All veterans and heavy drinkers can relate to this.

[big john]

MY father, an ex-Navy man, sent me this story.

The U. S. S. Constitution (Old Ironsides), as a combat vessel, carried
48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This
was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She
carried no evaporators (i. e. fresh water distillers!) .

However, let it be noted that according to her ship's log, "On July 27,
1798, the U. S. S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement
of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon
shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum."

Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."

Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300
gallons of rum.

Then she headed for the Azores , arriving there 12 November. She
provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese
wine.

On 18 November, she set sail for England . In the ensuing days she
defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English
merchant ships, salvaging only the rum aboard each.

By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although
unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland . Her
landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40,000
gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.

The U. S. S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February, 1799, with no
cannon shot,! no food , no powder, no rum, no wine, no whiskey, and
38,600 gallons of water.

WTF!

[Crazy Navy Flyer]

Sounds like my boat.

[C-Dawg]

of course there was water left...they only bathed once or twice a week back then
Did you think they were drinking it?

[SchoolGirlHeart]

[Frank4]

Have to love the US Navy back in the day....when did they get rid of the rum ration?

[Dutch Harbor PH]

Keeping alive the best traditions of the sea........

[TheSecretsInTheCrust]

MY father, an ex-Navy man, sent me this story.

The U. S. S. Constitution (Old Ironsides), as a combat vessel, carried
48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This
was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She
carried no evaporators (i. e. fresh water distillers!) .

However, let it be noted that according to her ship's log, "On July 27,
1798, the U. S. S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement
of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon
shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum."

Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."

Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300
gallons of rum.

Then she headed for the Azores , arriving there 12 November. She
provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese
wine.

On 18 November, she set sail for England . In the ensuing days she
defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English
merchant ships, salvaging only the rum aboard each.

By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although
unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland . Her
landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40,000
gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.

The U. S. S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February, 1799, with no
cannon shot,! no food , no powder, no rum, no wine, no whiskey, and
38,600 gallons of water.

WTF!

Nice...but in 2009....there would be a congressional inquiry. National outcry for military wide AA meetings be manditory and the resignation of the Captain of the Ship would be debated on CNN, FOXNEWS and talk radio all across the land. Thank GOD this country was formed then and not now.

[pair8head]

Have to love the US Navy back in the day....when did they get rid of the rum ration?

Long before I joined.

Actually I believe they went out with prohibition.

[big john]

Have to love the US Navy back in the day....when did they get rid of the rum ration?

Sept 1, 1862. The British navy stopped on July 31, 1970. The Canadian navy Dec 2, 1971.

[pojo]

nice!!!

[Elrod]

...no rum, no wine, no whiskey...

Easy to explain, very easy.
The crew of 450 included 55 Marines.

[INeverGoAnywhere]

...no rum, no wine, no whiskey...

Easy to explain, very easy.
The crew of 450 included 55 Marines.

So that's who drank the water......

[C-Dawg]

Have to love the US Navy back in the day....when did they get rid of the rum ration?

Sept 1, 1862. The British navy stopped on July 31, 1970. The Canadian navy Dec 2, 1971.

The Brits still had beer on board back in the 80's when I was in. I met some Brits in port in Naples, Italy back in December, 1985. A few of us got permission to show them the sub we were on and when we were going thru the Crew's Mess, they wanted to know where the beer was. They later took us to their sub and we shared a few pints in their crew's mess.

[big john]

Have to love the US Navy back in the day....when did they get rid of the rum ration?

Sept 1, 1862. The British navy stopped on July 31, 1970. The Canadian navy Dec 2, 1971.

The Brits still had beer on board back in the 80's when I was in. I met some Brits in port in Naples, Italy back in December, 1985. A few of us got permission to show them the sub we were on and when we were going thru the Crew's Mess, they wanted to know where the beer was. They later took us to their sub and we shared a few pints in their crew's mess.

When I was in the Coast Guard in the '70's at one particular base we had beer on tap
on the mess deck and a beer machine (a converted soda machine) on the recreation
deck. On the isolated duty station we had a little clubhouse on the beach with a big
fridge totally dedicated to beer with a sign out book that you paid off on payday.

[Frank4]

Have to love the US Navy back in the day....when did they get rid of the rum ration?

Sept 1, 1862. The British navy stopped on July 31, 1970. The Canadian navy Dec 2, 1971.

The Brits still had beer on board back in the 80's when I was in. I met some Brits in port in Naples, Italy back in December, 1985. A few of us got permission to show them the sub we were on and when we were going thru the Crew's Mess, they wanted to know where the beer was. They later took us to their sub and we shared a few pints in their crew's mess.

When I was in the Coast Guard in the '70's at one particular base we had beer on tap
on the mess deck and a beer machine (a converted soda machine) on the recreation
deck. On the isolated duty station we had a little clubhouse on the beach with a big
fridge totally dedicated to beer with a sign out book that you paid off on payday.

Got to love the Coast Guard, that's a great story

[Dutch Harbor PH]

When I was a kid on base...we used to sneak into the BOQ's (Bachelor Officers Quarters) just up the street from my house next to the O club pool..... ANyway the soda machine had beer in it.......$.50 for a icey cold beer....just had to have a look out....... ...I'm sure the guys living there were wondering why there was never any beer in the machines.......

[C-Dawg]

...no rum, no wine, no whiskey...

Easy to explain, very easy.
The crew of 450 included 55 Marines.

So that's who drank the water......

well we knew it wasn't the squids

[Dutch Harbor PH]

...no rum, no wine, no whiskey...

Easy to explain, very easy.
The crew of 450 included 55 Marines.

My favorite Marine/Navy story.....
I grew up on base (China Lake Naval Weapons Center). The base had a Marine security detail (also a small unit that flew Helos) but their main duty was to provide securuty for the base. I always liked coming on base when the marine on duty would see us rolling up come to a crisp attention, Salute us, examine our passes and salute us through. SOme time in the late '60's one of the Navy Officers (the one in charge of the SP) decided that he would make a play for the base security as well....the top brass bought into it and made plans to transfer the securuty detail to the SP's......
The SP's took over and for a couple of days....maybe a week all was normal....Then one morning all hell broke loose.......As people off base were coming to work from off base in the morning, there was an enormous traffic jam as no one was being allowed to pass onto the base......The reason being that the entire guard shack was missing along with the SP's on duty and an armed Marine was stationed with orders to not let any one pass........

Moral of the story....Never Nerver, NEVER mess with a marine. Never question his ability to get the job done and NEVER make him prove otherwise.....

The following day the guard shack was restored along with a pair of Marines doing their job...

[Elrod]

Moral of the story....Never Nerver, NEVER mess with a marine. Never question his ability to get the job done and NEVER make him prove otherwise.....

[ragtopW]

When I was a kid on base...we used to sneak into the BOQ's (Bachelor Officers Quarters) just up the street from my house next to the O club pool..... ANyway the soda machine had beer in it.......$.50 for a icey cold beer....just had to have a look out....... ...I'm sure the guys living there were wondering why there was never any beer in the machines.......

there were a few gas stations in Marysville/Linda/Olivehurst California
that if you pushed the Cream Soda button you got Bud/Miller or Coors..