A Sailor's Passport
Naval tattoos and their significance in history
Naval tattoos and their significance in history
“Tattoos have given me a way to express myself in a way I couldn’t have,” Eric said. “When you get older, experience is better than things. Tattoos are portable art that are associated with your memories. They capture a time and place that’s important and special and remind you of when you were young and doing certain things almost like an embedded memory.” |
Growing up around Bremerton close to Washington state's Navy base, Eric Schuck was used to seeing mermaids and anchors on the arms of sailors. Eric’s grandfather fought in World War II around the time where the American traditional style of tattooing became popular. It was around this era where the maritime culture began to make its way through the tattoo guns of artists and on Navy men’s skin with the inspiration of Sailor Jerry.
The History of Naval Tattoos Norman Collins, who was known as Sailor Jerry, was an American tattoo artist based out of Honolulu, Hawaii who gave the Naval tattoos its known styles and symbols. He joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 19 and sailed the seas and tattooed during the 1930s and continued throughout World War II. These tattoos were saturated with reds, blacks and blues that would age well for those who were traveling on the seas. Sailor Jerry essentially created the American Traditional style that we know today. Some of the symbols that he used that are associated with Naval tattoos today are red stars, eagles, swallows and sparrows, anchors, pin up girls and much more. This distinct style has inspired tattoos’ style since. These vivid tattoos had great meaning to each sailor who bore it on their skin. For them, tattoos helped their superstitions and acted as a passport as to where they have gone and been. By one glance, a sailor could look at another and tell where he had been stationed or have traveled to which ways of the world by seeing the ink on their skin. These sailors came back with stories that happened to be told by tattoos. Sailors would get penguins if they had been to the Antarctica, polar bears if they had traveled to the Arctic Circle, sparrows if they had been on a trip that was 500,000 miles or a golden dragon for if they crossed the 180th meridian which divides the Western from the Eastern hemisphere. Other sailors would get tattoos to show not just where they been but to represent what they love; an anchor represented home, mermaids are the call of the sea and a sexton is a tool used by sailors for navigation by using the stars for steering. Each tattoo represents an adventure that they have had, some would even get the dates of their deployment or family-oriented tattoos to represent their loved ones back at home. Although the Naval tattooing style has remained true throughout the years it has definitely been modernized in its methods. Before the invention of electric tattoo machines, sailors would take the canvas needles that they used for sail work and dipped it in India ink and would push the needle into their skin. This method is known as stick and poke which required many repetitions of the needle, took more time and was more painful to get. There homemade tattoos were prone to scabbing and infection because needles were often reused or not properly sanitized to begin with. Symbols and Meanings Many sailors believed that their tattoos would keep them safe while at sea. Placement, along with particular symbols, hold special meaning to Naval tattoos. Many sailors would get pigs, roosters and Chinese water dragons tattooed on the tops of their feet because they believed that it would keep them from drowning in the case of a shipwreck. They believed this because the livestock who would be on the ship were carried in wooden crates and would float in the water rather than sink. The Chinese water dragon is known for its ability to walk on water, and with those tattoos they hoped that they would stay afloat too. Those sailors who survived shipwrecks would attribute their tattoos as the reason they lived; through their superstitions, sailors believed that their tattoos were their sole savior. Tattoo Policies in the Military The military has the highest percentage of tattooed staff. Nearly two-thirds of the sailors in World War II had tattoos, it wasn’t until the 1960s that the common uniform had a regulation change which began the restriction of tattoos in sailors. Widely known and acknowledge tattoos became seen less and less due to the change of policy. Many sailors used to get the letters “HOLD FAST” across their knuckles which referenced something one would say while rigging the sails and trying to keep it from falling. But due to the placement, the tattoo that referenced the Navy lifestyle has not been seen much since. Traditional Naval tattoos were appeared less and less until the 1990s when the grudge era began and tattoos were more common. The Navy had to change its policies in order to be able to get enough men to be able to be qualified for recruitment. And again, In late 2016, the military changed their policies on tattoos so sailors and soldiers could have more visible tattoos in order to keep their enrollment numbers up. Before this policy change, sailors weren’t allowed any tattoos that were larger than their fist. If they did have something larger they would have to sign a waiver and get permission from their commander. Sailors still cannot have their faces and heads tattooed, but the Navy still has limitations on what they accept. Imagery that supports any discrimination or affiliation with obscene or offensive groups are not allowed despite the new regulations that need to meet the Navy’s standards since their sailors represent that branch. But with these policy changes, the chance for traditional Naval tattoos to make a comeback is high and a culture around ink with maritime stories will be seen on sailor's skin once again. |