Well Joe, that is close...let's say that yours IS a "sea story" in combination with the navy jibes about skyhooks, buckets of steam, mail buoy watch and the key to the bow door...but generically the difference between a fairy tale and a sea story is....a fairy tale starts out "Once upon a time..." and a sea story starts out "This ain't no s**t!...." [:D] So there you go shipmate...now you have a coarse introduction sometime at a cocktail party...in the right company of course (no pun intended) to introduce some tall Sea Story of your exploits as IC...perhaps, for example, of climbing the antenna above the main stack of a Tin Can, in a storm, in the North Atlantic,in the winter with icebergs floating by, listing 30 degrees and the bow going under while you hung on with your left hand, a flashlight in your mouth and your pliers in your right hand [:D]
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Joe Meyer</i>
<br />I served four years in the United States Navy, 1964-1968, as an Interior Communications Electrician.
If you don't mind, Tom, I'll take a stab at the difference between a fairy tale and a sea story. A fairy tale is a bunch of BS told by a Navy guy who's never been across the equator. A sea story is the same thing told by a sailor (make that "shellback") who has!
Here's an example! One day two sailors, one a shellback and the other not, were standing on the deck trying to figure out how to mount the new, outdoor movie screen to the rear of the aft stack. As a wide-screen it promised much enjoyment for the crew's movie that night. "Well, it's apparent to me," said the uninitiated swabbie as he studied the situation, "that we're going to have to use a <i>skyhook</i>!" After a short pause the shellback piped in, "Yeah! We'll need <i>two</i> of 'em!"
Col. Jos. C. Meyer,
4th "California" Brg'd, Cav. Div., 14th Corps, Army of the Cumberland
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Major General
Tom Ciampa
Commanding Officer, AoC,
XIV Corps,Cav Division
Games: TS/BG: AN, BR, CH, GB, SH - HPS: AT, CTH, GB, OZK, SH, VK