NAVY LIFE IN WORLD WAR II

By Moses Boone

Life for a Navy man during World War II must have been difficult.  For those patrolling the open seas, most of the time was spent confined within the walls of a small ship.  Breaks from duty came rarely.  Even when a ship did pull in for a little shore leave, it was hard for sailors to find approved forms of recreation.  One of the only comforts a seaman had was the close personal bonds that formed between crew members during the long hours at sea. 

During WW II, most Navy sailors were either stationed aboard a small to medium sized ship or a submarine.  In the United States' rush to build ships as fast as possible, the comfort of the crew was not taken into consideration.  The stress of wartime made things ever worse. 

Combat must have also been stressful.  While patrolling the open seas, Navy men never knew if their ship was sailing in safe waters or in the midst of an enemy minefield.  However, warfare on the sea was almost always across great distances.  This separation from the enemy was probably better than the close combat ground troops faced each day.

Contrary to the depiction of war in movies, most of a Navy man's time was spent confined on board a ship with little or nothing to do.  For some, spending so much time below deck may have been worse than combat.  Sailors often spent months on board a cruiser without leave.

Men in the Navy had to manage living in confined spaces on board their ship, which is where they had to spend most of their time.  Life was stressful enough thousands of miles from home, but sailors also had to deal with combat environments.  Despite the adversity, Navy men were still able to protect their country.