Once in a while at the grocery store you might notice one of those cliche black Veterans ball caps on the head of an old guy that says ” Tin Can Sailor ” . Lot’s of people don’t know what that is and that’s a shame because what it is … is a hard earned title . In the U.S. Navy small ships the likes of Destroyers and Frigates and other smaller vessels are referred to as Tin Cans . Once in 1973 I watched from the deck of an Aircraft Carrier a little Tin Can whose sole job was to defend my ship completely submerged in 35 ft. waves time and time again only to pop out the other side of those waves like a cork . My heart went out to the men on that little vessel knowing they were in for a very long night.
The yard sale was advertised as selling predominantly electronic testing equipment and some tools and I almost skipped by it but in a corner of one of the pics they posted in the ad I noticed an item or two that I might have interest in. With that in mind I was there early . The Son in Law of the seller let me in and grab first dibs on the tools I lusted after. He then showed me around the overly neat and tidy garage filled with incredible amounts of electronic gear and I was curious …
” Does he still do radio repair ? ” I asked with hope having an old CB radio needing new life
” No , he’s in very advanced stages of dementia ”
At this point the wife brought the gentleman out in the garage to introduce and just to break the ice I asked
” Were you a ham radio operator Sir ? ” though I knew he was as his licence was framed and hanging on the wall . In a frail tone he told me he didn’t know . I asked a question or two more about some of the items in the garage and in the same frail tone he informed he didn’t remember anything about them .
By now I’d walked to the end of the garage and looked at a cabinet door with a very old sticker on it that read …
“Tin Can Sailor” and as soon as I saw it I repeated those very words … ” Tin Can Sailor “..
Immediately from behind me came a very clear and distinct …. ” Yup ! ”
When I mentioned I had done some time on a Carrier the gentleman walked right over and shook my hand and then told me all about life on a U.S. Navy Destroyer in 1954 in a voice that wasn’t so frail . When he was finished he said to me ….
” But you were on a Carrier …. you were one of the Big Shots ”
” No Sir , I was a Carrier Sailor because I was never good enough to be a ” Tin Can Sailor ”
and he smiled
Fair Winds and Following Seas Sir .
