Grugger’s Way

Why Didn’t I Ever Get a Tattoo?

I spent 24 years on active duty with the U.S. Navy.  Have you ever seen a sailor WITHOUT a tattoo?  Even before tattoos were “all the rage” for rock stars, athletes, motorcyclists, and young girls, the NAVY sailor was the primary wearer of the ink.  I will allow that many U.S. Marines proudly imprinted themselves too, so there has always been a certain “bond” between the Navy and the Marines in the ink department. 

The three most popular Navy tattoos that I recall from my teenage days were the ANCHOR, the ROSE, and the word “MOM.”  The HEART tattoo, especially with a banner that says “Mom” was popular, as were the DRAGON and a ship under full sail.  The Dragon was iconic for the sailor as it represented the Far East, and crossing the international dateline into the “Realm of the Golden Dragon.” 

When I was 17, and participating in a two-week Naval Reserve training cruise, I worked for a Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class named “Smitty” who had a tattoo of crossed anchors on his hand, between his thumb and forefinger, on the “web” area.  Oh God!  It looked like it would be painful.  Other painful-looking locations where I noticed tattoos that summer were on the top of the guy’s foot and on the pecker.  Yes, it seems there are no limits.  The tattoo of a snake often ended at the pecker.  I saw one guy who had ship propellers tattood on his buttocks.  One on the left, one on the right.  He enjoyed making them ”move” and would display this ”talent” in the group shower stalls.  Oh…the old days.

Did I want to associate myself with these images?  Were these guys to be my Navy ”role models”?  I thought not.  Plus, at 17, if I’d come home with a tattoo my Father would have clobbered me.  Really.  He thought tattoos were for thugs.  Not for his son.  Tattoos (in the 1960’s) were considered “rebel art” and a “sleazy perversion.”  So I deferred the tattoo during that two-week summer training cruise.  Two years later, out of high school and now at my first “permanent” duty station, I was room-mates with a guy who had 12 years in the Navy.  He was the same rank as I was.  He had tattoos all over his body.  He had been in trouble numerous times and had even been court-martialed.  Was he to be my Navy “role model”?  I thought not.  I also noticed that his old tattoos were mostly turning blue or blue-green and fading and stretching out and just looked like crap.     

So the tattoo thing was kind of a turn-off for me.  I saw that once a guy started down that tattoo’d road, he would continue to get more and more ink…like it was addicting.  Well, I had enough “addicting” personality traits that I didn’t need any more, and so I carefully avoided at least one addiction while actively participating in the other additions.

After I reached a certain age I felt “above” getting a tattoo and was proud to show that I was free of those ugly things.  My wife thinks I never got one because I was “chicken.”  I told her that wasn’t true.  But she knows I don’t like pain, so what can I say?  Maybe that was my secret reason all along and all the stuff I wrote above was just rationalizing.  What a head case.

Yesterday:  Why Didn’t I Ever Jump out of an Airplane?
Tomorrow:  Why Didn’t I Ever Pierce My Ears?

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