My Grandfather: The Drinking Game

My little brother graduated yesterday from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. We're all very proud. My grandfather, father, and I went out to be there and celebrate.

My grandfather has a lot of stories and likes to share them... with everyone. He tends to tell the same stories over and over. So, after hearing several key phrases over and over, we turned my grandfather and his stories into a "drinking" game, completely unbeknown to him. Take a drink (or mime it if the situation prevents drinking) whenever he says one of the following phrases:

• "153 Airplanes" - the number he flew
• "14 Carriers" - how many he landed on during WWII
• "3 generations of Lloyds" - our family in attendance
• "The Altamaha" - the first carrier he flew off

We got most of our friends and family in on the game. It was funny having six guys at a party all shout "Altamaha" together and take chugs of beer while my grandfather continued on with his stories.

I do love my grandfather and he does have very good stories. The tenth time hearing them in a day becomes a bit much.

There is an important piece of information to remember. If you ever find yourself in a large group of people and are wondering if there is a naval aviator present, how do you know?

He'll tell you.

Sorry you're related to squids.

Haha. Sounds fun. Mine would be fun to do that with too. He has Alzheimer's and loves to drink. Every time he asks where he is, Ill drink. Its kinda sad, but he still is seemingly happy and pretty fit.

OK, I'm a Grampa, actually, a GreatGrampa. I have a bunch of stories that I love to tell. Everybody I know has heard them, more than once, or twice or more. So now I have to worry about a drinking game based on my stories? Arrgghh, as if being an old fart isn't bad enough. (BD tomorrow, the Big 66) Hey, lemme tell you about the time at Watkins Glen.............

Heck,66 is just a youngster. Now let me tell you about my first race at Lime Rock in a Goliath. BD tomorrow but I stopped counting

Osterkraut wrote: Sorry you're related to squids.

Were you in the Coast Guard missy?

HEEHEEHEE! My father is 80 this year and has led a very interesting life. He has many, many stories and remembers incredible details. This will happen the next time the family gets together. These usually occure at my mom and dads house, my wife and I live next door so are with in crawling distance and I'm sure we will need it.

Yeah, my grandfather is 88, almost 89. He's darn near deaf and not nearly as fast as he used to be, but I think he's pretty well earned it.

The drinking game was actually a really great thing for the trip. Rather than rolling our eyes when he launched into a story again, we were able to laugh about it. Made a week with family a lot easier.

914Driver wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Sorry you're related to squids.

Were you in the Coast Guard missy?

You mean the baby squids? Negative. We do have a Coastie on the forum, though.

My... grandfather in law has some great WWII stories, and at 93 years old he doesn't tell them as much as he used to. I guess the best drinking game to play around here is "open eyes." Take one drink every time he opens his eyes and looks around as he pretends to sleep so he doesn't have to talk to anyone.

Who DOESN'T like old peoples stories?

After ten times in one day, I can completely understand your state of mind, though Salanis.

We went through that with my late grandfather. Never thought to make it a drinking game though.. I fear if we had.. none of us would have made it throught the day sober

mad_machine wrote: We went through that with my late grandfather. Never thought to make it a drinking game though.. I fear if we had.. none of us would have made it throught the day sober

If we had actually drunk every time he said one of the key words, we would not have either. We spent a lot of time clinking coffee mugs and bottles of water.

There are inappropriate times and company to drink around: like the commandant of the Naval Academy, who happened to be wearing three stars on each shoulder.

Salanis wrote: My little brother graduated yesterday from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis.

That's quite an accomplishment. Congrats to your little brother! Oh, and on topic, that's a pretty funny adaptation of the Love Boat or MASH drinking games. Nice work.

AngryCorvair wrote:

Salanis wrote: My little brother graduated yesterday from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis.

That's quite an accomplishment. Congrats to your little brother! Oh, and on topic, that's a pretty funny adaptation of the Love Boat or M*A*S*H* drinking games. Nice work.

Yes it was! We are all very pleased, and a bit relieved.

He managed to set some very auspicious records for his class while their: most days of restriction, and most demerits in a single semester. There was a period of time we weren't sure if he was going to make it.

Now, he's working in admissions for the summer.

Next step is flight school where he will train as a Naval Flight Officer, not a pilot (think Goose). We're trying to pull some strings and see if we can get him bumped up to actually becoming a pilot.

Salanis wrote: He managed to set some very auspicious records for his class while their: most days of restriction, and most demerits in a single semester. There was a period of time we weren't sure if he was going to make it. Now, he's working in admissions for the summer. Next step is flight school where he will train as a Naval Flight Officer, not a pilot (think Goose). We're trying to pull some strings and see if we can get him bumped up to actually becoming a pilot.

In my experience with Zoomies, guys that don't get pilot slots out of the Academy did something to deserve it, via pissing somebody off, or being "special." It's really hard not to get one! So, be really impressed with your strings if you can pull it off...

If not, as the AF equivalent to an NFO (Combat Systems Officer), I can tell you it's still a great gig, and way better than being a shoe-clerk/sweaty. Unless he's an NFO on a Hawkeye. They're more like ABMs, those guys are weeeeird (right, Mental?)

Though EA-18s, F/A-18Fs, EP/P-3s, EA-6Bs, and E-6s are all sweet airframes. When the P-8 comes online, that'll be bitchin' too.

Osterkraut wrote:

Salanis wrote: He managed to set some very auspicious records for his class while their: most days of restriction, and most demerits in a single semester. There was a period of time we weren't sure if he was going to make it.

In my experience with Zoomies, guys that don't get pilot slots out of the Academy did something to deserve it, via pissing somebody off, or being "special." It's really hard not to get one! So, be really impressed with your strings if you can pull it off... If not, as the AF equivalent to an NFO (Combat Systems Officer), I can tell you it's still a great gig, and way better than being a shoe-clerk/sweaty. Unless he's an NFO on a Hawkeye. They're more like ABMs, those guys are weeeeird (right, Mental?)

He basically bucked the internal authority within the midshipmen at the academy. His view was that the authority of upper classmen was stupid and arbitrary, and he didn't particularly hide this opinion. Yes, it is stupid and arbitrary but... welcome to the military.

So, he skated the line really close and pissed off people just enough that they started looking for stuff to bust him on. Basically, he got Al Caponed: busted as hard as he could be in his senior year for whatever technicalities he could get nailed on.

He got called before a review board, looking at potentially getting dismissed. My grandfather pulled strings to avoid the worst happening. Grandfather was a congressman ('74, '76, '78), and brother was a page for a full year. So there are some good connections that we're not giving up hope yet.

Being an NFO will be a good gig for him. We just think he's more likely to do well for himself and probably stick out his 20 if he can get to be a pilot.

Our uncle, a retired NFO, has already dubbed him with his first nickname: "Mr. Teflon". He's already suggested my brother go out and get himself his first pair of brown shoes so that he can wear them on day one of training.

Osterkraut wrote: Sorry you're related to squids.

HEY!

Actually, although I'm pretty good with ship's names, etc., the name Altamaha threw me. However:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Altamaha_(CVE-18)

If Grampa flew off one of those, he was pretty damn good back in the day...What kinda aircraft?

Yes, he was very good. He was generally the first of his squad launched in uncertain conditions when hopping from carrier to carrier.

I believe he started in SBDs. That is the Altamaha he was on. It was a converted cargo freighter with a flight deck on the top. They had to launch while underway into a strong wind to get enough speed. The catapults were powered by black powder charges.

He flew 153 different aircraft during his career 22 year career including trainers and jet fighters. During WWII it was a mix of dive bombers and fighter craft including: SBD's, SB2C's, F4U's... and I believe F6F's.

Hahahah. I love it. This reminds me so much of my wife's recently departed grandmother (First female president of a synagoge in the world! first woman elected to government in her town in connecticut!)

The thing about the stories that get repeated over and over and over is that they're not stories. They're ritual. Just like how churchgoers hear the same damn stuff over and over. "The key to adult learning is repetition", I heard a very smart doctor say the other day (for the third time).

Just remember he's repeating those stores because they're how he gets his immortality. ;)

ppddppdd wrote: Just remember he's repeating those stores because they're how he gets his immortality. ;)

Sigh. Yeah. It's tough for us. My grandmother is not much longer for this world. We're not sure how long my grandfather will last after she goes. We're all pretty nervous about that.

One of the best things about this trip is that my grandfather has decided he will move back to DC after she passes. He will be near friends, can work out at the capitol, hang out at the Army/Navy Club, and have access to Arlington Hospital. He has a place he knows, has friends, has influence, and feels important. I really hope he can make a few more happy years for himself there once my grandmother passes.

You've named 4 aircraft. Name the other 149. I'm dieing to know.

Appleseed wrote: You've named 4 aircraft. Name the other 149. I'm dieing to know.

Umm... F-15, F/A-18, SMJ, a nuclear uploaded Israeli bomber (I think that might have been while he was in congress, not the Navy)... wish I could do better.

Osterkraut wrote:

914Driver wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Sorry you're related to squids.

Were you in the Coast Guard missy?

You mean the baby squids? Negative. We do have a Coastie on the forum, though.

You bet your liferaft you do. I'll remember the knock when you need to be plucked from the water.

Hey Salanis,

Is your Grandfather interested in having a book written about him? Shoot me an email/PM...

Appleseed wrote: You've named 4 aircraft. Name the other 149. I'm dieing to know.

But was it total aircraft launches/landings (they should equal!) or different types of plane? (You'd be hard-pressed to find that many different types, even during WWII) Either way, pretty impressive. FWIW: Also alot of those early carriers were used to ferry aircraft between bases, not necessarily for combat missions...