The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1915-10-13
MARKING A SAILOR.
Naval Arm insignia Worn by
Uncle Sans Enlisted Men,
TELLS THEIR RANK AND WORK.

NsdSS 0ympo1Ss ana Only the N0Nlce0
i Are Without Theu-Marines Nav~
Their Own Special insignia.
Uncle Sam seems to be a wise old
boy. He has found the secret of avert.
ing labor difficulties and raising the
dignity Of labor aboard ship by giving
the marines and sailors who are as
signed to special duties arm insignia
to distinguish their callings and ranks.
Mechanics, clerks, carpenters and
deck men are given just as much at
tention when it comes to insignia as
are the admirals, captains, lieutenants,
Y enSignS and other commissioned men.
And if the truth were only known the
Jackies take even more pride in dis.
playing the marks that have been con-
ferred upon them.
Uncle Sam has peculiar method of
marking his men. but he has never
taken into consideration that the pub
lie would like to be taken into the Sc
Eet. The consequence is that the men
7 VINO have been honored with the dis
tinguishing marks-and it IS only the
novices or newcomers who have not
mark Of some kind-must suffer and be
prepared always while on shore leave
to answer the questions Of the curious.
The insignia, however, are simple
enough when understood. A symbol Of
Rsome sort. is used to distinguish the
mans following. For instance, chief
>yeoman has two crossed keys on his
coat sleeves. signifying that he has the
keys to the stores and is a clerk ON
board the ship. An eagle appears over
every mark and there are qualifying
stripes under the symbol to show
whether the man is first class, second
class or third class. If he is Of the lat
ter rank he has only one stripe. If
he is chief petty officer he wears con-
Meeting lines between the curved line
upder the eagle and the stripes. 9th
erW4sse he simply wears the eagle and
; the stripes. This is true with all men.
In some instances, however. the
stripes under the symbol typify the
mans distinctive Office. For instance,
a machinist Of the first class wears
three stripes. A water tender has the
same mark under a propeller. A man
with two stripes is either an oiler or a
machinist's mate.
A man with two crossed quilts is a
pay clerk. A turret with a gun signi-
ties That the wearer is a turret cap
tain a globe means the man is an
electrician. A carpenter has two hatch
:, cts. \ crescent is worn by a commits
'Sary or a commissary's steward. A
quartermaster in the navy wears a
wheel. while the man with the same
distinction in the marine corps has
crossed quilts for his insignia.
Many of the naval men also wear a
Ningle stripe across the shoulder Those
who wear red belong to the engineers
corps. If man with red stripe has
one white stripe on his cuff he is a coal
paSSer; if two. he is a second class
fireman and if three, third class fire.
man.
The deck force wear a white stripe
across the shoulder. If man has two
stripes. on his cuff he is an ordinary
! seams 4; if three, a seaman, and sin
8 gle stripe means he is an apprentice or
Pa landsman.
! All the petty officers wear blue rat
ing on the white clothes and red on the
blue. A man who has won three sue
cessive rating medals for good conduct
IS permitted to wear gold. Those who
are in the special or the engineers
branch wear their rating on the left
arm, and the seamen wear theirs on
the right. Enlistment stripes are also
worry one for each four years. Chief
'pGtLt officers, besides having the con-
Meeting lines over their insignia, also
wear brass buttons on their coats.
The marine insignia are slightly diff
ferent. In the first place the mark
ings are in gold and therefore much
brighter and are more noticeable. This
is true only with the dress uniform.
With the khaki clothes the men wear
B field chevrons with narrow marks. A
marine corporal has two stripes and
sergeant three stripes. A first sergeant
has a diamond under his stripes, and a
sergeant major has additional stripes
under the diamond. A gunnery SER