2
“The bloody
Royal Navy, is it?” he’d said. “Well then, remember
this. Whenever ye sit and drink with an Englishman, look under the
table for the cloven hoof.”
Words said in jest, perhaps, but always with a dig at the past. It
doesn’t have to be like that, the young man thought, and it
certainly isn’t like that now.
McGuire’s navy proved to be all he’d imagined. He respected
the discipline it demanded; only he and his God knew how little of
that he’d previously experienced. It instilled a sense of purpose
within him, presenting both goals and opportunities, and the knowledge
to achieve them. He now had direction and from his perspective the
only direction for him was up. Sean viewed submarine school and the
submarine service as an ideal environment. Boats, the submariner’s
jargon for submarines, were, in his view, a totally separate branch
of the navy. They were special in an exclusive way, and if he focused
and excelled in whatever requirements they demanded, the exclusiveness
might offer him a better chance for advancement.
A week after finishing
school Sean joined HMS Ares, one of the submarines attached to the
squadron at Dolphin. He’d been aboard for three work-filled
months—work which didn’t include time spent acquainting
himself with the vessel. Used for training, the boat had a schedule
with short stays in port that left little time for leisure.
This particularly pleasant, warm and sunny Wednesday afternoon, the
opportunity for some time off presented itself and Sean chose to take
it. While dressing to go ashore, the thought crossed his mind that
it would be nice to stop by the pub on his way to the main gate. Why
not, he thought. A nice cool pint or two may be just the thing to
start the day off. Sean wasn’t a complete stranger to the pub;
he’d spent time there with a few classmates during the months
he’d attended school and discovered it was a place he enjoyed.
Contrary to tradition, the pub had remained nameless since its inception.
It relied on location and décor to lure sailors as they set
out toward home or their favorite places ashore.