SQUID
Flyboys. Jet Jockeys. Leathernecks, Jarheads.
Swabbies, Squids. Boats, Puddle Pirates. Doughboys, Grunts.
Just a few of the epithets that members of our
military call members of other branches … and sometimes within their own branch
of the military. Still, although some nicknames may seem disrespectful, rest
assured that these nicknames are overwhelmingly used with great respect for
other branches, whether active military or veterans.
Russ Thomas refers to himself as a Squid, a moniker he says was reserved for submariners in the U.S. Navy, although he heard references to “bubbleheads” and “sewer pipers” as well. Ironically, Russ was born in Kansas, far from any ocean or the Great Lakes. However, his motivation to serve in the military and travel might be credited to his family’s travels when he was a small child, having lived in five different states by the time he entered elementary school.
Although SSN-684 was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,
as home port, she travelled the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic Oceans
and the Caribbean Sea as a versatile nuclear submarine. Russ travelled with her
to most ports including the coasts of Italy, Greece, Scotland, and of course
ports in the Pacific, including passes through the Panama Canal.
Russ served as a non-nuclear machinist’s mate,
requiring training and knowledge in a wide range of disciplines including
hydraulics, hoists, atmosphere control systems (critical to life aboard a
submarine), and weapons and weapon systems, among many others. Toward the end
of his eight years in the Navy, Russ was assigned shore duty at the Submarine
Base, Pearl Harbor.
If you catch Russ in a talkative mood, he might
describe the time, during a diesel equipment training course near Chicago, that
he tried to steal a train engine to get him and a few buddies back to the
training facility after a night on the town, or the time that he and a friend
snatched the transmission out of an abandoned, snow-covered pickup on the side
of the road and put it in his friend’s disabled truck, all in 2-1/2 hours. Or
he might describe a visit to the prostitutes’ rooms uncovered in the ruins of
Pompeii, or his time, as a youngster, on the rodeo circuit in Texas.
In civilian life, his work has involved mechanics and hydraulic systems. He has been known to visit cafes, restaurants, and bars in his community, accompanied by a quiet demeanor, yet proud of his military service. On occasion, Russ will notice a couple or small party at a café or restaurant where he is relaxing and will cover the check for the entire party, whether acknowledgment is received or not. Credit for his gesture is not his goal; it seems that service in some form is in his nature.