It is likely, unless you served in the United States Navy, you have never seen nor read the Blue Jacket Manual. Each recruit entering the Navy is issued one of these manuals. The manual consists of several hundred pages that are educational in nature pertaining to life in the Navy. The copy that was issued to me in 1963, has been misplaced but I do recall having to read it from cover to cover.

This evening I came across an edition of the "Blue Jacket Manual" that my father purchased in a yard sale in the 1970's containing 784 pages. Because of the age of the book, he thought perhaps I would like to have it. This particular edition was the 10 Edition which was printed in 1940. The sailor that this book was issued to was Louis Wendell Summers, Company 1224, United States Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois 1943. During this time frame, this young "boot" was preparing to go to war during World War II.

I spent several hours skimming through the manual this evening, it did bring back many memories and how things have changed over the years, even from the time I was in the Navy. These young men going into harms way could look forward to long periods at sea during combat conditions. As a Seaman or Fireman in the lower pay grades, their monthly salary was $21.00. The highest ranking enlisted person, a Chief Petty Officer (Permanent) received $126.00 per month. Today, excluding "sea pay" and extra allowance for dependents, the base starting pay for a recruit Seaman is $1,399. If you are wondering, when I entered the Navy in October 1963, twenty years following the original owner of this manual, the base salary of a Seaman had increased considerably. My first base pay was $99.00 per month.

Today, a National Health Plan is being debated. There was such a plan in affect in the war years of the 1940's. That young Seaman, preparing to go to war in the defense of his country and being paid a base rate of $21.00 per month, had a sum of 20 cents subtracted each month for hospital expenses!