Likely he's tall. Six feet or more. He's probably thin. Some say "reedy." He sports a funny white hat. He wears bell bottom trousers that button. No zipper. He wears a kerchief he's proud of. It has three stripes that represent Nelson's three greatest sea battles. No kidding.
He's from Canton, Ohio. Or Sioux City, Iowa. Albany or Schenectady, NewYork. His ship might be from Norfolk or San Diego. Even Jacksonville or Pascagula.
He's a man from the past and at the same time he's here in the flesh. He's a Sailor. An American Navy Sailor.
You might think of him as a man who climbs the mast to reef the sails. Despite the history he wears, he is a man of today, even tomorrow. He is an Air Traffic Controller. A Flight Crewman. A Boatswains Mate. An Electronic Warfare Specialist. An Intelligence Specialist. Yes, he could be a Yeoman, but not the one from Nelson's Navy. He could be a Parachute Rigger or a Journalist. A Radioman. A Fire Controlman. A Corpsman. An Electronics Technician. An Interior Communications Technician. A Mess Management Specialist, or a Command Master Chief.
He's tall, he's proud, he ain't no Marine. He wears blue. No red stripe. He has sea legs. He knows women in Thailand and Japan and Korea. He's tough and soft and crazy-fun and serious as hell at the same time.
He knows his job.
He's an expert in fire fighting. And all kinds of damage control. He can keep a ship afloat after serious damage. Or he can get you to the boats and navigate you home. He might be able to read light or semaphore or Morse code. Ever hear of them?
He's a Sailor. An American sailor.
He's critical to American Sea Power.
Sea Power. Not a concept lost. A concept found. What is it that gives us a 360 degree attack angle on Saddam? Sea Power. Turkey said no troops. No tanks.
Who cares?
We'll attack from where we want, when we want, on vectors of our choosing. Know why? There is sea all around there. Pretty much all around everywhere. Carriers my friend. Fighters and bombers and ECM. Marines in LCACs and helos and VSTOL aircraft. TOMAHAWK missiles from submarines and hundreds of surface combatants. From every possible direction. At any time of the night or day. Flying thousands of miles. With precision. On target. Pretty much every time. Day or night. As the President directs.
He's young. He's proud. He's beautiful. He could be Black, Latino, Filipino or White; it doesn't matter. He's a Sailor.
He's proud. He's trained. He's ready. He's professional.
He's a Sailor. A United States Navy Sailor.
God love him, GO NAVY !!!!