Sailors' ingenuity has given rise to several combinations of these awards — based on a ship's achieving more than one on the same voyage, or even at the same time. "Red Tape Cutters" Certificate to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. It is signed by the Most Exalted Hurriphoon Hunter and the High Hurriphoon Cloud Sniffer. Please contact us for details. At one squadron "awards ceremony," a red-faced aviator was, with due pomp, given a citation as an ace Tire-Buster — for blowing a tire on each of a half-dozen landings. WWII USAT Willard A. Holbrook Named Officers Shellback Certificate. (LL3) Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah (BB-31), commemorating his first crossing of the equator, December 1, 1928. And in 1965, the submarine USS Capitaine (AGSS-336) topped nearly everybody by crossing the intersection of the two lines underwater. This tradition has continued in subsequent conflicts. Commanders must be aware of all ceremonies and initiatives conducted within their organizations and take proactive steps to ensure that these activities do not violate this policy. No one is really sure when or how the Line Crossing Ceremony, “Order of Neptune”, came about. 5 out of 5 stars (287) $ 75.00. A few local commands might design and print such items as the Shellback certificate in their own print shops, but this practice is not common. As a later Ancient Mariner discovered to his grief, the rulers of the deep frown on anyone who kills an albatross. With the extensive Navy operations in the Far East since (and before) World War II, this passage has become so common that few initiation ceremonies are actually held. How can I go about getting a copy of my Navy Shellback card. Celebrates crossing the Arctic Circle. I will be emailing a list of the Certificates I want Would you like an archive (black&white) copy of the Certificate you are applying for to be mailed from the Records Chief directly to your Commanding Officer -or- to your Employer -or- to your School Administrator for inclusion into your permanent … Not even a Golden Blue-Nosed Shellback can match the distinction of being the first men on the moon. Such are the origins of the granddaddy of all seagoing ceremonies: the shellback initiation when a ship crosses the Equator (i.e., “the Line”), in which "Pollywogs" (Sailors who have not previously Crossed the Line) become "Shellbacks" (fit subjects of King Neptune). The location of the ship had an effect on how acceptable the honors to Neptune were. Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of American Indians to the U.S. Navy, Naval Service of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Personnel, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos, Precedence of the Naval Reserve in Parades, Passing Honors, National Anniversaries, and Solemnities, Rocks and Shoals: Articles for the Government of the U.S. Navy, The Evolution of Ship Naming in the U.S. Navy. Certificate Designating Admiral Arleigh Burke a Member of the Realm of Project Mercury Recovery Force, Plank Owner Certificate to Admiral Arleigh Burke From USS Barry (DDG 933). White…having been found worthy to be numbered as one of our Trusty Shellbacks has been duly initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of Deep.” Signed by “Davey Jones” and “Neptunus Rex” in type and in fountain pen by Roosevelt just below the Navy Department seal. Hazing behavior that is degrading, embarrassing, or injurious is unprofessional and illegal. Shellback Certificate. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. Of course, certificates are available for round-the-world voyages and similar out-of-the-ordinary cruises. If every element surrounding the ceremonies was not just so, all Hades might break loose. The ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. However, no certificates are printed or supplied by any government agency above the local command level. But not all certificates are for achievements such as flying an aircraft through a hurricane. Well actually there is a more to it than just that. List of Unofficial U.S. Navy Certificates, Plank Owners, Plank Owner Certificates, and Planking, Selected Imagery (click image to download). © 2021 Shafran Collectibles. These feats and events form the basis upon which our Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment were founded. It was the third crossing of the equator for the ship, and as was tradition, “Father Neptune” initiated neophyte pollywogs into hardened shellbacks. It was a larger size certificate with all the davy jones and nautical themes. Graduations, chiefs' initiations, "crossing the line" ceremonies, and others are only meant to celebrate and recognize the achievements of individual Sailors or Marines or those of entire units. This is the official certificate I got for crossing the equator my first time. Please note that the actual certificates will NOT have the watermarked images. Each frame is made in the USA and can be customized to fit your American hero’s United States Navy certificate or honorable discharge document. The Domain of the Golden Dragon, for instance. Certificate of membership in the Military Order of the Dragon, dated 17 December 1904. I want of my Certificates (minimum 20) in full color; $7.50 per Certificate on CD-ROM. Celebrates crossing the Equator. Shellback Certificate. Hazing can include, but is not limited to, the following: playing abusive or ridiculous tricks; threatening or offering violence or bodily harm to another; striking; branding; taping; tattooing; shaving; greasing; painting; requiring excessive physical exercise beyond what is required to meet standards; "pinning"; "tacking on"; "blood wings"; or forcing or requiring the consumption of food alcohol, drugs, or any other substance. You may be a Plank Owner if you were a member of the commissioning crew of a ship and served aboard for a year, a month, and a day after commissioning. The story of the Shellbackis a most storied one dating back to the days of the Vi… Colloquium on Contemporary History 1989-1998, DANFS - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Needs and Opportunities in the Modern History of the U.S. Navy, Permitting Policy and Resource Management, "Ex Scientia Tridens": The U.S. The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. What would the dreaded deity bring to a crew if, Zeus forbid, they made him angry? Picture Frame opening will overlap your Image Size *** by approx. It worked. 3. 2. Obviously, the Sailor who isn't so certified is little more than a land lubber. ", Unofficial Certificates Are Not (Repeat Not) Stocked by the Navy. These certificates are unofficial; copies were not forwarded for inclusion in the Navy's official personnel or command records. He could, under proper circumstances, become downright protective and benevolent. Service members must be able to work together, building-up, encouraging, and supporting their shipmates. You can choose from other background colours if you wish. Seaman W, T. Door, USN, having been found worthy to be numbered as ONE OF OUR TRUSTY SHELLBACKS, has been gathered to our fold and duly initiated into the SOLEMN MYSTERIES OF THE ANCIENT ORDER OF THE DEEP. Some of the more common documents — Shellback, Golden Dragon, Arctic, Antarctic, Plank Owner, and others — are sold by commercial firms catering to Navy personnel. Find & Download Free Graphic Resources for Certificate Frame. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. We won't go into detail on what occurs when Neptune and his court are piped aboard and the Pollywogs join the Order of the Shellbacks, because that's a mystery of the deep, after all. Plank Owner Certificate. White,B.M.2 c, U.S.N”, and reads, in part: “To all sailors wherever ye may be, and to all Mermaids, Whales, Sea Serpents, Porpoises, Sharks, Dolphins, Eels, Skates, Suckers, Crabs, Lobsters and all other Living Things of the Sea, Greetings. On any noteworthy occasion — and perhaps on some that might be otherwise forgotten — somebody in the crew is sure to spend hours at a drawing board to create a memorable certificate, replete with salty language, drawings of mermaids and tritons and anchors and chains, and the signature of Neptunus Rex or some other high potentate, and forever after the crew of that ship will treasure their copies as they treasure their rating badges.