Page 90 - The Jazzsipper Novel

89

THE JAZZ SIPPER

staterooms. Junior officers who were Ensigns through full Lieutenants or O-1
through 0-3 lived 2 or 3 men to a stateroom without their own bathroom.
Senior officers who were Lieutenant Commanders through Captains had no
more than two men per stateroom; which had their own bathroom facilities.
Full Commanders and Captains had single one-man staterooms. The
Executive Officer, a Captain on an aircraft carrier had his own stateroom and
office quarters. And the Captain of the ship had basically two staterooms, the
Captains at sea cabin which was located directly off of the bridge and is
usually where the Captain sleeps while the ship is underway. And the
Captains in-port cabin, usually located on the O-3 level. Enlisted people such
as Vance were E-1 through E-6 and generally lived in mass "living quarters"
which can be as few as 5 "beds" to as many as 300, depending upon the need
of the department. Vance lived in a living quarters that consisted of 250 beds,
which were call racks onboard ship. For all E-1 through E-6 seniority dictated
who got the rack closest to the floor or deck, as it is known onboard ship.

The racks were stacked three high. Enlisted personnel E-7 Chief Petty
Officers through E-9 Master Chief Petty Officers lived in one of two separate
Chief's living areas, either forward or aft on the third deck amidships. While
the Chief's enjoyed slightly better conditions than the E-1 through E-6
personnel, they basically had the same set up a "coffin" locker with space
below and a larger stand-up locker adjacent to their rack. As far as messing
facilities, the officers ate in the officer’s mess, located on the O-3 level. Senior
officers were sometimes given the privilege of eating with the captain in the
captain's mess, and even sometimes in the Flag (Admiral's) mess. Chief's E-
7 through E-9 ate in the Chief's Mess, which was generally accepted as the
absolute best mess on the ship. Because the Chiefs paid for their own food to