What was the name of the Hollywood movie who’s underlying story was behind this real Navy event?
The facts - The USS SKIPJACK (SS-184) ordered 150 rolls of toilet paper. Five months later the toilet paper was denied by the Navy Supply Depot. The denial finally reached the ship 1 year after the request was submitted. After having no toilet paper for almost 1 year, the Commanding Officer of the USS SKIPJACK (SS-184), dictated this letter, and handed the letter to the Yeoman, telling him to type it up. Once typed and upon reflection, the Yeoman took it to the Executive Officer (XO), who shared it with the OD. The two proceeded to the CO's cabin and asked if he really wanted it sent. His reply, "I wrote it, didn't I?"
U.S.S. Skipjack
84/18/S36-1
June, 1943
From: The Commanding Officer. To: Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, California. Via: Commander, Submarines, Southwest Pacific.
Subject: Toilet Paper. Reference: (a) (6048) USS HOLLAND (5184) USS SKIPJACK Reqn. 70-42 of July 30, 1941. (b) SO NYMI cancelled invoice No. 272836. Enclosure: (A) Copy of cancelled invoice. (B) Sample of material requested.
1. This vessel submitted a requisition for 150 rolls of toilet paper on July 30, 1941, to USS HOLLAND. This material was ordered by HOLLAND from Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, for delivery to USS SKIPJACK.
2. The Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, on November 26, 1941, cancelled Mare Island Invoice No. 272836 with the stamped notation “cancelled-cannot identify”. This cancelled invoice was received by SKIPJACK on June 19, 1942.
3. During the 11-1/2 months elapsing from the time of ordering the toilet paper and the present date the SKIPJACK personnel, despite their best efforts to await delivery of subject material have been unable to wait on numerous occasions, and the situation is now quite acute, especially during depth charge attacks by the “back-stabbers”.
4. Enclosure (B) is a sample of the desired material provided for the information of the Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island. The Commanding Officer, USSSKIPJACK cannot help but wonder what is being used by Mare Island in place of this unidentifiable material, one well known to this command.
5. SKIPJACK personnel during this period has become accustomed to the use of “Ersatz” the vast amount of incoming non- essential paper work, and in so doing felt that the wish of the Bureau of Ships for “reduction of paper work” is being complied with thus effectually “killing two birds with one stone”.
6. It is believed by this Command that the stamped notation “cannot identify” was possibly an error, and this is simply a case of shortage of strategic war material, theSKIPJACK probably being low on the priority list.
7. In order to cooperate in war effort at small local sacrifice, the SKIPJACK desires no further action to be taken until the end of current war which has created a situation aptly described as “War is Hell”.
J.W. COE
The infamous "toilet paper" letter reached Mare Island Supply Depot. According to another source, a member of that office recalls the letter and said that all the officers in the Supply Department "had to stand at attention for three days because of that letter." By then, the letter had been copied and was spreading throughout the fleet.
As the boat came in from her next patrol, SKIPJACK’s crew saw toilet-paper streamers blowing from the lights along the pier and pyramids of toilet paper stacked seven feet high on the dock. Two men were carrying a long dowel with toilet paper rolls on it with yards of paper streaming behind them as a band played coming up after the roll holders. Band members wore toilet paper neckties in place of their Navy neckerchiefs. The wind-section had toilet paper pushed up inside their instruments and when they blew, white streamers unfurled from trumpets and horns. As was the custom for returning boats to be greeted at the pier with cases of fresh fruit/veggies and ice cream, the SKIPJACK was first greeted thereafter with her own distinctive tribute- cartons and cartons of toilet paper. ------
Operation Petticoat opens with Rear Admiral Matt Sherman (Cary Grant) visiting the submarine SEA TIGER on the morning of its decommissioning and reminisces about his time as the first commander of the boat, in 1941.
This letter became famous in submarine history books and ultimately found its way to the movie Operation Petticoat, and eventually coming to rest (copy) at the Navy Supply School at Pensacola, Florida. There, it still hangs on the wall under a banner that reads, "Don't let this happen to you!"
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/guides/skipjacktoiletpaper.htm
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Question: What is the name of the ONLY U.S. ship to surrendered during WW2?
Answer:
The USS Wake - This doomed ship was nothing but trouble... Thus, no other U.S. ship has yet been named the same as this unlucky ship.
This was a U.S. ship, which surrendered to the Japanese, the Japanese then gave it to China, which was then captured by the U.S., the U.S. then gave it to the Chinese nationalist, which then was captured by the Communist Chinese forces.
She was launched on 28 May 1927 as Guam by the Kiangnan Dock and Engineering Works in Shanghai, China, and commissioned on 28 December 1927. Her primary mission was to ensure the safety of American missionaries and other foreigners. However, by 1939, she was "escorted" by a Japanese warship whenever she went, as China fell more and more under Imperial control.
In January 1941, she was renamed Wake, as Guam was to be the new name of a large cruiser being built in the United States. On 25 November 1941 she was ordered to close the Navy installation at Hankow, and sail to Shanghai. Pearl Harbor was attacked on 7 December 1941, Shanghai immediately fell to Japan. Surrounded by overwhelming Japanese force, the crew attempted unsuccessfully to scuttle the craft. Wake surrendered, the only U.S. ship to do so in World War II
She was given by the Japanese to their puppet Wang Jingwei regime in Nanjing who named her Tatara, then she was recaptured by the US in 1945. They gave her to the Chinese nationalist as the Yuan. Finally, she was captured by Communist Chinese forces in 1949. by General Douglas MacArthur for his son(1942)
“Build me a son, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.
Build me a son, whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee – and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And, after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the weakness of true strength.
Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain.” Once again this year, I’ve had requests for my Vodka Christmas Cake recipe so here goes. Please keep in your files as I am beginning to get tired of typing this up every year! (Made mine this morning!!!!) 1 cup self raising flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 cup water, 1 tsp. salt , 1 cup brown sugar, Lemon juice, 4 large eggs, Nuts, 1 bottle Vodka, 2 cups dried fruit. Sample a cup of Vodka to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality then Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Mix the treacle with one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point, it is best to make sure the Vodka is still OK. Try another cup just in case. Add the flower to the mixcher in the bowel and keep forking it. Fork it and mix it. Check the vodka is still wet. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off the floor, wash it and put it in the bowl a piece at a time trying to count it. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver Sample the Vodka to test for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something. Check the Vodka. Now shit shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the Vodka and wipe the counter with the cat.
Advice from an experienced Navy for moms Mom
Tell all your sailors now - the secret to making the RDCs happy and to get promotions in bootcamp isn't to do it all perfectly - it's to do it very well, then turn to help your struggling rack-mate or nearby neighbor get it right, too (unless they are told not to).
If their rackmate is slow - as soon as the faster rackmate is done, s/he should turn to help (without completely doing it for them).
Generally the recruits who do a task perfectly, then stand there, proud of their their prowess while their rackmate repeatedly fails - is given poor performance marks, and is selected for nothing good.
Similarly, the overly proud but struggling recruit who refuses help is also given poor marks.
If there is a recruit who is continually screwing up (not bad enough to get kicked out - just enough to keep the division from getting awards, etc), and the division keeps getting punished for his/her problems, the punishment will stop *only when someone, or multiple someones, begin to help that recruit.* If the division's members socially isolate that recruit and fail to assist him/her in improving, they will keep getting punished, and they will not be told why!
The test isn't about how good the individual's skills are - that will come in A-school. In bootcamp, the test is about whether you can work as a TEAM.
Which is also the answer to the final exam.