#navy log

1955.

I woke up early with a poundin' in my head I'd been out the night before with all my friends

A little worried, kinda wonderin' what I did I said, " Lord, please forgive me for my sins."

My wife wanted to kill me, but she tried to save me first "You're goin' if I have to drag your butt to church."

I love this crazy, tragic, Sometimes almost magic, Awful, beautiful life

I read the hymns and kinda sorta sang along And made it through the Sunday sermon wide awake

We met the family for dinner at our home Drank some beer, watched a game, and cooked some steaks

My little brother had a big fight with his wife And my poor mother sat between 'em both all night

I love this crazy, tragic, Sometimes almost magic, Awful, beautiful life

We said a prayer for Cousin Michael in Iraq We're all aware that he may never make it back

We talked about the way we missed his stupid jokes And how he loved to be a soldier more than most

I laid in bed that night and thought about the day And how my life is like a roller coaster ride

The ups and downs and crazy turns along the way It'll throw you off if you don't hold on tight

You can't really smile until you've shed some tears I could die today or I might live on for years

I love this crazy, tragic, Sometimes almost magic, Awful, beautiful life

I love this crazy, tragic, Sometimes almost magic, Awful, beautiful life

Alright It's a beautiful life Awful, beautiful, life

I love this life It's a beautiful life

I was a highwayman

Along the coach roads I did ride With sword and pistol by my side

Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade

The bastards hung me in the spring of '25 But I am still alive

I was a sailor

I was born upon the tide With the sea I did abide

I sailed a schooner 'round the Horn to Mexico I went aloft to furl the mainsail in a blow

And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed But I am living still

I was a dam builder

Across the river deep and wide Where steel and water did collide

A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below

They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound But I am still around

I'll always be around, and around and around And around and around and around and around

I'll fly a starship

Across the Universe divide And when I reach the other side

I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can Perhaps I may become a highwayman again

Or I may simply be a single drop of rain But I will remain

And I'll come back again, and again And again and again and again and again And again

DeForest Kelley, Navy Log, “Nightmare off Brooklyn” (1957)

This is kinda “what if Bones wore gold instead of blue.” A fishboat captain and 2 civilians drag an “injured” (air quotes) man aboard a heavily armed Navy cruiser. Cpt. Smithwick (De) is instantly suspicious and sets about bellowing and bouncing at the interlopers until he can get some answers.

After the saboteurs tie up the medical staff in sickbay (which seems to particularly disturb Smithwick), the crew hunts them down and rounds/beats them up...to be told haha, jk, this was just a test and guess what, your best wasn’t good enough. But hey, at least we all learned something here today.

From the Golden Age of Television

Series Premiere

Navy Log - The Frogmen - CBS - September 20, 1955

Anthology

Running Time: 30 minutes

Written by Allan Sloane

Produced by Samuel Gallu

Directed by Roger M. Andrews

Stars:

Harry Landers as Rock McQuarrie

Ross Elliott as March

Robert Nichols as Kane

James Seay as Submarine Captain

Paul Dubov as Lt Sawicki

Bill Lechner as Sonarman