What You'll Find in A Sailor's Sleeping Compartment

[@ryancrazy1]

i LOVE when you are treating the camera person like the viewer.. "come on through the door and lets turn around" Basically talking to the camera person like they were on a curators tour.

[@nahteo]

Same same, love it!

[@DavidJones-me7yr]

I guess there's a good chance that it's Libby I thought it would be funny if in a situation like that he would say, come on Soldier move it move it move it? I wonder if New Jersey has a dog house?😮😂😂😊

[@CJOlin]

I've noticed that, too. I sure does make it like you're there and Ryan is giving you a personal tour. This is one of the many reasons I love these awesome videos.

[@Varangian_af_Scaniae]

"camera person"?!? Ohh come on it's called camera man. OIr dop you call women wopersons too? This progressive BS has to stop!

[@DeviantOllam]

Absolutely yes to this!

[@stephenkester8791]

I joined the US Navy in 1968. My first ship was the USS Hancock CVA 19. My berthing was 4 high, pipe with canvas stretched and tied off with small stuff. The racks were triced up at revelry so the decks underneath could cleaned by sweeper. The call over the 1MC at 6AM we. “revelry revelry, all hands heave to and trice up. Sweepers sweepers man your brooms, a clean sweep down fore and aft, the smoking lamp is lit. The modern bunks, and lockers that you showed in your video make me jealous. Being stationed on bird farm (aircraft carrier) in the gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam conflict we had no such luxuries. I enjoy your narratives and videos. Thank

[@flight2k5]

Reveille

[@georgeburns7251]

Good memory.

[@bigcountry4539]

@@flight2k5 ... all hands heave out and trice up... the smoking lamp is lit in all authorized spaces...

[@flight2k5]

@ that’s not how it goes. I’m a retired BM

[@WesleyAnderson]

Been there...Done that ..FMF LSTs LSDs....4 high. Then LPDs❤

[@SlabSheetrock]

Love touring these ships and spaces- but it also reaffirms that I made the right call joining the Air Force.

[@JeffreyPadell]

Air Force had the best food, bases, barracks, BUT I still loved my Navy time on the USS Independence 75-76

[@brianbalster3521]

HOW could you play golf, in the navy? it just doesn't make sense!

[@ut000bs]

@@brianbalster3521 We had a golf course on base. Yes, in the Navy. lol

[@JeffreyPadell]

@@brianbalster3521 Spent 1st 2 years in Pensacola, had a great golf course, I got down to a 8 handicap (later played for Suffolk Univ on their golf team), On the USS Independence you could check clubs out of special services

[@charinabarcillo9160]

Agree Liked my BOQ RON guarters or per diem much better when I was a Air Force Flight Nurse Even got an up grade occasion to Generals quarters That was the best

[@RogerRamjet156]

On that small plaque by the door with the Compartment Cleaner that is labeled "as assigned" because it's changed weekly - I was LPO on the USS Richmond K Turner (CG-20) of Fox Division and standard policy was to rotate cleaning duties among the junior enlisted E-4 and below. No one in the Navy cleans a compartment (and head) for their entire tour!!!

[@BobKMIT]

When I was on the USS Trenton, LPD-14, I had a bottom rack. It was on the outside and I installed a fan, 14" above the deck, pointing right at my rack. The XO did an inspection and asked about it. I was a hull tech, BTW. He was told who did that, and just went on with his inspection. Within 3 days, I had gotten over 50 requests, to have fans installed. LOL

[@Austin1723]

You could've made bank with that

[@Mantreaus]

@@Austin1723 I learned to sew when young, Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Sea Explorer, Naval Sea Cadet then Navy. Made quite a bit of money sewing patches on all kinds of things.

[@floodingchen]

Really appreciate the clear and stabilized video!

[@RSTI191]

Amen to that!

[@anthonycordovano2438]

My bunk on the USS Sculpin, SSN 590, was just off the centerline on the port side. I had a middle bunk fwd of the battery well and to the port side of one of the periscopes and battery breaker. Zero traffic. Three of us, an E-4, an E-5 & me an E6 shared this space. On a Med Run we hung a blanket closing off the passage and opened a ventilation duct. It was about as private a space as an officers state room and about 5° cooler than the rest of berthing. The berthing space was dark at sea so no one of importance ever noticed. That was until one field day that the lights came on. Needless to say the COB was not pleased. Eventually I was moved to the berthing in the torpedoroom upper level, which was not as good as our little stateroom.

[@notlisted-cl5ls]

thats a nice story sir. time to go back to your room.

[@hornetscales8274]

Much similarity to the few weeks I spent on a carrier. We were a Marine/Navy pilot training squadron and only hit the deck for a little at a time (myself being a Marine Airframe tech on F-18's). I've been on the Stennis and the Lincoln. Both were similar in layout for berthing. Half my time was with my unit and the other half spent lending a hand on the mess deck, where they worked my @$$ so long that I began to wish I was back in Marine Boot Camp so I could catch a bit of down time. The Petty Officer wasn't a jerk, he was just one of those E-5's who OWNED the space. I mean, I worked 15 hour days, but this guy worked so hard that his next two superiors in the chain of command probably had nothing else left to do themselves! Just seeing this guy go inspired me to no longer regard how long I spent at work.

[@5695q]

Went to FRAMP at VFA-125. 12 on, 12 off was a normal day on the ship with 18 hours and more not unheard of when things got busy. The E-5 probably had a Chief and LPO that were the ball busters.

[@JSterling812]

i actually remember sleeping over as a boy scout on this ship (if my memory serves me correct, it WAS the battleship new jersey). it was one of the coolest experiences of my childhood!

[@GeekGinger]

I was always shore based so things were a little more comfortable. For the last two years I even had my own room so it was the lap of luxury, though the head was down the hall. My dad, a submariner, says I was only sort-of in the Navy 🤣

[@RPrice_OG]

That's why I tried to talk my granddaughter into joining the navy or air force because they at least almost always get hot meals and warm places to sleep even if it is in bunks. I think she is still looking at the marines though. Hope she enjoys sleeping in swamps. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely respect marines and thank god we have them. But, dang, they are hard core.

[@armybeef68]

It really isn't that bad, it really isn't, buuuuuuuuut, the Navy has warm places to sleep? Do you know what a ship is?

[@RPrice_OG]

@@armybeef68 Okay, point taken :D And now that I think about it marines spend a lot of time on ships.

[@kerry-j4m]

@@RPrice_OG I hope she picks the Air Force myself ( I served in the navy and the army,tho not at the same time-LOL ) Air-Force had the best food,the best barracks and treats their personnel better than any of the other branches. Marines deploy to most of the hot spots around the world and they're more hard-charging too. Army and marines berate females for not scoring like males ( on PT tests,weapons qualifications and field training ) I know,served in the army and on my first tour to Iraq I served with the Marines.

[@blshouse]

Marine berthing aboard LSTs and LPDs in the late 80's early 90's were pipe racks, stacked four high. The LHA I got to spend time on had flat racks (no storage), also four high. I found the older, pipe racks to be more comfortable. The ones we had were canvas stretched and held tight to the pipe frame with ropes. They had a little give to them. The metal flat racks had no give to them. The thin mattress pads weren't great. Worse, the EEBDs in the flat racks made it difficult to move around and get comfortable, even for average-sized guys.

[@danielpittman889]

LHA2 in the mid-90s had racks three high with storage trays. In engineering berthing we usually had our choice of racks because we were so shorthanded. Plenty of locker space too. I like a firm bed, so the thin foam mattress suited me fine.

[@WesleyAnderson]

Marines hauled me around in LSDs. ☠️

[@danielpittman889]

@@blshouse Just noticed you were talking about the Marine berthing. We didn't have many Marines join us while I was aboard LHA2, so the few we had got to use regular Navy racks. Standard Marine berthing was pipe racks, four high, in a monkey cage compartment. Close to the hangar deck and LCAC well deck if I remember correctly. It's been a while.

[@tankthebear]

That was luxury compared to what we had on the old USS DIXIE a destroyer tender - oldest ship in the Navy at the time (mid 70s). Canvas racks, 4 high. Thin mattress - very little storage - but, we did have AC in the berthing compartments. Our dept was lucky - we were stuck in a small pullman below the MAIN berthing area for supply division ... so it was quiet down there.

[@dougearnest7590]

I was Navy, but attached to the Marines, and deployed on the USS Cleveland not in the mid-70's but in the mid-80's. Still had canvas racks. Still four high. The main difference was the air conditioning didn't work. The bottom line was "it can't be fixed, sorry about your bad luck". We left doors open that were supposed to be closed (the guys from ship's company said the doors need to be closed for the ventilation system to work properly - we pointed out if the system worked properly we wouldn't need to leave the doors open), and I had a personal fan that kept air flowing for about a dozen of us. It was unauthorized, but everyone understood that if anybody tried to seize it, they would be one of those lost at sea statistics. It died just before returning to Hawaii. We had a ceremony, pinned our chief's National Defense Medal on it, and had a burial at sea.

[@robertgarrett5009]

Love the warnings stencilled on some of the mattresses.

[@armybeef68]

Where?

[@darrelldillingham7785]

I had a great rack on LUCE. My rack was a bottom rack up against the hull with a small area between the rack and the hull. I hear the water rushing by. Very comfy.

[@forebill]

If you are an E6, you pick your rack when you arrive on board. That means whoever is in the one you want that is junior is moving. If that guy is an E5 he might get to move another guy. E4 and below get what is left over. The middle racks away from the p-way or doors are the best. That is where you'll find the senior guys. Rank has its privledge, but you dont want to be an a-hole either. You do have to live and work with these guys.

[@derpderpson2188]

I work at a historic fort. It used to be that way in officers housing. New major on base? Well, one of the captains is probably going to have to move. And he's gonna kick a 1st Lt. out of the next best housing, and some poor fresh 2nd Lt. is now moving into the shitty loft they added to #13 in the 1880s because the officers housing was full.

[@shannon1967]

I was initial manning on an Ohio class SSBN and we chose racks by rank. Those have 9 man (3x3) enlisted bunk rooms outboard of the missile tubes with racks similar to these. The bunkroom had a curtain between the tubes out to the main passage way to keep it dark as the lights were always off (except for field day). You got a privacy curtain, light, ventilation register, small foot locker (in your bunk down by your feet), a bed pan, a larger drawer off to the side, and a common large locker so everyone could hang uniforms or store other BS. The outboard guys sometimes got a little access cubby they could hide stuff on and those racks were well known/coveted. Heads were common to everyone (fore and aft). The goat locker and officer staterooms were up forward. Senior guy was usually the middle rack....but not always. Top rack had a handle attached to the overhead to use to swing in. God help you if you step on someone's rack trying to get in. The "messenger" would get you up for watch. If he was worth a crap, he would be quiet. Most of the time, the would fling open the curtain....that alone would wake you up. Losing ventilation would do it too......drill time. You didn't have much room to roll over, you would adopt the "flip". I just about bounce my wife out of bed between patrols because it is hard to stop doing.

[@brianbalster3521]

by "bed pan", do you mean a bed pan; like in a hospital?

[@DuffyF56]

@@brianbalster3521 No......an under bed ("rack") pan similar but not as deep to what was shown by Ryan. Plank Owner USS Alaska...the 7th Ohio Class boat.

[@shannon1967]

The pan under the mattress.....so.....rack pan. About 4 inches deep. Accessed by flipping the mattress up....like Ryan showed.

[@brianbalster3521]

@@DuffyF56 oh! Thank GOD! i thought you weren't allowed to use the head after taps

[@DuffyF56]

@@brianbalster3521 We don't play taps on submarines....24/7 Baby!!!!

[@warbirdwf]

I really appreciate the veterans who serve this country. I've toured the USS Missouri in Hawaii. While in the living quarters on that ship and seeing how confined and crowded they were, I looked at my wife and said "oh hell no". I couldn't live in such confined spaces so close to others. Again, kudos to folks who can and do.

[@byronharano2391]

E'komo Mai! Welcome to this place, Hawai'i. I am happy you enjoyed visiting my home State and USS Missouri 🇺🇸 ❤.

[@ineedabetterusername7424]

You sort of get used to it (not really, but it gets cozy). Years later, I have my own bed in a quiet apartment; but when I can't sleep, I put on headphones with "creakimg ship noises," wrap a blanket around my head, and pretend I'm back onboard trying to sleep before watch. It works. It's pathetic, but it works. You get used to it -- not in a "nostalgia" kind of way, but more like Stockholm syndrome.

[@frankhollein7093]

The most popular area was the lounge with the TV and 4 chairs. Move your feet, lose your seat. Time to watch the same movies, and Solid Gold.

[@ut000bs]

Spent 2 cruises plus all workups with VAQ-132 aboard _Saratoga_ with no berthing lounge. No table, chairs or television.

[@gh0st_0f_b0b_chandler]

at least the heads didn't face each other

[@johnnyfair]

i buy, you fly

[@rickheckbert2423]

Almost the same as the berthing on the JFK and the America in the early 80's. One nit, those weren't backgammon layouts on the tables, they were acey-deucy layouts! Very few in the Navy played backgammon but everybody played acey-deucy. Best racks were middle racks as you could access the coffin locker really easily. Bottom racks stunk because people were always stepping on you and top racks sometimes had extra headroom but you still had to climb up (and down) all the time. Height of luxury was making E-5 and moving out of the 96-man and into the 24-man PO2 berthing. Practically private quarters! Also got to be a bit looser with making your rack and leaving stuff hanging in the 24-man. Bottom racks, even though they were coffin racks, still had to be triced up when you weren't in them so sweepers could clean

[@brianhanson9367]

bottom racks did have the benefit of not having to make your rack every morning. XO couldn't see.

[@hulkkrogan420]

That game is played on a backgammon board.

[@dougearnest7590]

I had a bottom rack by choice because it was next to the air vent - nice and cool. And more private as it wasn't directly in everyone's line of sight.

[@tomf429]

I had a bottom bunk on USS America (aircraft carrier) from 1971-73. I had a blanket curtain for privacy, and pictures taped above my head on the bottom of the middle bunk (we called them racks) above me. I worked nights at sea, so, I got used to sleeping with noise. My compartment was all the way forward in the ship, near the bow, under the hanger deck. When they were launching, the catapults ended right over my head, so, I got used to sleeping through the zip....bang sound of launching aircraft. We were deployed on a WESPAC mission for nearly a year and were part of the mining of Haiphong Harbor in North Vietnam. That was 52 years ago, when I was 21.

[@paulcunningham2859]

Very familiar. I had about 18inches of space from the mattress pad i slept on to the bottom of the rack above me. My ship was built in 1936 and i served on her in 1985 and 86

[@robertf3479]

Usually, In my experience when a guy with a "good" rack departed, if there was a senior guy with a less desirable rack HE could and often would stake claim to the better rack (RHIP after all.) In my first ship, my first rack was on the top tier and had a section of firemain eating up a lot of the space ... obviously not an attractive situation. When I was able I laid claim to the center rack right below mine and was a happy camper. 😉

[@jamestorrence9340]

I was USAF during the '80's. We had much better housing. I attended an all-service school, DLI Monterey. Air Force spaces had curtains and carpeting, while everyone else had venetian blinds and tile floors. One think I learned was that even in a elite school like DLI there was room for cheaters. and theives.......and they were all my roommates. One guy stole a carpet sweeper, the other stole the door of a jeep. I won't tell anyone how to cheat. We all ate army chow, since Presidio of Montery was considered to be part of Fort Ord. My father was drafted in 1940, did his basic training at Fort Ord. He and my mom visited me in early spring 1982. I was able to give him a tour around Fort Ord and the Presidio. He said Fort Ord parade gound and the buildings around it looked just like they had in 1940.

[@robertf3479]

Yeah, but did your bunk rock you to sleep at night? 😂🤣

[@67Stang]

That brings back many memories. Very similar to what I had back on the USS Saratoga. Luckily our division had its own compartment. Made it nicer for sure. Those lockers under the bunks were called coffin lockers. We liked them better than the normal square lockers that those without the coffin lockers had.

[@gregrees9146]

The bunks are familiar from when I was on USS Nassau and USS Kennedy in the 80s (aside, we refueled the New Jersey from the Kennedy off Lebanon in 83) but we didn't have any flat racks, they were all the locker type. Middle bunk was the best, easier to get in than top and you didn't have to "trice up" in the morning.

[@johnknapp952]

You would find fans though out most berthing spaces. It helps circulate the air and keep it from getting stale. Those foam mattresses are a big no no, big fire and smoke hazard, I would think even for a museum ship. You wouldn't necessarily have to wait for a good bunk to open to take it. If you were an E-6 coming aboard and some E4 had a bunk you wanted, then you could have the E4 move.

[@edwardpate6128]

Yeah my old mattress was about as thick as a waffle!

[@JohnHallgren]

At 10:17, the emergency escape breathing system (I am reasonably sure) uses chemicals to create oxygen, just like the passenger air masks in airliners, not by an actual oxygen tank! That’s why there’s an actuator ring to pull which starts the combination of chemicals instead of a valve. So they don’t contain 15 minutes of oxygen but the ability to make that amount.

[@edwardpate6128]

That was the old OBA system that was around in the 80's when I served.

[@TopCat2021]

I remember them well every battle station missile and torpedo wearing one at the ready on the mess decks.​@edwardpate6128

[@wyskass861]

Oh look at that fancy opening shot! Getting creative

[@pdoherty]

This brings back memories from 50-53 years ago aboard Lexington, Midway, Coral Sea, Constellation, and Kitty Hawk. No A/C in any compartment that I remember though! Keep up the good work Ryan.

[@gh0st_0f_b0b_chandler]

RIP Kitty Hawk

[@Narrowgaugefilms]

What's great about it is despite never having joined the Navy, I've slept there! We overnighted with the Scouts when my son was about 12 years old. Compared to the Battleship Massachusetts (-where we slept another time with the Scouts), New Jersey was much more comfortable, likely due to being retrofitted much more recently. The bunks on Massachusetts were metal frames with canvas stretched across and every time somebody rolled over in the bunks, they squeaked. Since there were several dozens of us in there it sounded like crickets. It was also a cold night up in Fall River and the electric heat in the compartment was not really keeping up. There was a really big electrical contactor in the space with us, so every couple of minutes we got "THUNK!!!!", just as we were about to drift off. (We slept really well the NEXT day!)

[@dennisfariello4852]

On the Hermitage and Spiegel Grove - both '50s LSDs - the main passageway to get to all the Engineering berthing compartments, Repair 3, and the engine rooms (Machinery Spaces) ran through the berthing compartments. There was one head for all the Engineering department. For example, for someone in R division to go to the head, he had to go forward through A division, B division, and M division berthing before he got to the head. (This was on the Hermitage, the division berthings were arranged differently on the Spiegel Grove). E Division berthing was just aft of the trunk down to the forward engine room, so all the MMs and BTs going to and from watch went right through E division berthing.

[@larrydavis3645]

I was on DD 508 and we had the pipe canvas bunks. Our head was up one deck.

[@AllenHenderzahs]

I always had two of those black soft wall blankets. And two pillows I love my rack.

[@bigcountry4539]

As a US Marine ebarked onboard several amphib ships in the late 80s, these berthing spaces and racks are NICE compared to ours, especially onboard the USS Iwo Jima LPH2... we had the canvas racks stacked 4 high and no wall lockers so we lived out of our seabags for 6 months... the USS Nassau LHA4 was nice, but our racks didn't have the underneath lift-up drawers space... however on both ships, the USN berths had the wall lockers and similar racks... Semper Fi Shipmates!

[@shaun3423]

The large locker underneath the rack is referred to as a “coffin locker“. I have more than a decade of sea time in my 20 years in the Navy and I slept on those the entire time. They hold a surprising amount of stuff in pack things right.

[@ut000bs]

When I was aboard _Saratoga_ for all of the workups for and all of 2 cruises our berthing was all the way forward on the 03 level. The forward bulkhead of our berthing/head was frame 1. We never had a lounge in our berthing. We never had a table or a chair or a television or anything at all excepts lights and bunks. For a long time. My first cruise on the _George Washington_ was an eye-opener. We had it all then. The lockers and racks are the same we had on the Sara. Even the mirrors with the light over them.

[@Jim-vp1nq]

I rember all of this on USS NEWPORT in the 80s. Loved the bottom bunk.😊

[@pdxyadayada]

I would never be interested in ancient battleships if it weren’t for you. Keep up the good work!

[@moefuggerr2970]

I always grabbed a top rack so I could sit up. Still have my camouflage rack curtains. I brought a bottle of softsoap as bar soap will not dry each day very well in a locker. Medicated foot powder just in case. Several toothbrushes and tooth paste even though they can be purchased in the ships store.

[@ericbrumley9026]

On the USS Dubuque in the early 90s, Marines that were on for transport were berthed in what seemed like sealed compartments. 1 way in, 1 way out. The bunks were the old chain style bunks. No storage underneath. I do remember passing through the Sailors berthing areas and seeing that they had berthing spaces like the ones you showed. I remember feeling glad I was only in that space for a short period of time and very thankful I talked to the Marine recruiter 1st.

[@blockmasterscott]

‘I spent time on the Dubuque being ferried back and forth between Okinawa and Korea in the 80s when I was in the Corps. I remember those racks very well. I was immune to sea sickness so I often had the mess hall to myself during storms, so I had seconds and sometimes thirds. 😂😂😂 Man; that ship rocked a lot in bad weather.’

[@jthatguys]

So their dress uniforms, the “crackerjacks,” those were just folded up and stowed under your bunk? No hanging space? I can see it being ok for work/duty clothes, but it had to have been a pain to maintain a dress uniform.

[@muskaos]

Dress uniforms went in the stand up locker, usually. They _can_ be folded, though, in boot camp we were taught how to fold them up.

[@camickelson]

You and the videos are always great!

[@johnholzhey8149]

On the Fletcher class cans, we had the chain suspended racks with separate lockers on the deck. Then we had mesh bags suspended from either the head or foot of the rack. Only the CPOs and officers had those fancy bunks.

[@dalesql2969]

Pretty much exactly what I lived in aboard USS Glover, FF-1098. I had a top bunk, right across from the ladder down into the compartment, so high traffic. I got used to sleeping through the noise. So much that now, 40 years later, I have to have a radio playing all night to get to sleep. The head was up the ladder so there was a constant stream of sailors in their skivvies up into the main passageway into the head and back down. Fortunately we had plenty of fresh water production, so only had to go on water hours once when a fuel line leaked into a potable water tank and contaminated the water. That got fixed only a few weeks later.

[@graham2631]

That table/chair combo looks identical to what McDonald's had in their restaurants.

[@williamackerman6574]

I spent the night aboard with my sons Cub scout pack, had to sleep on the top bunk to avoid claustrophobia. But a very fun time.

[@TheNewAccount2008]

Always love looking at berthing spaces. Really cool to see how different people live on the ship

[@klsc8510]

Ryan, you illustrate clearly why I didn't go Navy! I am a country boy. I am used to much more elbow room. In the USAF, I had 1 or two person rooms. I could have plenty of space to work on hobbies like plastic modeling. Not allowed on ships as that is a fire hazard.

[@jeffreygreene1659]

This ship is in incredible shape. Looks like it's new. So glad it wasn't scrapped

[@rustysquid]

I served on the USS Sphinx, ARL-24 during the mid-80's. Our racks were four in height and I had the luxury of the second bunk. Our EEOBs were incorporated into the top of our bunks. I have a photo somewhere that shows my toes touching the bottom of the EEOB container. Definitely a tight fit but nice to know our emergency air was close at hand. You learned to sleep on one side during your sleep shift as they racks were too close together to allow one to roll over. To accomplish that one had to shift off the bunk into the passageway, make your roll over and then slide back into the bunk. Oh, memories. Cheers!

[@markchampion6010]

Having flashbacks to Midway, Kitty Hawk & Nimitz. Midway was the best, though.

[@ut000bs]

Everyone I ever knew who was aboard _Midway_ always said it was the best. What a brotherhood.

[@georgeburns7251]

@@ut000bs I agree.

[@stevencovington4715]

@@ut000bs That is because Midway WAS the best... Not the Numb-Nuts or the Sheety-Keety (Swap the letters as appropriate...)

[@muskaos]

Racks with the bed that fold up are called coffin racks. The ones that do not are called flat racks.

[@CaptainO3E]

On the USS Boston we had racks that were triced up via chains and the small lockers. We didn't have tables and/or chairs or drying racks. This berthing compartment was luxurious.

[@Niftynorm1]

Very similar to what we had on the USS Proteus (AS-19). About the only thing missing are the 'privacy' curtains for each rack, although if your light was on over your bunk they were pretty much transparent. These were a great change over the WW2 configuration. Thank you for sharing.

[@michaelkamradt4700]

I came aboard the USS COLUMBUS CG12 on 03 Jul 1969 while she was on a scheduled drydock period and she looked it. I came aboard on the after brow and berthing was up at 2-18-O-L so I walked forward as far as I could before descending one level. The overboard discharge for our head was stuck open so whenever we were in heavy seas, we all got salt water douche's. Bottom racks were only used by entry level labor for that reason. Each of our racks had forced air conditioning and a small lamp for reading, but no drapes which made for problems with off watch sleepers.

[@MrCantStopTheRobot]

This was a very smoothly done video! Those EEBD cabinets definitely got the "put a checkmark in the box" treatment.

[@dougearnest7590]

Well, you know how it is. We didn't need them yesterday, so we probably won't need them today.

[@kevinrasmussen8734]

Very similar setup on my ship in the mid to late 80's. As you showed the storage compartment in the bunk itself for a person's personal items, it was also the same setup for the top bunks as well on my ship, making those the worst ones to have since you would have to stand on the middle bunk to get into yours. The second worst bunks were the ones on the bottom as guys were always kicking the bunk as they walked by making sleep difficult at times. The best bunks were the middle ones as they were easy to get in and out of and get to your things. As soon as I made Petty Officer I got myself a middle bunk. =)

[@cliffbarnhouse4913]

Lol! Thanks for the memories. I spent a few years of my life living in compartments just like that, on USS Enterprise, USS Constellation and two cruises on USS Forrestal. I have to say the overall condition of Battleship New Jersey seems to be better than some of the active duty ships I've cruised on.

[@john-r1i8k]

Almost exactly the same as we had in 1968 (Wainwright dlg-28) except birthing had as-built AC - we strapped-down the thermo on the chilled water and had air temp in the 50's in the space with outside ambient of 100+-blanket weather in the South China Sea!

[@thomassibley4251]

I was a MM2 on USS Virginia (CGN-38) in the 1970’s and was berthed in Crew Berthing Compartment 16. It was the furthest aft and next to the aft missle launcher magazine. Anyway we had the newer bunks and lockers, as well as our own small head and recreation room with a couple tables. It was pretty nice.

[@middleway5271]

Dang Ryan your over all delivery has really improved!!! Ive always loved your videos but jujst wanted to give you some props that you are personally really really improving! Great job!

[@justkelly6992]

That nice quiet nook in the berthing are while looks attractive will lack any fresh air ventilators, you get a fan, no fresh air. I spent 2.5 years on the bunks which are called Southampton Bunks.

[@stewarttrains98]

Noticed one of the lockers had a padlock on it, is that something the museum did or is it something a past crew member left? If it's not a museum thing, do you eventually open it up and see what's inside?

[@CarlosRodriguez-kb9jc]

The best bunk are the middle or the top. You don’t want the bottom one due to occasional flooding, which will cause everything in your storage under the rack to get wet, maybe even ruined. And hopefully it is not a sewer leak.

[@toastnjam7384]

The ship I served on in the early 70's USS Kitty Hawk, had coffin racks. There were no outside individual lockers, in addition to the fold up there was an inside locker that went halfway across the bunk which was perfect for a cassette player and gedunks. Also, each one had an adjustable AC vent.

[@zxggwrt]

This was great! I think the fans would be appreciated because they circulate air and provide a kind of white noise to help block out snoring or moaning.

[@IMDunn-oy9cd]

All you need is the blue J/O curtains and the space will be complete.

[@ahoward2kable]

6:19 rank hath it's privileges. We moved out of the berthing during a yard period and when we moved back in choice was in rank order

[@joshuakocses7190]

I was stationed on the USS Nashville-13 and it looked almost identical to these bunks and berthing areas. Very similar in form and fashion.

[@steveunangst]

Was on enough ships that I saw what I would call "three types" of enlisted berthing. On an LPH built in the 60s, Marines had the canvas racks four-high. We had bunks that doubled as lockers. The bottom one I had needed to be lifted up every morning. Can't believe I was strong enough to do that since it seemed crazy-heavy. Storage was a bit of a problem since I had no vertical locker. Whites were especially problematic since they would come back un-ironed nor did I have a place to hang them. Wasn't hard to figure out why I was a master at avoiding inspections. Later, I was briefly stationed on the NJ but, at that point, was a 1st Class PO and the accommodations seemed luxurious. Don't remember for sure but there was plenty of storage and comfortable racks.

[@Culdcepter]

We called the extra-space bunks "coffin lockers" on the Vinson. The only real difference I can see with my time from '99-'05 is the drawer that you pulled out had instead a 5-button lock door so you could put your wallet or TLD, whatnot in there without having to get your keys out to pop a Masterlock. On the downside, there was always someone who didn't know how or too lazy to change the combo from default, so we're always hearing of petty thefts from those little doors.

[@Kyfordman1989]

Well, my ship was commissioned December 7, 1965 in Pearl Harbor Garcia class fast frigate bunks and lockers were about the same. We have some big square lockers and short, tall or narrow lockers for hanging up your uniforms, your dress uniforms, and no birthing compartment, had their own head or showers

[@stevenwallman2346]

I was on USS James K Polk (SSBN 645) in the early to mid eighties. The racks look very similar except there was less space vertically in the racks and the aisles between them were significantly narrower. Plus, on the submarine which was considerably newer at the time than the USS New Jersey, each bunk had a vent, a light, and a small box connected to the ship’s entertainment system that you could plug headphones into. I never thought much about how comfortable or uncomfortable it might have been since I was usually so tired that I would fall asleep the minute I hit the mattress.

[@edwardpate6128]

You would have found destroyer berthing very similar to that on a submarine.

[@scottburns2600]

When I spent the night at my friend's house, he let me sleep in the upper bunk where his brother normally slept. He must've been a bed-weter because it smelled like pee

[@keab42]

The bunks on the main passageway make me think of the sleeping arrangements on the Cerritos in Lower Decks.

[@Yandarval]

Which never made sense. Although ST does have this problem with ratings/enlisted existing on ships. As the LD people are all officers. Bit of an odd place to stash even such low forms of life as ensigns.

[@benn454]

Star Trek has always taken a lot of inspiration from the Navy.

[@logansorenssen]

@@YandarvalOn a bigger ship like an Excelsior or a Sovereign (very roughly, heavy cruiser and battleship respectively), everyone would have a stateroom. But Cerritos is a frigate, and not all that big or new as frigates go, so, stuck with open-bay berthings for JOs.

[@Yandarval]

@@logansorenssen Granted, some of it is nacelles. The Cerritos has been stated to be 535.2m in length by Mike Mahan. With most of its volume in the saucer, a Cali class would have the space for cabins with shared head heads for very junior officers, like our crew. Just going on length, a Cali class is slightly longer than either of the lengths given for an Ambassador class at roughly 524.2m. In the end, ST has been very inconsistent about many things. Either due to writer's not having a lot of naval knowledge, lack of budget, or did X, for the story of the week to work.

[@edwardpate6128]

@@Yandarval Probably why Chief O'brien one of my favorite characters!

[@BobK58]

USS Sacramento AOE-1 1977-80. I was in M division. Our berthing space looked a bit more thought out and organized than that one. There were definitely better racks that normally went by rank. Sorry new guy just out of boot camp! On my second cruise we had curtains installed. Nice!

[@udasai]

I was on CV-62 Independence in the early '90s, the bunks and lockers look pretty familiar. Middle bunk was the favorite because it was easy to get into, upper bunk next because it had head room, worst was the floor bunks.

[@AllenHenderzahs]

I loved them my coffin rack, and first division it was so comfortable and dark

[@dr62220]

1ST div in 68, had the old racks. Went to PBR's after

[@USNVA11]

That is the same type of berthing that we had on my ship back in the mid eighties. It is a very minimalistic lifestyle for sure. Everything you own has to fit in that rack locker and your small standup locker. I had enough after six years and moved on to civilian life. I thought I was in paradise when I got my first apartment ! 🤪

[@RickRussell-n3l]

Marine Corpsman attached to 3/6 1980-81. Canvas attached with ropes to a metal frame for beds and a small metal locker on the L.S.T. Fairfax County. Had a horizontal I beam running the length of the compartment which made a good paperback bookshelf. Med float on the U.S.S. Saipan. Metal panel with a thin mattress and the same small metal locker. Our compartment had a long and narrow outer compartment next to the hull for storage of seabags.

[@pjcd7016]

I was on the Lexington in the early 70's, The ship had a combination of the pipe bunks and the ones with the fold up storage. Our division, (Photo) had only six people and were constantly being reassigned new birthing quarters, at one point we were birthed with the arresting gear crew, which was under the arresting gear, during night ops there was no getting any sleep.

[@truthsayers8725]

nice video. no. in the Air Force, the most roommates i had was one. in the old unaccompanied enlisted housing there were suites where my roommate and i shared a bathroom (typically just the shower and toilet) with another room with 2 guys although in some instances, guys on one side and gals on the other. THOSE bathrooms always passed inspection! what are the red panels, on the middle bunks indicative of? i saw them in several shots and kept waiting for the description of their use, but alas..... no. keep these coming. one of only 2 or 3 yt channels im subscribed to!

[@DaveDaDeerslayer]

I spent 14 years of my 21 years Navy career in berthings just like those. 82-04

[@RayJCanPlay]

For the Curator... Most all the Top racks on Forrestal were all exactly like those you see on this video. The bottom 2 had lockers underneath, the top one very rarely had that set up. In fact, I don't think I ever saw one. After all, how many guys on a carrier are even tall enough to prop it up to change his skivies my brother? Those of us who had the top rack(in my case, an AG, we had the same berthing compartment as the Quartermasters 73-75) also got a decent Locker but those were in short supply. Not everyone got one. which meant we had about 50 guys sharing 3 pissers and 3 crappers, 3 sinks and last but not least, 2 showers ... to share. Somehow we did pretty well with it.

[@jamestarbet9608]

Having slept in shipboard berthing, my only complaint was the mattresses. Now that may have been because they were old, thin and fully worn out. I guess I have to bring my own, and probably my hammock, on my next trip to Texas, Silversides, NC or the Big J herself. LST 393 and Cod both had good mattresses.

[@christheCTguy9]

thanks for the walkthrough . i Reeley like some of thows nuck or tuckaway bunks that don't got to much light or foot traffic . quiet or out of Siet out of mind .

[@camickelson]

You got that so right .A Good bunk is premium.

[@michaelcraig4710]

i was on the jersey in the 80's to play it safe i put in a chit for a coffin rack who ever had their chit signed 1st. by master chief got it.

[@fishingthelist4017]

I wish that we had that much luxury on those overnights aboard USS Alabama.

[@edwardpate6128]

6 years in the Navy taught me to be able to sleep almost anywhere!

[@GTX1123]

It was a LONG time ago but those racks are about the size and spacing of my Dad's rack when he was on an Adam's class Destroyer in the early 1970's. He was a Sr Chief at the time so the Chiefs' quarters were a bit nicer and more spacious than what the lower ranks got. When I asked him why there were canvas straps across his bunk, he said; "that's so I don't get thrown out of bed and crack my skull on a bulkhead in the middle of the night". Why? THE N ATLANTIC

[@Trebuchet48]

The lockers look familiar because in 1973 the company I worked for (in my very first real job!) got a contract to build 40,000 of them. The story was that CNO Elmo Zumwalt had ordered a change in EM uniforms to a "bus driver" style with a jacket. The Navy then belatedly realized that unlike previous uniforms which could be rolled up, the new ones had to be hung; hence the urgent need for a vast number of lockers.

[@jimmccormick6091]

just for reference, not that it matters, we called those uniforms "salt and peppers", not "bus drivers"......

[@USMCArchAngel03]

I was aboard the USS Juneau in the mid 90's as a young Marine. The first time I was on ship it took a while to the fact that people you didn't know going places you couldn't find are just walking through your bedroom all day, every day.

[@AllenHenderzahs]

I use those tables to learn how to play AC/Duce in the early 1980s

[@robertf3479]

Acey-Ducey.

[@logansorenssen]

Berthing on an Arleigh Burke isn't all that different. On a Sirius-class supply ship, though, even seamen had staterooms!

[@OptimusSubPr1me]

More adult overnights please! The one and only was amazing.

[@danielnelson-2121]

I bet there's a crusty old tube sock buried under one of those old mattresses.

[@edwardpate6128]

LOL Well that's definitely an inside joke for those that have been there and lived it!

[@cliffordcosta2221]

Looks just like what we had aboard the USS Nashville LPD 13 in the early 70's including AC.

[@blizte3]

wish i jhad house kind alike this layout or bunker set up!!!!! love shit out of this kinda formats of living spaces.

[@mekkler]

@2:26 I'm glad to see the chessboard is positioned correctly.

[@EarthenDam]

I remember visiting her sister ship USS Iowa, even 30 years after it's decommission it still smelled like people were still living there. It was like a concentration of the smell of Army Barracks, I bet it's due to lower air flow.