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TRITON Sea Story from Shipmate Ken Beatty


I remember a funny one (funny being in the eyes of the beholders) that happened to Capt. Rawlins.
We were in port at Norfolk and I had week-end duty.
I had been working on a list of things to get done back aft when dinner time was approaching.
I decided to take a break and get something to eat.
I believe Capt. Rawlins’ family was away and he was batching it that week-end.
He had invited the Squadron Commodore and his Wife to come have dinner with Him aboard Triton.
I just finished cleaning up for dinner and was sitting in the Crews mess waiting for something to eat when
I heard the Top Side Watch announce over the 1 MC, Subron Six Arriving, Subron Six Arriving, and
Capt. Rawlins went topside to meet Him and His Wife.
I don’t know how many remember, but the Triton had a 400 record selection Juke Box installed in the Crews Mess.
It got used quite often while we were at sea, but in port we normally preferred to listen to one of the local radio stations,
since we knew most of the records on the Juke Box by heart.
There were also some “Under the Counter” selections on it as well.
This particular day there wasn’t anything playing in the crews mess when I got there.
A few other crew members were also in the crews’ mess chatting or reading the Sunday paper while waiting for chow to be served.
Captain Rawlins had just came down the ladder, aft of the sail, that led into the Officer’s berthing area, and the ward room, and was waiting
for the his guest to follow him down, when someone pressed selection “A-1” on the Juke Box,
and one of the most off color (under the counter) songs you ever heard started playing, and it was even piped into the Ward Room.
It started with the words, “Baby let me Bang your Box” Boom, Boom… and repeated that phrase a couple of times before it went on.
In less than a heart beat the Skipper had slid down the hand rails of the stair way leading into the crew’s mess from Officer Country,
and was yelling turn that juke box off!!! But no one there knew where to turn it off at.
The Commodore’s Wife had just about finished climbing down the ladder when the duty cook, CS2(SU) Lookhoff, threw the breaker to the Juke Box.
We (the crew) never knew whether the Commodore or his Misses got an ear full of that terrible song.
I believe the Juke Box was removed shortly there after.

Maybe we can ask the Skipper to fill in “the rest of the story.