The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-01-12
Observations
Forty Sailors,
Eighty Dinners
Says Cook
(By Helen Esssry)

last on the tldlu bOuuu from AIM
Beach 10 Washington.
/ sat beside a brown young sailor.
lie was a sea cook just back from
80 months on foreign seas. He
told me about his job. He also
told me what he thought about
girls.
Never before had l met a sailor
of his profession. / let my coffee
bounce itself cold in the fastmoN-
ing train while / listened to him
talk or course, in the prying way
Of civilians ! had led him on TO
talk with a Have you been over
seas?"
yes. maam. / sure have" he
answered promptly. I've been
spending my time on IA submarine
net layer Where? Oh, every
where. In the Caribbean. The
South Pacific The Coral Sea.
around the Aleutiaus. Anywhere
We got orders to go-there We went.
See any fighting? Well. a little.
We're not a combat ship, II we do
get some stray shots now and then.
But mel don't shoot-Im the
cook.
"No,' I said. You don't look
like a cook" He was very young
and slender and even the pile OF
hot cakes he was eating would
leave his wasting the size all
girls envy.
Il sure am the cook" he answer
ants and four mess boys. And,
believe me, We keep busy all the
time. The fellows on the net lay
ers sure do eat. Specially when
We are in action. We cook twice
as much food when the boys are
working It's like this-if We have
40 on board | prepare for so. 1t
really Is interesting to watch 'em
You give EN- a plate SO full you
would think they could not eat an
other bite till day after tomorrow.
Then they put on their divers suits
il they don't have them on already,
which they mostly do, and they
jump overheard. spread the nets
down below the water and come up
an hour later ready for another
plateiul'
| wondered how it was possible
10 cook in heavy seas Sometimes
it was so rough you just couldn't
cook anything, the sea going cook
replied.
But when the ships rolling al
say an angle OF IS degrees you can
manage all right" he said "Our
stove has a sort of ledge on II so
the pans don't fall off. The dishes
have little lodges, too, so the food
won't pop out.
The china is so hard you cant
break it when you throw it on the
floor -. Gee" he paused re-
miniscently, it'll be good to see
my mother and father again
And my girl been wanting to get
married for three years"
Won't your girl say 'yes'?" l
inquired.
"Oh, sure. Its not my girl that's
afraid to get married. It's me.
think getting married is more than
just having a little fun. | think
it's an institution. It's settling
down and having a home and chill
dren."
81 told my girl l didn't think II
was fair 10 her TO marry her and
then go OF and maybe be shot
up and her have a cripple on her
hands the rest OF her life. I've
seen too much of that already. 1t
doesn't work"
Perhaps he didn't like girls much
anyhow. / hoped for a good answ.
er. got it.
Say Ne not like girls, Lis.
ten, know girls in every port my
ships been in. Up and down the
Atlantic coast. In South America.
Around Australia. Like all the
fellows on the small craft-and be-
lteye me the fellows on the small
craft really have II tough-when
I'm in port raise all the rumpus
can. got girls everywhere. But
there is only one girl that matters
Are you sure?"
III say I'm sure, Any sailor
will tell you the same thing. The
fellow I'm travelling with is coming
back now 10 get married to his girl.
And has he hit il up everywhere
he's been Look would you like
TO see my girl?' He reached into a
narrow pocket on bis left hip and
found leather folder. There she
is was looking at a smiling,
wide-eyed young thing. "She does
look sweet" | said.
She's o. X. all right" the sea
cook answered-then added. calmly.
Here's some Others" The 10Th.
ers' were snapshots OF at least
dozen other girls. In one pose the
sailor was kissing a girl. Shes a
Puerto Rican." he explained You
got to keep EN- all dangling
And how will your real girl feel
about all these?" ! asked.
"Oh, she'll be alright | already