When my grandpa went across the equator in the 1920's photo.

[River Rat 1]

Here is a photo from when my grandpa went across the equator in the 1920's think on the USS New Mexico or the USS West Virgina. Look at the guy with a cricket bat that had to hurt when he hit a wog. And look at the drag queens they have a beauty pageant to pick a wog for being queen Neptune. They been doing this since our Navy was born. Now they call it Woke strange what people who never served call Navy tradition it's all in fun to break the boredom of being out at sea to long. You only want to do this once they stuck me in a cage and I am wet from getting sprayed with salt water from fire hose. And the royal devil has an electric cattle prog and you get the zap of your life and they tell you to bark like a dog to get out. They have wooden stocks built for three like medieval times and zap you again. They use these swalaylys cut piece of fire hose they use to Wack you while crawling on your hands and knees from the fantail to the FO’C’S’LE were the royal courts at. Royal barber, royal devil, royal sheriff, queen Neptune, and king Neptune himself. They also collect garbage for a week nasty smelling stuff and make you crawl through it some already threw up in it so nasty stuff. I can say more but I think most know you would never want to do again unless you're the shellback dishing it out. Got my granddads book and mine I can post more photos if anyone wants me to. And post some of your own photo of this. Also love what's on a suitcase no justice no mercy.

[River Rat 1]

This was on the USS New Mexico on Jan 24, 1921.

[River Rat 1]

This was when I was on the USS Proteus AS-19 December 23, 1981, a very bad Christmas present. This was when they were starting to have women aboard ship they started with woman officers they got no breaks they got what we got no different. Remember one woman officer after she got hit with a piece of fire hose, she gave the guy the bird.

[River Rat 1]

Here is what it use to be like to go through this might be watered down now but this is on the USS Coral Sea about the same time frame when I went across.

 

[trenchbuff]

Thanks for posting the super cool photos River Rat!  Those are some of the earliest ones I've seen of a shellback ceremony.  I went across the first time on the USS Worden on our way to the IO.  I think it was during the Iran hostage crisis. Thanks for the great memories shipmate.

[River Rat 1]

A few more things from my granddad.

[River Rat 1]

I just got an ordinary Captain that signed mine certificate, but he had an admiral signed his. At Mare Island there was the Rodman Theatre named after him. Sometimes we would have command meeting there when in SBU XI.