Tattooed

INDIAN OCEAN

03.19.2019

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Wooddy 

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)

Sailors and tattoos have been practically synonymous for centuries. History dates the connection between the two as far back as the 1700s when Sailors first visited the Polynesian Islands and took an interest in the locals’ art work. Many of those Sailors decided to get their own tattoos as souvenirs and a way to remember their journeys.

As the years progressed, so did the ritual of Sailors decorating themselves with various tattoos to signify accomplishments from their sea-going adventures. Tattoos such as swallows would indicate 5,000 nautical miles traveled, a turtle shell would be etched into the skin for those who sailed across the equator and earned the right to be called a shellback. Various Asian-based graphics such, as dragons, would indicate time spent in Eastern Pacific countries. These tattoos became a rite of passage as new Sailors would join crews and learn about the possibilities of a life at sea.

Other tattoos were also based around superstition. These superstitions would arise because of the harsh life endured by early Sailors. The possibility of famine, traveling to lands unknown and even falling victim to turbulent weather led to some tattoos.

One of the most popular superstitions is that of a pig and a chicken tattooed on the tops of Sailors feet.

When sailing first began, and refrigeration was not yet invented, livestock was brought onboard and stored in the bottom of the ship in large wooden crates to help feed the crew. Sailing legend claims that if a ship was sunk, the animals that were stored at the bottom of the ship were saved because of the large wooden crates they were in. Instead of sinking, the crates essentially became small lifesaving vessels for the livestock. Many Sailors bought into the superstition that if they tattooed a chicken and a pig on the top of their feet they would have the same luck as those animals in the unlikely event of their ship going down.

Today’s Sailors may not have the same superstitions but they do share many of the same traditions as Sailors from years ago.

“I got my tattoo because of the experiences that I wanted to remember,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bryan Antico, who has a tattoo depicting his time in the medical field tattooed on his forearm. “I got it when I was in Guantanamo Bay. The time I spent there has meant the most to me and it is something that I wanted to remember. The experiences from there were times that will stick with me forever.”

For some, the significance of their tattoos holds meaning that is special to them because of the story behind the artwork.

“When I got my hands done, that is the most important one to me right now,” said Master Chief Intelligence Specialist Britt Scott, whose tattoo on the top of his hands represents the time he and his wife have been apart. “It says ‘oceans apart’. We’ve been together since 2006 and we’ve lived under the same roof for about two years in that time and that’s ok because that’s the way the Navy is and we are happy with that.”

The style of many traditional Navy tattoos was developed by a former Sailor, referred to as Sailor Jerry, who honed his craft in Hawaii during WWII. His style is often still replicated by tattoo artists across the world and his original work has been displayed on everything from t-shirts to bottles of rum. His works include the Hawaiian dancer, the “Death before Dishonor” dagger and the infamous Aloha Monkey.

“A lot of the people that I have met in the Navy have a tattoo based around the art from Sailor Jerry,” said Master-at-Arms 1st Class Cody Crane, a Sailor with his own collection of nautical tattoos. “When you get a piece of work that is either one of his drawings or one that derives from his ideas, you feel like you earned it for your time in.”

Sailor Jerry tattoos are simple in nature, with thick black outlines and minimal color, but heavy in meaning for most who bare his work. The simple style helps tell a story for those willing to etch his art into their skin.

Although traditional Navy tattoos have begun to take on a much different look through styles varying from neo-traditional to Japanese or surrealism, the meaning behind many of these tattoos stays the same. Sailors look towards tattoos to help tell a story. Whether that story is about the far off lands they have traveled to or the mindset that was created through days at sea, many tattoos are a reminder of the life Sailor’s chose when joining the Navy.

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

• Date Taken: 03.19.2019
• Date Posted: 03.19.2019 02:48
• Story ID: 314754
• Location: INDIAN OCEAN