Silversides

I have been a Navy guy since my mommy bought me a sailor suit when I was five. Now I’m just another old fogey discontented with the present, but I wish the Navy still named its submarines after fish, its cruisers after cities, its carriers after battles or historic ships of fighting sail, and not as now, with carriers named after politicians and attack subs after cities. I’m okay with missile subs named after states, we have no more BBs and the boomers are now the capital ships, but there is something fitting about a sub named USS Silversides.

We’ll never see their kind again
USS Washington
She crept alone in fading light
To meet the IJN
She saw the Kirishima first
Off dark Iron Bottom Sound
And after a most bloody fight
The IJN had drowned
The Washington, but two years old
Gave better than she got
That blessed night off the ‘Canal
Deep in the jet black Slot
Meanwhile USS Silversides
Patrolled the western seas
Attacking tankers and Marus
Without an if you please
And so the Sculpin and the Tang
The Barb and other fish
The Japanese had wanted war
And so they got their wish
The Navy lives on history
Tradition is the glue
That holds a navy in its place
As proud and ready, true
The names of fighting sail, like Wasp
And Essex, Enterprise
Should still adorn our carriers
And not those DC guys