We used to ‘call’ her “Bonnie Dick”...
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LOL at your whole posting.
Same name we called her. The USS Shangri-La was called the “Shi**y Shang”. I had a couple of friends on that ship from our public school days and one time in the Med we were able to visit each others’ ships. ...It really fit the slang name.
Funny how you can have your own name for your ship, but other people generally know better than to use it. I was on the Kennedy, and everyone, even outsiders, called her “The Big John”.
We used it as a toilet-based reference, but outsiders and the brass who used it clearly didn’t mean it an epithet the way we did!
Some of the nicknames of ships were funny (even if some were tragic in their origin, like “ForrestFire”)
I recall “Sinkin’ Sara” and others...
Same name we called her. The USS Shangri-La was called the “Shi**y Shang”.
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At one time you could have called her ‘Shi**y Shi**y Shang Shang”, after the Movie.....
The Henrico (APA45) was “The Happy Hank”
and Terrell County (LST-1157) “Terrible Terrell”
Must remember though going back to the flat hat days etal, if you are not ‘showing the ships name’ on your sleeve or cap, best not say to much about it one way or another, especially in ‘mixed company’.
Of course, once you transfer off a ship, you are allowed to speak in awe of her but the disparaging remarks are best kept to oneself.
Like they said...
The two best ships(duty stations) one every served on were the one you just left and the one you were going to.
Oh yes, that ‘pecking order’ did not stop at ships.
On board it was Deck V Engine Room followed by the ratings in your own Section.
It went to type ships, squadron ships, Phibs, Cans, Fly Boys, etc etc...
Pride sure runs/ran deep and in the end ALL the Sailors would bond together ‘against’ the Marines and the Marines and Navy would bond together to take on the ‘rest of the world’........