What kind of tattoos do sailors get

This signifies that a Sailor has crossed the international date line — and therefore gained a full 24 hours. There are hundreds of classic sailor tatoos that represent anything from places visited to special duties. Public Records Search U. Military Base Map U. Yet he was also determined to beat them at their own game.

Jerry's dragon tattoos , clearly Asian in nature, embody these conflicting attitudes. A tattoo is one of the few indelible decisions we make in life, representing a commitment to your dying day — this is one reason skulls and death themes are big.

He loved its beauty and exoticism and that it was as far away as he could get from a world he increasingly viewed as a screwed-up place, devoid of honor and conviction. From his legendary hula girl to more scenic pieces, his Hawaii tattoos reflected his sense of the islands as a kind of paradise on earth. Being in the service isn't just a job, it's an epic chapter of life. One where buddies can save your life and one decision can determine your fate.

This intensity breeds an appetite for ink, for tattoos that commemorate a fallen comrade, that link a man to his platoon, flight crew, or ship Snake tattoos represent potency and power. Unlike panthers, which are usually depicted in mid-action, snakes are typically shown coiled and ready to strike, representing a don't-tread-on-me sensibility, thus warding off evil, misfortune and potential brawls.

Sailor Jerry's favorite snake to ink was a King Cobra. Panthers are usually inked as totems of prowess and virility, sometimes also symbolizing a connectedness to nature. Sailor Jerry's panther tattoos are particularly ferocious and masculine — drawn with red, often bloody claws, open jaws and occasionally in the company of a naked woman who, for some reason, Jerry always made a redhead.

There's a long-standing tradition in tattoo culture of celebrating that which others fear hence the thematic prevalence of things like skulls and knives. Sailor Jerry's Lucky 13 motif is probably the most famous set of tattoo designs that flip a bad luck symbol on its head.

The series showcases Jerry's iconic design sense along with his sense of humor. Toggle navigation Menu. Toggle navigation. Navy Installations Historic Former U. Navy Women in the U. Navy Hispanic Americans in the U. Navy Contributions of Native Americans to the U. Heritage ». Sailors' Tattoos Goats and the U. Related Content. Document Type.

Photograph Historical Summary. Navy Communities. File Formats. Location of Archival Materials. Author Name. Place of Event. Recipient Name. These days, tattoos are so commonplace in the U. The U. Navy, however, has a long tradition of tattoos. A tattoo of a fully-rigged ship from the age of sail means the sailor had been around Cape Horn, the rough, stormy waters around the southern tip of South America.

A fully-rigged ship is one with three or more masts, square sails fully deployed. The star is a symbol of a sailor always to be able to find his way home. The nautical star is a five-pointed star in dark and light shades counterchanged to resemble a compass rose. Sailors earn a new swallow tattoo for every 5, nautical miles traveled, which is about 5, regular miles, roughly the distance between New York City and Tel Aviv. The circumference of the earth is 21, nautical miles, just about 4.