The humor and innocence of the United States Navy Sailor is captured in the unique and sportive tales of a salty master chief set in the final quarter of the twentieth century. Sweepers sweepers man your brooms is a phrase readily recognized by any Sailor who ever woke up on a United States Navy ship. In his Navy memoirs Retired Navy Master Chief Jeff Zahratka, a twenty six year veteran chronicles rich adventures that carry the reader to exotic settings from Karachi Pakistan to Severmorsk Russia. Sweepers Sweepers is a colorful story with uncanny notice of the odd occurrences that take place between the life lines of Navy ships and isolated shore establishmentsnot a story about bombs, battles, or spectacular explosions, Sweepers Sweepers Man Your Brooms is his story about how people of great diversity coexist in eighty-man bedrooms while living out of devices known as coffin lockers. Consistently found in the effectuation of extraordinary events, the ubiquitous American Sailor may be found crawling through garbage in an equatorial Shellback initiation or baring their derrieres at a Soviet aircraft carrier while traversing the Cape of Good Hope. He may be discovered in hand to hand combat, not with a human enemy manned up at a fire control console on an Aegis cruiser, but with a toilet brush in a Greek hotel room, fighting to the death with a mutated species of an ancient Hellenic centipede. The author fails miserably at camouflaging his affection for the city of Pittsburgh and his long time devotion to their high powered sports teams. He provides many insightful moments relating to being a fan from afar through some of the greatest years in Steeler and Pirate sports history. The story is a rich and historically accurate account of a caste of characters from seaman recruits with attitudes honed on tough urban streets, to brown juice spitting good ole boys that learned to love the sea. There are associations and first hand opinions on the actions of young naval officers who today are among the top ranking leaders of the force. Sweepers Sweepers Man Your Brooms is a tapestry of the social morays, historical events, and military technologies that define the character of the Navy for the last thirty years. The reader will experience sufficient history to educate, and an infusion of personal opinion which will serve as a catalyst for debate. Above all; however, the story will remind Americans why they love Sailors, and remind old Sailors of why they love the Navy.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "REAL" sailors story!,
This review is from: Sweepers Sweepers Man Your Brooms: An Enlisted Man's Story (Paperback)
This is a fantastic read about the feelings and adventure of Navy life and is a MUST READ for all Old Salts. You will picture yourself in the characters and find humor in their relationships as they are so dramatically portrayed by the authors wit.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another "OLD SALT" likes it!,
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This review is from: Sweepers Sweepers Man Your Brooms: An Enlisted Man's Story (Paperback)
Master Chief Zahratka nailed it. I don't know how well non military people will like or even understand this bio of a "lifer" who actually enjoyed his time at sea and ashore and still managed to have a family life along with his career. I'm sure having a wife who was also Navy helped in that respect. I left the active Navy after 7 years as my wife couldn't deal with the deployments. I did manage to finish a part time career in the reserves and retired after 25 total years of service. I too enjoyed my time both ashore and afloat on my two week acdutras with the reserves and was at some of the same bases as EMCM Zahratka. It was a pleasure to read about someone who wasn't belittling the Navy and us career sailors. A lot of the shipmates he talked about could have been guys any of us served with. There were a few typos but these were easily overlooked as the story was so interesting I had trouble putting it away to go to bed. If anyone wants to know how the USN really runs than this is the book to read. All the day to day trials and tribulations of life at sea and the fun of hitting an overseas port, plus life on shore duty. It's all here. No great "hero" adventures, just grand fun adventures, especially for us guys who served during this same time period. Thanks for the memories Master Chief!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious and Brilliant. A great read for sailors & the ones who love them.,
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This review is from: Sweepers Sweepers Man Your Brooms: An Enlisted Man's Story (Paperback)
This book is written by a retired Master Chief in the US Navy who details what it was like joining the Navy, learning his rate (job) and the adventures he went on. His stories are hilarious and had me literally laughing out loud. He was an IC so naturally Sailors in that rate will appreciate and relate to his tales but I think all Sailors will find his stories entertaining. As an IC wife, I found it amusing that he sounds almost exactly like my husband, especially concerning the gyrocompass and how other rates have no idea what it is ICs actually do.
As a woman, I also appreciated his opinion on having women serve alongside men on ships. Right now, despite the fact that they have served on surface ships for years, there is a big uproar about women finally being allowed to serve on submarines. He says that back then, when women first came onboard, it was a novelty for about six hours and then they were just like the rest of the guys. Also, just a note, I could not find this book locally, for Kindle or even at the library. I would really love a Kindle version!!
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