The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

DISHONORABLE NAVAL DISCHARGE

IF YOU WANT FOLKLORE, YOU MUST MEAN TRADITIONS,
RIGHT? WELL, HERE IS A BIT OF NAVAL TRADITION. WHEN
I WAS IN THE U.S. NAVY, I WAS STATIONED IN SAN DIEGO,
CALIFORNIA. ONE TIME WE WERE ALL ORDERED TO (GO) OUT
ON THIS LARGE FIELD, (SOMETHING LIKE DRILL FIELD) AND
STAND AT ATTENTION. SOON THE OFFICERS LED THESE THIRTY
OR SO MEN ON THE FIELD. THE MEN WERE ALL DRESSED IN
BLACK. THEY HAD BLACK HATS, SHIRTS, TIES, BELTS, PANTS,
SHOES AND SOCKS. THEY WERE ALL BLACK! WELL, ONE BY
ONE THEY WERE TOLD TO COME FORWARD TO GET DISHONORABLE
DISCHARGES. THE CHARGES THAT WERE PLACED AGAINST THEM
WERE READ PUBLICLY. WHEN THEY WERE LED OFF THE FIELD,
ALL OF US WERE TOLD TO TURN OUR BACKS TO THEM. ALL OF
THESE MEN DRESSED IN BLACK WERE PUT ON A BUS AND LET OFF
IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO. THEY HAD NO MONEY EXCEPT $2.00
WHICH WAS GIVEN TO THEM. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS HAS
BEEN THE NAVAL TRADITION FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED OF YEARS.

Submitter comment: THE INFORMANT LEARNED OF THIS TRADITION IN THE NAVY.

Where learned: NAVY

Date learned: 05-19-1965