The Equator Crossing Rite of Passage

The photograph on the upper right as I have stated, was taken on the fantail of the ship during the  crossing of the Equator "ceremony". This particular one holds a special place in my heart, for reasons   that I will explain.

The sailors being initiated were made to walk through two lines of men who were beating them with canvass straps and boards. They were also sprayed with hoses, and given electric shocks from some type of prod. My father said the combination of water, electricity, and the steel deck, made the jolts pretty powerful. Once you got through the line, you could then get on the line and participate in the beating! Being on gun watch, my father was one of the last to go, so he faced a long line of antagonists. He claims he "went through punching", so he didn't "get it too bad". As it turns out, his best friend John Falasca wacked him the hardest and sent him flying across the slippery deck. Then... they had to crawl through a tube made of canvass, which was filled with garbage. The garbage was collected the week before, so it was ripe. It was placed in the tube and stepped on, so as to cover every inch of the tube. As they emerged from the tube, they were hosed back down into it. After that, they went to the barber, who shaved their heads. While receiving their haircut, the chair was rigged to deliver more electric shocks. Anyone trying to escape was held down.  Then... they had to kiss Neptune's baby's belly, which was covered with grease. The baby was the "fattest guy on the ship". According to my father, everyone had to go through this. He added that one guy cried so bad, they excused him from the ordeal, but "nobody talked to him" after that. He told the story while showing us the picture. If you look closely, Neptune and his "wife" are in the center. There are all sorts of other characters, too. Maniacal doctors, a pirate(?), Abe Lincoln(?), the devil, and another fellow wearing a kerchief and skirt. The devil, and the men to his right (with the menacing smiles) are holding some type of contraption, possibly the electric prod(?). They all look like a bunch of lunatics who are having way too much fun. Because of that story and photograph, I never once considered joining the navy. Even today, the photo still scares me!

Michael Dalessio, son of

Dominick Dalessio