Page 89 - The Jazzsipper Novel

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THE JAZZ SIPPER

carried about 5000 men, from all walks in life. There were over 4500
compartment spaces with about 5000 miles of honey cone adjourning
hallways or passageways, which they were called aboard the ship. It consists
of a hospital, library, mess hall, gym, church, commissary, barbershop,
laundry, numerous living quarters, airport, police station, jail, and a post office.
You name it, whatever a small city had; an aircraft carrier had one as well.
And it was all ran and manned by these 5000 men. Every vice and crime you
would find in a city, you would find on an aircraft carrier. A lot of guys could
not handle the hustle and bustle of shipboard life, but not Vance. He thrived
in that environment. He understood it was the survival of the fittest, putting up
your wits against the wittiest.

The first thing he saw when he first stepped foot on the ship, was the money
making opportunity that ship life provided. A typical day for a navy sailor out
to sea was working 12 to 14 hours and if you were unlucky you would have
another 2 to 4 hours added for watch standing after getting off work or before
going to work. Then you had to add in the long lines you stood in for everything
from getting something to eat in the mess hall, to access the commissary, to
taking a shower, everything consist of waiting online no matter what is was
and just like in the real world people paid a premium for convenience.

The ship was broken down by day checkers and night checkers, officers and
enlisted, air wing and ships company, everything was categorized and
departmentalized. The total height from the top to bottom of the aircraft carrier
equaled a 25-story building. The length was about a quarter of a mile long
and the width was about four tenths of a mile wide. The ship had about 19
levels from top to bottom. Commissioned Officers onboard ship lived in