| Summary: | Found on page 31, Scrapbook 2. (Because everyone aboard is now a Shellback it won't be necessary to explain that a Pollywog is a man who has never gone over the line and a Shell- back one who has…and HOW! From King Neptune down through the Royal Judge and the Royal Barber all of the cast played their parts well…all too well! It may be recorded here that putting the affair on the road was no pushover. Misguided Polly- wogs roamed the ship the night before, stealing props and giving Shellbacks a bad time. But when H-Hour came, the Shellbacks had the last word. They were ready…and eager…and alert. The Royal Judge took no guff from anyone and his sharp eye quickly detected such tricks as wearing several pairs of shorts or the placing of soft objects in hip pockets to excape the tingle of a rope's end. Those who tried that angle were stripped to their past pair of shorts and given a couple extra licks for their pains. He also was quick to spot a Hypocrite. Anyone pleading not guilty to such charges as refusing to kiss the Royal Baby, steal- ing the food of the Ship's cat or cavorting with Mermaids drew added attention. From the Royal Judge the initiates went to the Royal Barber who had a field day, cutting to the scalp in about a dozen places on each customer who later was forced to have his whole head clipped to even things up. No one fooled him, either. One bald individual smirked as he stepped up for a trim but his smile came off a moment later when the barber, quickly casting the deal, trim- med chunks out of his natty moustache instead. Another hapless Joe who fig- rued to outsmart the Royal Barber by shavinghis head in advance quickly learned the error of such ways. The hair from his chest was cut off and glued to the top of his head with heavy crude to replace the crop he had reaped. As soon as it was in place a member of the court gently broke an egg on top of the mess and the man went to the next phase with the yolk slowly drifting down his jowls. The next event, that of kissing the belly of the Royal Baby…a Buddha like character with a paunch that was out of this world.was not much on the order of pecking Lana Turner on the cheek. Instead, what with the axle grease and oil that oozed down the belly's many folds, smacking it was no bargain at any price. As soon as the victim jerked away from the baby, a sadistic char- acter leaped on him and carefully and meticulously filled his eyes, ears and hair with crude oil of a tar-like consistency. From there he went to the Devil, no dope, who carefully wetted a spear with a hot wire attached to it and then searched out tender and embarrassing places to administer shocks. Then he staggered to a vat filled with sea water and, after being flipped into it head over heels, was ducked by a couple of trained seals who apparently were trying to find out if he had gills. Then came a line of howling pranksters armed with rope's ends and other whipping devices who belabored him on the rear until he reached a long canvas tunnel filled with garbage. When he scrambled out the other end, covered with tar and refuse, the ordeal was almost.but not quite. over. Getting the Damned stuff off was a job. Scrubbing in hot water finally removed it…with most of the hide. Some of the hardier types went back to the scene of carnage and helped belabor other Pollywogs, but most were content to stand and watch. Few sat down to view the spectacle. (Staff Gangway) EDITOR'S NOTE--The foregoing chronicle of the ceremony commemorating the crossing the Equator by the Pollywogs and Shellbacks aboard the Good Ship Marathon was Lt. Francis E. Barden, a U.S. Army Combat Correspondent assigned the mission of covering the war in the Pacific Ocean areas. Lt. Barden, a former Associated Press Staff writer, has spent nearly 20 years covering everything from kid- napings to revolutions and the present war. He enlisted as a Buck Private at the outset of the war, earned his commission at Fort Benning Infantry School, led a rifle platoon on Attu and in the Central Pacific and volunteered for the Combat Correspondent Corps when it was formed to let the people back home know how that GI Joe is in the War. (Over)
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