Morality—A Military Necessity

Forty years is a long time to remember. However, in the early fifities we left San Diego for WesPac.  The ship was a long hull Sumner class destroyer.

We had eighteen “boots” aboard.  We (probably the captain) decided that these young men needed to be protected, and should be informed of the facts of life.  It was a three-pronged effort.  The exec talked to the men in a fatherly sort of way about their mothers, their sisters, their hometown girlfriends, and their wives.  This nostalgia was to protect them from waywardness.

An “assigned” chaplain talked with them about absolute morality and sin.  And finally, the medical officer and the corpsman taught them about safe sex.

After this thorough instruction we arrived at Pearl Harbor, where all the old salts took the boots down to Hotel Street in Honolulu.  The training had left out the effects of peer pressure.

This book is offered free to our membership while they last. You may order this and other resources from the “Resource“ page in the Members only section of our web site or call our toll-free number: 1-800-798-7875.