Sailors and Coffee

[Rick]

Sailors were a bunch of coffee drinkers. Started in the morning and their mug wasn't far away all day. I was one of the few that didn't drink the stuff but got stuck with the coffee mess. So one day when filling the pot in the sink I noticed the soap dispenser. I thought I'll just put a little soap in this stuff and I'll get off this detail. Well everyone drank the brew up. So the next day I put in a little more and still no complaints. This went on for a week or so and everyday I would put in a little more soap and still no complaints. Finally I got to the point that I thought I might kill someone with all that powdered lye soap so I stopped. I thought maybe I might get a complement on the coffee without soap but no Sailors will drink any coffee the don't have to make.

[RED]

Bad coffee

On my 2nd day aboard ship the I was the the Squadron Duty Officer (SDO). The Skipper came in and told me to make a pot of coffee. I had never used a 30 cup coffee maker before but how hard can it be?

The C.O. was waiting and as soon as the ready light came on he poured himself a cup. He took a big swig and spit coffee all over the floor. Seems I had filled the maker from the deep sink... which any sailor should know is rigged with seawater.

[Michaelp]

Whatever happened to keel hauling?

[Rick]

Another coffee story. The Captain came to the Photo Lab to have his official portraits taken. So I'm setting up the shooting room. The Photo Officer and Captain go to his office for a cup of coffee. The coffee cup given to the Captain was one that I drilled a whole in so that it would dribble coffee on the user. Yep I got the Captain and his Marine guard had to go fetch him a clean white uniform. Can't believe I didn't get in trouble for that one.

We lived on practical jokes, playing cribbage, and letters from home.

Maybe you guys could post some of your better practical jokes. A good laugh is appreciate any time.

[sop2510]

Being a Machinist's Mate, we ran the fresh water stills on both surface craft (targets) and submarines. The Navy used a powder called Hagevap to remove scale from the tubes and improve efficiency. I never did this, but I know some old salts who did: if you wanted to fix somebody who messed with you, you'd put two pinches of Hagevap in their coffee. They would be on the toilet for the next week or two.

"We lived on practical jokes, playing cribbage, and letters from home."
On the ballistic missile subs it was practical jokes, pinochle, and an occasional familygram from the radio room (I think we could two or three on a 60-day patrol).

[Nick Riviezzo]

I can't believe the soap in the coffee didn't have every man in the mess with diarrhea! One of the big points in field sanitation[back when we had mess kits and field chow]was to have enough boiling water "trash cans " with soap to dip your messkit in to clean it before and after use. Had to be sure we had enough "rinse water" to clean the soap off of your mess kit. If you didn't take care, you weren't running a fighting command but a field diarrhea ward for the medics!!!.Nick

[phil441]

While in Basic Training at Lackland AFB in 1961 most everyone in the barracks came down with something after the evening meal. We had a bunch of commodes but not near enough. Just before lights out a SSGT came to the door and asked the TI if anyone there was sick. The TI made it very clear that there was a serious problem as he had heard of similar problems at the other barracks in our area. The SSGT said a problem had been found with the rinsing machine at the chow hall. We never found out if it was mechanical or human error.

[TomSudz]

Now that you mention it, you've just made sense of something I noticed before. When I was in the Guard, three of the guys in our supply section were prior service Navy and I can't recall ever seeing them without coffee.

[sop2510]

When I was in the Guard, three of the guys in our supply section were prior service Navy and I can't recall ever seeing them without coffee.

We loaded 25-lb cans of coffee before going out on patrol. We stored more coffee than we did food or spare parts. I think we drank so much coffee because the cups were too darn small and we had to keep refilling them. I remember running the trash/garbage compactor and 90% of what we loaded in there was coffee grounds!

[Rick]

If someone said a Navy ship was grounded on coffee grounds. It meant they rarely went to sea and were tied to the pier most of the time. Something I would have liked to serve on.

[sop2510]

If someone said a Navy ship was grounded on coffee grounds. It meant they rarely went to sea and were tied to the pier most of the time. Something I would have liked to serve on.

Yep, the sub tender at Rota, Spain would get underway once a quarter to clear the coffee grounds, but, more importantly, to allow the crew and squadron personnel to continue collecting pay for sea duty.

[John Sukey]

Well one day the cooks screwed up and made coffee SO BAD the Gi's were throwing it out. I am sure everyone knows how bad that has to be!
Brother-in -Law was stationed on the Nerius at treasure Island (sub tender) WOODEN DECKS! So many concrete patches in the hull that when they had to occasionaly take it out they wern't sure of getting it back. Had to be towed in once.

[SMOKEY]

Not saying coffee was bad at Oceana in the late 60's but there was alwasys a pair of shears by the coffee urn to cut off a chunk. Nastiest coffee I ever drank. Even worse that what the scout snipers at Quantico use to make in the 80's

[Weasel]

When I reported for duty at NASS Whiting Field parachute loft I was told the new guy makes coffee in the morning. I had never made coffee in my life so I dumped the grounds in, as much has it would hold, dumped water in it and plugged it in. I figured that when they drink this crap they will fire me on the spot. The Chief came in got a cup of that tar and took one sip out of it. He stood there made a couple of weird faces, smacked his lips and said "Damn, that's the best coffee I had sense I came to this $hit hole". I got stuck making coffee in the mornings till he left almost 6 months later.

[John Sukey]

Now I do drink tea not coffee. In the mess Hall at Ft George (Aberdeen Scotland) I drew a cup from the urn and the milk was already in it! The Scots have wierd tastes!