I wasn't raised anywhere near salt water, but my Uncle Jay (John Wesley Price) served on a destroyer in WWII. His stories, particularly about action around Okinawa, where his stove was shot out of the galley by a Japanese shore battery (He was at general quarters at the time.), decided me to enlist in the Navy. My Uncle Robert McBrayer was in the 36th Division in Italy, being from Texas. His stories were much more grim, about climbing mountains in snow and rain, the Germans constantly trying to kill him, and once eating a cat. Not too inticing. LOL As it turned out, I served in Cuba, Washington, D.C., Spain, Italy, Japan, and two Combat Camera Groups, but was never ship's company, though I spent time on many different types, and liked most of them. Ironically, my father in law also served at Okinawa, aboard an LST. My uncles turned out to be cooks, and my FIL, Homer Kuhl, was a Baker and 40mm AA gunner. Small world. My two great uncles and my ggf served in the 18th Georgia Infantry, ANV. I honor them, but surely don't envy them. Stan