Звездный десант

           Iwon’tsay"bulkheadthirty"causedmetobuckforO.C.S.buttheprivilegeofeatingwiththeladiesismoreincentivethananyincreaseinpay.TheSkipperwaspresidentofthemess,mybossCaptainBlackstonewasvice-president—notbecauseofrank;threeNavalofficersrankedhimbutasC.O.ofthestrikeforcehewasdefactoseniortoeverybodybuttheSkipper.

           Everymealwasformal.Wewouldwaitinthecardroomuntilthehourstruck,followCaptainBlackstoneinandstandbehindourchairs;theSkipperwouldcomeinfollowedbyherladiesand,asshereachedtheheadofthetable,CaptainBlackstonewouldbowandsay,"MadamPresident...ladies,"andshewouldanswer,"Mr.Vice...gentlemen,"andthemanoneachlady’srightwouldseather.

           Thisritualestablishedthatitwasasocialevent,notanofficers’conference;thereafterranksortitleswereused,exceptthatjuniorNavalofficersandmyselfaloneamongtheM.l.werecalled"Mister"or"Miss"—withoneexceptionwhichfooledme.

           MyfirstmealaboardIheardCaptainBlackstonecalled"Major,"althoughhisshoulderpipsplainlyread"captain."Igotstraightenedoutlater.Therecan’tbetwocaptainsinaNavalvesselsoanArmycaptainisbumpedoneranksociallyratherthancommittheunthinkableofcallinghimbythetitlereservedfortheoneandonlymonarch.IfaNavalcaptainisaboardasanythingbutskipper,heorsheiscalled"Commodore"eveniftheskipperisalowlylieutenant.

           TheM.I.