NMA Geezer Rock

This morning I took my guitar out of its case for the first time since the reunion in Memphis and found the set list for the rock band's Saturday night performance:

"I Get By With a Little Help from Depends"

"You Are the Sunshine of My Life-support System"

"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker"

"Sixty-six Candles"

"Papa's Got a Brand New Colostomy Bag"

Give this guy a medal

[Update below]

Sometimes it's not Carnegie Hall. Sometimes you don't have a state-of-the-art sound system. Sometimes you aren't swarmed by thousands of excited fans.

But every audience deserves the best you've got. The full show. That's what you get paid for. That's what professionalism demands.

Here's a guy who knows that. He's fronting the Fleet Forces Band in the Philippines during the 2007 Pacific Partnership humanitarian cruise. He's not saving his best for a TV show or concert hall. He's giving his all.

This is Navy music at its best.

Update -- In an earlier version, I misidentified this band. Thanks to Bob Marquart for passing on corrections.

Saturday Night in Memphis

You never know what you'll find while surfing the web.

Leo Leary back in action

Many of us learned last fall that NMA member Leo Leary had suffered a serious stroke.

A few days ago Bob Marquart ran into him at a Norfolk Tides baseball game. Leo was puttering around on a three-wheeled scooter, as Bob says, "about 60 pounds lighter and just lookin' good."

Bob adds that Leo still has some arm and leg issues, but he's "bouncing back strong." He's been on a few cruises with his wife and is now back to work full time at his bar, Dockers.

Leo attributes his recovery to obeying a strict therapy regimen. On behalf of all who know and love him, may I say that it's good to see Lieutenant Leary finally doing what he's told.

Don't let bigotry sink the ship

Every Navy Musicians Association reunion builds a stronger sense of friendship. In Memphis we wrote down each others' email addresses on NMA notepads and cocktail napkins, brought them home and updated our address books and mailing lists. Email is a great tool for keeping camaraderie alive.

Email is also a great tool for spreading racism and religious bigotry. Since the reunion some shipmates have started sending me jokes about encouraging Muslims to commit suicide, pickaninny jokes about a black presidential candidate and other such crap.

Please stop.

The NMA--like the USA--is white, black, conservative, liberal, Christian, Jew and None of the Above. Yet we in the NMA are blessed with something special and unifying, a history of service and a common bond of experience that draws us together.

Please, my shipmates, do not weaken that bond with bigotry and bias. Hate is corrosive, and rust can sink a ship.

It's a free country and you can send messages of division to whomever you want. But let me be clear: when you send such demeaning trash to me, you only demean yourself.

Please don't send me bigoted garbage. I don't want it.

Not in my inbox.

Not in my Navy.

1986 - USS Blue Ridge visits Sydney, Australia

My old shipmates from the 7th Fleet Band will remember this party. The USS Blue Ridge joined ships of navies from around the world in the visit to Sydney, Australia, for the 75th Birthday Celebration of the Royal Australian Navy.

You'll see the manning of the rails and the doffing of covers while "hip-hip-hooraying" Prince Phillip during the massive nautical Pass in Review. The XO of the Blue Ridge made a training video of this maneuver that was broadcast endlessly continuously over the ship's closed-circuit TV station. The crew finally had the dialogue memorized and would greet each other in passageways saying, "Remove your cover and wave it in a clockwise motion," "Try to show some enthusiasm," and "Now, let's look at that from another angle."