and logistics strategies across a $25 billion enterprise."

 

(Current as of June 2008)

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In today's Army PX and Air Force BX they operate together under the AAFES

 

Link:

http://aafes.com/

 

"Major General Keith L. Thurgood assumed duties as the Commanding General and CEO of the Army and Air Force Exchange in August 2007. Prior to his current assignment he was deployed as the Commanding General, 143rd TRANSCOM (Forward) and Deputy Commanding General, 377th Theater Support Command (Forward) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with subsequent assignment as the Director of Movements, Distribution and Transportation, Combined Forces Land Component Command Kuwait.

 

In this role he was responsible for the reception and onward movement (deployment / redeployment) of personnel, unit equipment and all sustainment supplies for U.S. and Coalition forces in the Theater of Operations. General Thurgood is a native of Ogden, Utah. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps, after earning a baccalaureates degree from Brigham Young University, in August 1981, where he was a ROTC scholarship award winner, Distinguished Military Graduate, and the recipient of the George C. Marshall Leadership Award.

 

During his over 26 years of service, he has been assigned to a variety of command and staff positions, including command at company, battalion, and brigade levels. His overseas assignments include a long tour in Germany and multiple training assignments in Japan and Korea.

 

Previous assignments include: Assistant Division Commander Operations, 95th Division; Brigade Commander, 8th Senior Reserve Officer Training Corp, 95th Division; Battalion Commander, 2-382 (Logistics Support), 75th Division; Brigade S2/3, 4th Brigade, 95th Division; Executive Officer, 3-381, 75th Division; Motor Transportation Plans Officer, 96th Corps Support Command; Highway Traffic Engineer, 311th Movement Control Center; Motor Transportation Plans Officer 311th Corps Support Command; Support Operations Officer 4th Infantry Division; Company Commander, 4th Infantry Division; Battalion S2/3 Operations Officer, 4th Infantry Division; Exercise Plans Officer, HHC, 4th Transportation Command; Platoon Leader, 69th Transportation Company.

 

General Thurgood is a graduate of the Transportation Officer Basic and Advance Courses, NATO NBC Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Supply Management Officer Course, the Military Policy Orientation Course, the Observer Controller Certification Course and the U.S. Army War College. He holds an MBA from Boston University, a Masters in Strategic Studies, a PhD, a.b.d., in Organizational Management and Leadership from Capella University and professional certificates from the University of Tennessee and Northwestern University.

 

General Thurgood has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters), National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star), German Army Proficiency Fitness Badge and the Parachute Badge.

 

In his civilian occupation, General Thurgood serves as the Director of Strategy and Integration for PepsiCo, INC in financial, logistics and systems development roles. He is responsible for the development of supply chain and logistics strategies across a $25 billion enterprise."

 

(Current as of June 2008)

I guess the original question was what did Sailors call the place where they bought stuff durring WW 2. That would depend on where you were. Aboard ship it would be the ships store for any toiletry items, small store for clothing. Ashore, small store for clothing, and either ships store or "Exchange" for the rest. It may have been officially a "PX", but in talking to the WW 2 Sailors I know none rememer ever hearing or using that term, ahsore they just called it the store or exchange.

 

Steve Hesson

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  • 4 months later...

the ship I was on also had the "Sea Service cigarette locker" up on the foc'sle. Once we got past the 3 mile limit, they would open it up once a day and you were limited to (I think) 3 cartoons a day, at $1.10 a carton (1968) Since I didn't smoke, and it was my first time at sea, I couldn't image why all those guys were buying up all those smokes, it didn't make sense until we hit the first foreign port--a $1.10 carton was like gold. You could buy anything with it, including a lot of time with the local"ladies"

 

Mike46

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  • 6 months later...

i took my mom and dad onto base once with me and my mom freak out about the price of cartoon of cigs and i went into the px and got them each a couple of cartoon each ..for my thought i bought the cig out of my own pocket and was trying to give me more money for the cartoon at the time in 1978 prices when i had came home on leave..

 

when she was looking the total cost of the items that i had bought she was freaking out for she had give me a 10 dollar bill and my dad give a 20 dollar bill for he wanted a few more items than my mom ..and i walked into the px and came out with like two big bags of items that they had wanted ..my dad just was like ok where my change and i told them when leave the base i would give them the change ..

 

when i left to go back to germany my mom had me go back onto the base and buy her and dad a couple more cartoons of cigs before i left that night for the flight back to germany ..

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