New FPR--Dead brother tells man how to send ship message

[_Scottie]

Sethbag and Scottie have merely demonstrated that my recollection of the story is somewhat incorrect, or at least incomplete. I'm often half-asleep during sacrament meeting.

Some points of interest:

I'm certain that the one recounting the story was old enough to be my father.

I asked my wife and she said that she thought the sailor's name was Legrand but wasn't sure if it was Legrand Richards.

Anyhow, I'm not sure how drunk they were--maybe they simply couldn't remember one important detail for responding to the hailing ship, but they were sober enough to get the ship going. Maybe they brought alcohol with them. Maybe not everyone was drunk to the point of being incapacitated, but the people who needed to operate the radio / flashlight semaphore were unable to perform their function.

I don't know much about Coast Guard regulations, but I have a very hard time believing that crewmen are allowed alcohol of any kind while operating a ship.

But, lets just play along with your version...

So the crewmen were, for some reason, unable to remember the key * something * that would save them from being blown out of the water. Brother appears. Now what? Is Mormon crewman carrying on a conversation with his brother in front of all these other men? Could THEY see him? Or was the brother simply telling this crewman the details ala 6th sense where he didn't let on that his brother was talking to him?

Abman, you're not seriously considering that this story has ANY truth to it, are you?? I mean, you could drive 18 Wheelers through the holes in this story!!

Also, who is Legrand Richards?

[_harmony]

Also, who is Legrand Richards?

One of the funniest apostles ever. He dedicated my ward building about 30 years ago. A real human being, along the lines of J Golden Kimball. Funny, down to earth, practical.

[_ludwigm]

Also, who is Legrand Richards?

One of the funniest apostles ever. He dedicated my ward building about 30 years ago. A real human being, along the lines of J Golden Kimball. Funny, down to earth, practical.

I have read a lot of interesting under his name. Other members were ex-ed for half of things said by him.

Down to earth, it is a good definition.

[_Chap]

The topic in sacrament meeting was obediance. One speaker recounted a story of a man who was with the coast guard in WWII. The ship went in to port and all the sailors got drunk except for him. When going back out to sea, a battleship hailed them and demanded that they identify themselves or else they would be fired upon. Unfortunately everyone was drunk except the Mormon boy. He didn't know what to do, but then his borhter appeared to him and told him how to respond to the other ship. He did so and they were safe. Later he found out that his brother had been killed.

Do you believe this story has any chance at all of being true? Please be straight with us here.

Yes or no?

[_The Nehor]

This reminds me of the time the archangel appeared and whispered in my ear and told me where to find a golden ticket.

[_Trevor]

This reminds me of the time the archangel appeared and whispered in my ear and told me where to find a golden ticket.

A new dispensation is at the threshold, no doubt!

[_Inconceivable]

Every Seaman was issued a BlueJacket's manual during WWI (about 1000 pages). It covered signalling allied ships, morris code, identifying other ships, you name it. Everyone was required to be familiar with the basics because Seaman died on duty. Very cool hardcover book (I got a couple of them).

I guess his dead brother was the only one that read it too.

barf.

[_Sethbag]

I don't know much about Coast Guard regulations, but I have a very hard time believing that crewmen are allowed alcohol of any kind while operating a ship.

Actually, since ancient times, all the way up to only about 30 years ago or so, British sailors lined up every day at a certain time and received a ration of rum, and drank the Queen's (or King's) health.

Also, back in the 1800s, before refrigeration and shipboard desalination were possible, supplies of potable water turned nasty after just a few weeks at sea, and one of the alternatives was to drink beer, since it kept better at room temperature in a ship's hold than fresh water did. British sailors would drink a gallon of beer a day.

Look up the origins of the IPA (India Pale Ale) style - it originated with the need to provide drinkable beer to sailors on months-long voyages from Britain to India, which included a lot of time spent in very tropical conditions, where water still being fresh in the cask was simply inconceivable. They improved the preservative effect of the beer by increasing both the hops, and the alcoholic content. If you're into hoppy, bitter beers, just imagine a British sailor in the 1800s drinking a gallon of that stuff, at room termperature, per day on a long voyage. I bet by the time they got to India they would swear to God they'd never touch another drop of IPA as long as they lived. And yet, interestingly, the style persisted even after its necessity was obviated by better water storage techniques, the shortening of the route by the Suez Canal, and other things. I guess it was an aquired taste. IPA is actually probably my favorite style.

[_Scottie]

I don't know much about Coast Guard regulations, but I have a very hard time believing that crewmen are allowed alcohol of any kind while operating a ship.

Actually, since ancient times, all the way up to only about 30 years ago or so, British sailors lined up every day at a certain time and received a ration of rum, and drank the Queen's (or King's) health.

Also, back in the 1800s, before refrigeration and shipboard desalination were possible, supplies of potable water turned nasty after just a few weeks at sea, and one of the alternatives was to drink beer, since it kept better at room temperature in a ship's hold than fresh water did. British sailors would drink a gallon of beer a day.

Look up the origins of the IPA (India Pale Ale) style - it originated with the need to provide drinkable beer to sailors on months-long voyages from Britain to India, which included a lot of time spent in very tropical conditions, where water still being fresh in the cask was simply inconceivable. They improved the preservative effect of the beer by increasing both the hops, and the alcoholic content. If you're into hoppy, bitter beers, just imagine a British sailor in the 1800s drinking a gallon of that stuff, at room termperature, per day on a long voyage. I bet by the time they got to India they would swear to God they'd never touch another drop of IPA as long as they lived. And yet, interestingly, the style persisted even after its necessity was obviated by better water storage techniques, the shortening of the route by the Suez Canal, and other things. I guess it was an aquired taste. IPA is actually probably my favorite style.

All very interesting, but I'm assuming this story happened within the last 30 years?

[_Chap]

I don't know much about Coast Guard regulations, but I have a very hard time believing that crewmen are allowed alcohol of any kind while operating a ship.

Actually, since ancient times, all the way up to only about 30 years ago or so, British sailors lined up every day at a certain time and received a ration of rum, and drank the Queen's (or King's) health.

Also, back in the 1800s, before refrigeration and shipboard desalination were possible, supplies of potable water turned nasty after just a few weeks at sea, and one of the alternatives was to drink beer, since it kept better at room temperature in a ship's hold than fresh water did. British sailors would drink a gallon of beer a day.

Look up the origins of the IPA (India Pale Ale) style - it originated with the need to provide drinkable beer to sailors on months-long voyages from Britain to India, which included a lot of time spent in very tropical conditions, where water still being fresh in the cask was simply inconceivable. They improved the preservative effect of the beer by increasing both the hops, and the alcoholic content. If you're into hoppy, bitter beers, just imagine a British sailor in the 1800s drinking a gallon of that stuff, at room termperature, per day on a long voyage. I bet by the time they got to India they would swear to God they'd never touch another drop of IPA as long as they lived. And yet, interestingly, the style persisted even after its necessity was obviated by better water storage techniques, the shortening of the route by the Suez Canal, and other things. I guess it was an aquired taste. IPA is actually probably my favorite style.

All very interesting, but I'm assuming this story happened within the last 30 years?

The consumption of alcohol on US Navy vessels was banned a lot longer than 30 years ago. I suspect the same applied to the US coastguard. See:

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq32-1.htm

The consumption of alcohol on board U.S. Navy vessels was prohibited by General Order 99, effective 1 July 1914, issued by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on 1 June 1914.

I am still waiting to hear from asbestosman whether he believes that there is any significant chance that this bizarre story might be true.