At the end of WWII, all the towns and cities across the country were looking for a “Hero” to celebrate America’s victory with, Los Angeles chose Admiral Halsey and had a ceremony on the steps of the LA County courthouse to honor America’s hero and at the end of it when Admiral Halsey was leaving, they had a line of sideboys.
The sideboys were active duty and retired Chief Petty Officers that
had been brought in from all over the country who had served with
Admiral Halsey at one point in their careers.
Admiral Halsey approached one of the retired Chiefs, and they winked
at each other.
Later on that evening at a reception for Admiral Halsey, one of the civilian guests at the event asked the Admiral about the wink he shared with the Chief. Admiral Halsey explained, “That man was my Chief when I was an Ensign, and no one before or after taught me as much about ships or men as he did.
You civilians don’t understand. You go down to Long Beach and you see those battleships sitting there, and you think that they float on water, don’t you?”
The guest replied, “Yes, sir, I guess I do.”
To which Admiral Halsey stated, “You are wrong. They are carried to sea on the backs of those Chief Petty Officers.”
— ADMIRAL WILLIAM F. “BULL” HALSEY, JR.
hbauld's Weblog 
Like!! Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really thank you! Keep writing.
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Thank you.
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Thank you for this comment. I am a retired US Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer, and nothing, with the exception of my marriage and the birth of my children, has EVER meant as much to me as being promoted to Chief Petty Officer on September 7, 1979! God bless the US Navy and God bless America!
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It’s a beautiful testament by a heroic Navy
Admiral to the dedication and patriotism of Chief Petty Officers from earlier days of the Navy to the present.
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