Memory: Anchors Aweigh

This morning while surfing on my Sirius radio, I came across the end of Anchors Aweigh played by the US Navy band. I know it's insane but I actually started getting choked up as memories came flooding back. In 1995, I attended boot camp at Recruit Training Great Lakes, IL and I remember this tunnel we would march through where we would sing one verse of the song while marching through and another different verse when we marched back through on our return. It was a competition between company drill instructors to see who could get their company to sing the song the strongest and we made our drill instructors proud by winning that competition. Let me tell you, the power with which a company of young men can bellow Anchors Aweigh flawlessly makes me a bit misty now at 33 years old. It's one of those things that I don't expect anyone else to understand unless you were in the same situation. It was a very impressionable time in my life and now that all the resentment I had for the bad things I encountered has melted away, I only remember the good times and that was one of them.


Here are the verses:

Verse 1

Stand, Navy, out to sea, Fight our battle cry;

We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y.

Roll out the TNT , Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to victory

And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Verse 2 (most widely sung)

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.

Farewell to foreign shores, We sail at break of day, of day.

Through our last night on shore, Drink to the foam,

Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!