some type of Boatswain's Mate...
Posted on 05/28/2011 8:18:36 PM PDT by mountainbunny
My dad died a few years ago, and today was the first time I've been able to see a photo of his gravestone. He's buried many hundreds of miles away, and I haven't see his grave since the stone was placed. Today is Decoration Day, and a relative was kind enough to take a photo and email it to me, which I appreciated tremendously.
Could someone please explain what the BMSN means? My dad was in the Navy, but I don't recall him ever mentioning anything about BMSN.
Thank you, and may every Veteran have a peaceful and good Memorial Day. May God Bless you for your service to our Nation. All of America thanks and appreciates your service and sacrifice.
That means he was a Boatswain’s Mate, E-3 Striker. It is an unrated enlisted man’s designation. (E1-E3 before Petty Officer and so on..)
some type of Boatswain's Mate...
I take it your dad was a Seaman. A Boatswain’s Mate Striker, to be specific.
Prayers for you, considering the loss of your father, however many years ago. And a Thank You For Your Service to your dad.
Sorta cool to have a dad like that.
/johnny
As a retired MMC (Machinists Mate Chief). I can tell you that posts 2 and 4 are correct. You can be proud of your father’s service, no matter the rate. Fair winds and following seas.
The other responses are correct, he was a Boatswains Mate striker. In simple terms, it means he was deck seaman, training to become a specialist in the various aspects of working on deck with mooring lines, ground tackle, anchor equipment, small boats, and the like. Probably he was an expert at knot-tying, and spent a lot of his time in the service chipping paint and repainting the deck and hull.
Likely he would have stood watch as a ship’s lookout, a messenger-of-the-watch, or as a helmsman, handling the ships wheel and taking commands from the Conning Officer (the officer who orders the course to be steered). The Boatswains Mate is a time-honored Navy sailor specialty, lots of tradition wrapped up in that rating.
If your Dad was a Boatswains Mate, he was one of the hard-working sailors that made his ship go. You can be rightly proud of his service in the Navy.
Boatswain Mates is correct and just a little history, Boatswain Mates are often seen as the general caretakers of ship as they are often seen painting the sides, severing as the actual wheel-Man of the ship when she is at sea and severing as coxswains on smaller boats.
At least that is how it was on my carrier and I was a Aviation Boatswains Mate or as we call it we have the crossing shyt hooks that fly!
If you want to honor your Dad's service and rating(job), you might want to get one of these(a marlinspike)every boatswain's mate carries one and it would look nice in a case with his name, rank and date of service.
Trueblackman said it best. Also these make a great gifts to any Navy man. I have given one to all my Navy brothers and they still try to bogart mine just because my sub runs on baking powder.
My Dad was a MM3 and my F-i-L was a Electricians Mate 3rd class. Both on Carriers in WWII. My F-i-L said as an EM3, he got to run the projector for the crew entertainment. My Dad said his station was far forward about the third level below the waterline.
Hey! I have the marlin spike, but the baking powder submarine... I haven’t seen one of those in over 50 years.
Hey! I have the marlin spike, but the baking powder submarine... I haven’t seen one of those in over 50 years.
Sorry for the double post. Old thumbs vs new iPad!
Sorry for the double post. Old thumbs vs new iPad!
Happy Memorial Day to those who “took the oath” and the Patriotic Americans as we honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
“Hand Salute” “Two”
There’s an old saying in the Navy;
“Any man can make a rate. But only God can make a Boatswains Mate”
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