In the Coast Guard, we have a bit of nautical lore that goes like this: You should never wear your cover on a mess deck out of respect for the wounded, dying, and dead. Of course, you normally do not wear a cover inside, but there are exceptions. Now, I know this is a sick bay tradition, but it seems to extend to the mess deck for the following reasons: 1. Smaller naval vessels/cutters did not have a sick bay, thus the mess deck served this purpose when needed; 2. In times of war or other mass casualty situations, the mess deck doubled as a hospital space when sick bay was full, and thus the sick bay tradition is extended to the mess deck.
In 16 years of service, I’ve always just accepted this as true. But I have never read of any such tradition; it’s all just been word of mouth. In a preliminary internet search, I can find no reference to this tradition. I have found info about removing your cover in the sick bay and I have found info that says you should remove your cover prior to entering a mess because it is polite and proper, but no reference that says you should remove your cover on the mess deck out of respect to the dead and dying.
So what’s the dope? Has anyone ever heard of this? Do you guys in the Navy have the same tradition and reasoning?
I just did a trip on a civilian sailing ship and we had a similar rule. We had one large common room with bunks along the sides for most of the trainees, and tables for when it too cold or wet to eat on deck. In the salon we had to take off our hats (knives and marlinspikes, too) while eating.
The crew knew their nautical lore pretty well. I’ll ask them if they know where this one comes from.
Scruloose, I didn’t know you were in the Coast Guard. Thanks for answering the call when we needed you, and for everything else you do.
Thanks, I appreciate that. That’s interesting that this tradition extends to non-military vessels.
Thanks for the kind words, and you’re very welcome. It’s very rewarding work. On a related note, I was following your thread about your trip on the Picton Castle. My condolences on the loss of your shipmate.
Not to hijack, but thanks also from me for your hard work fellow. I had a buddy whose brother was in the Coast Guard for years, was stationed up on Kodiak Island for a while, had quite a few tales to tell about the bears up there! He also sent a pic home onetime of him leaning on about 30 or so big bales of weed, chest high spread across the deck.
While I’ve never been up that way, I’ve known many Kodiak sailors over the years, and they all seem to comment on the bears. I guess it is not unusual to see a huge bear strolling across the base, rummaging through the dumpsters.
And here I get annoyed with the squirrels tearing through our garbage.
Another possible origin for the ban on wearing hats in a mess is the concept that hats are unsanitary. In the U.S. Navy, an officer who places his cover (hat) on a table in the wardroom is subject to a traditional punishment (but I forget what it is).
Err… Where’s he SUPPOSED to put his cover? If he’s supposed to hang it up, how does he know which one to pick up on the way out? (Assuming a large group.)
Um, Scru, I don’t know about the Navy or CG wearing a cover indoors, but the Air Force doesn’t wear a hat indoors unless one is ‘under arms’, i.e.: you’re wearing a gun for a specific purpose of security.
I would think the removal of a cover also follows the tradition of respect in entering a house of worship; you take your hat off in a church out of respect.
Tripler
Active Duty, uncovered Air Force since 2000
The same is true for the sea services. However, bear in mind that due to the small size of some of our units and cutters, some mess decks also serve as a watch and/or workspace. Couple that with the fact that some rules are more enforced than others. At some units, the act of merely wearing a hat inside won’t draw nearly as much attention as a sailor who wears one on the mess deck without a damned good reason.
Dress covers actually have a tag inside specifically for the owner’s name. For other types of covers, if the owner cannot easily identify it by sight, s/he’ll usually just write his/her name somewhere on the inside. Plus, it helps to remember exactly where you left it.
I run into a variation on this. In the western US, a lot of cowboy wanna-be’s claim that “A real cowboy never takes off his hat, except in his bed or his casket.”
My father grew up in ranch country, in an era when the state still had more horses than automobiles. His response was, “A gentleman always removes his hat whenever he is indoors, or in the presence of a lady.”
I believe the tradition of the mess deck is probably a variation of the broader tradition of outdoors=work=covered, indoors=social=uncovered. In the mess, you are less likely to be called to work, and there will be more pressure to observe the aristocratic social graces.
Scruloose that was the reasoning we had onthe three US Navy ships to which I was assigned - because in times of war/conflict, the mess decks are the overflow for sickbay as a triage area, etc. Even on an aircraft carrier the mess decks are designated as such.
Of course, the Nimitz class carriers also use the mess decks to transfer ordnance. We got a lot of mileage during long dull underways wondering who would win in a battle for mess deck control during a battle: Supply Department (mess cooks), Medical, or Ordnance.
If it’s any consolation, I too, have a vague recollection of what you’re talking about. Whether it was folklore, or fact, I can’t say. Is it possible that it came from the old Blue Jackets Manual?
I took my sons on a cool tour of the USS Missouri last summer, and I seem to recall a sign in the mess about removing your cover. I may even have a picture of it somewhere. I’ll look.
The same can be said for the army. We are to remove headress in the mess, or suffer the consequences. I also know that removal of headress in the legions is mandatory as well.