General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: U-boat crews/Sexuality ? - no smut replies
Posted by:
Craig McLean
()
Date: April 17, 2001 11:58PM
<HTML>Whew! An interesting psycological study. Not having been aboard subs ever (I was Infantry, US Army, way after WWII was over), I cannot add anything to the WWII question that Jak probably already doesn\'t know himself.
Yet, as a 20-year veteran (1971-1992), I might have some insight to the general mind-set, that can\'t be so different from any other generation.
____________
since my time.....
Look at recent American sex scandals, like \'Tail-Hook\'--where men at sea lost control with fellow sea-mates who where female.
Also, Desert Storm--in the Gulf about 10 years ago--MANY American female soldiers ended up pregnant after it was over.
____________
While I was on active duty (just missed deployment to the Gulf [above], personally).....
1. Soldiers who went on extended field maneuvers often had wives who would frequent post clubs and ended up with one-night stands from soldiers not deployed.
2. Overseas soldiers, without family with them, seldom worried about picking up local women. (Conversely, wives back in the US often did not worry about having local lovers, with husband overseas.)
3. I recall one instance (personal true story), where a friend\'s wife came on to me at a party at their own home, after her husband had already passed out from too much drink. (I declined, believing you never stab a fellow comrade in the back, which is what it would have been, had I given in. Somehow--loyalty to one\'s comrade often took precedence over one\'s own spouce [you could cheat on your own spouce, but never with a comrade\'s spouce--male soldier\'s point of view]. Maybe doesn\'t make sense, but this was my experience. )
4. Stationed in Germany, prostitution was legalized. I recall several \"houses of passion\" near the Hbf in Frankfurt--not far from Burger King, anf the like. Girls had to be examined regularly by doctors, and this impressed us Americans immensely. No worry about diseases (hopefully, at least), no worry about getting beaten over the head in a criminal situation; it was all very nice and \"department-store-like\"!! \"Crazy Sexy\", and the like, were popular...
So in summary, I would say, from an old GI\'s view-point, for what it is worth...
1. the easiest and safest way from point A to point B is usually quickly taken
2. men and women both (though, I believe on average slightly more men) will be un-loyal to spouces
3. prostitutes are very much like just ordering a beer and a steak--if it is on the market, it\'s on the market
OOP\'s...forgot the question of homosexuals and associated activity. I would say, I never saw this in 20 years, with one exception, maybe two. I knew (somewhat) 2 females in the medical corps who were supposedly lesbians. A very attractive female officer, and a more surly female sergeant. They were always seen together--yet I don\'t know if the rumors were true or not, yet they seemed believable...still, as they were women, I really wasn\'t all that interested whether the stories were true or not. I did meet a male soldier once who seemed somewhat \"effeminate\"...yet, I can\'t really say. He wasn\'t in my unit, otherwise I might have been much more suspicious.
In a draft situation, more of everyone is pulled into the armed forces, involuntarily. A volunteer force tends to be more diffinitive. I would think the latter attracts less lesbian/homosexual elements as a whole.
Hope my much post-war observations can offer some basis of observation. Sexuality in the military is nothing new. Roman Legions had their follow-ons (women) and the Russians certainly pulled out all stops in their rape of Berlin.
Everthing in between is certainly a reasonable area of examination!
Best,
Craig</HTML>
Yet, as a 20-year veteran (1971-1992), I might have some insight to the general mind-set, that can\'t be so different from any other generation.
____________
since my time.....
Look at recent American sex scandals, like \'Tail-Hook\'--where men at sea lost control with fellow sea-mates who where female.
Also, Desert Storm--in the Gulf about 10 years ago--MANY American female soldiers ended up pregnant after it was over.
____________
While I was on active duty (just missed deployment to the Gulf [above], personally).....
1. Soldiers who went on extended field maneuvers often had wives who would frequent post clubs and ended up with one-night stands from soldiers not deployed.
2. Overseas soldiers, without family with them, seldom worried about picking up local women. (Conversely, wives back in the US often did not worry about having local lovers, with husband overseas.)
3. I recall one instance (personal true story), where a friend\'s wife came on to me at a party at their own home, after her husband had already passed out from too much drink. (I declined, believing you never stab a fellow comrade in the back, which is what it would have been, had I given in. Somehow--loyalty to one\'s comrade often took precedence over one\'s own spouce [you could cheat on your own spouce, but never with a comrade\'s spouce--male soldier\'s point of view]. Maybe doesn\'t make sense, but this was my experience. )
4. Stationed in Germany, prostitution was legalized. I recall several \"houses of passion\" near the Hbf in Frankfurt--not far from Burger King, anf the like. Girls had to be examined regularly by doctors, and this impressed us Americans immensely. No worry about diseases (hopefully, at least), no worry about getting beaten over the head in a criminal situation; it was all very nice and \"department-store-like\"!! \"Crazy Sexy\", and the like, were popular...
So in summary, I would say, from an old GI\'s view-point, for what it is worth...
1. the easiest and safest way from point A to point B is usually quickly taken
2. men and women both (though, I believe on average slightly more men) will be un-loyal to spouces
3. prostitutes are very much like just ordering a beer and a steak--if it is on the market, it\'s on the market
OOP\'s...forgot the question of homosexuals and associated activity. I would say, I never saw this in 20 years, with one exception, maybe two. I knew (somewhat) 2 females in the medical corps who were supposedly lesbians. A very attractive female officer, and a more surly female sergeant. They were always seen together--yet I don\'t know if the rumors were true or not, yet they seemed believable...still, as they were women, I really wasn\'t all that interested whether the stories were true or not. I did meet a male soldier once who seemed somewhat \"effeminate\"...yet, I can\'t really say. He wasn\'t in my unit, otherwise I might have been much more suspicious.
In a draft situation, more of everyone is pulled into the armed forces, involuntarily. A volunteer force tends to be more diffinitive. I would think the latter attracts less lesbian/homosexual elements as a whole.
Hope my much post-war observations can offer some basis of observation. Sexuality in the military is nothing new. Roman Legions had their follow-ons (women) and the Russians certainly pulled out all stops in their rape of Berlin.
Everthing in between is certainly a reasonable area of examination!
Best,
Craig</HTML>
