Military Nude Men
When I was stationed in South Korea I had a roommate that was the best roommate ever. It was May and very hot the First Sergeant wasn't turning on the ac yet. My roommate Morse was already home showered and ate chow when I got home. I ate before I got to the barracks. I took a cool shower because it was so hot. When I got out of the shower I had a towel on. I walked over to the hamper to toss it in there before changing into a t-shirt and shorts. I had a thought and I stopped what I was doing to ask. Morse if he was fine if I just stay naked. He to my surprise said he was fine with it. I walked over to my hamper tossed the towel in and walked to my bed and sat down on it and watched TV nude. A few feet away Morse on his bed watching TV. It took Morse less then 10 minutes before he stripped naked too. At some point in a movie we were watching Everyday after that we were naked after work until he got sent to his next duty station.
When I was in no one thought about nudity. We all undress at our bunk, grab a towel and headed to the latrine for our showers. One large room with shower heads along the wall, stools lined up along the wall with no partitions between them and your buddy setting on one directly across from you. You could read the same newspaper. He could read the front side and you the back side. Then along the back wall was one long metal draught for a urinal. 99% of the guys in that room at any given time were likely naked. No one thought anything about it. This was in the very early 60's.
First Duty Station was in NOLA and the 3rd floor was males only with the communal head at the end of the hallway. Most of us traveled in boxers, towels around or nude towel over the shoulder to and from the head to shower and take care of business. Our 3 to 4 man room was always clothing optional for most of us. Not a big deal after spending 3 months in bootcamp showering nude with 80 other guys or standing on line to shower. Locker room at the Base Gyms were open bay showers after PT and so was the head in the squadron. Either way, we never thought much of it. Went in, took care of business and got to work. Besides, once you see one, you've seen them all . . . Hawk
Boot Camp was a little rough for nudity, except for the shower. It was expected that you at least wrap a towel around your waist afterwards. After boot camp and onboard the ship, things relaxed, and nudity was quite common. Undressing at your rack, grabbing a towel and heading up to the head, you crossed paths with other guys coming and going and either nude holding a towel, draped over the shoulder or wrapped around their waist. Once back down at their rack and locker, lots of ongoing conversations with other guys other dressed, getting undressed or nude.
I slept nude, as did several other guys. There was a stigma associated with the guys that slept nude that they were probably gay. As we got to know each other better, that stigma disappeared. I was surprised, at the ripe ol' age of 18-19 how many guys began sleeping naked after seeing several of us doing so. I was frequently asked questions as to why I did this. When I told them that I was a nudist, they seemed to let it drop.
Our shower facilities on a Gearing Class Destroyer were pretty primitive. Because we were usually at sea, there was no gang shower but stalls without doors or shower curtains. If not in port, you usually had to brace yourself somehow and wash with one hand. There was nudity at the sinks where most guys shaved, brushed their teeth, primped for the day or liberty. Afterwards, you gathered your things and headed back to the berthing compartment. Our berthing was close to the head and shower, so nudity was common at most hours of the day and night. If I had to get up and go to the head in the middle of the night, I did so naked and was never told not to.
AndyDi,
Things have changed so much since then. Now when you check onto some ships, they make you sign a page 13 that talks about berthing rules. Two of the rules are that you can't sleep nude and you can travel from the showers to your rack naked. It's insane. Even at bootcamp back in 2013, we still had open communal showers, but people would wrap a towel around their waist when they got out and changed in the bathroom stalls. It didn't make any sense since we were just all showering naked together. hahahaha. At gyms on base, it is very uncommon to see anyone walking around naked; at least the base gyms I've been to. I've only been to one base gym that still has communal showers. All of the others were renovated to have individual showers. It's crazy that we're trained to defend each other to the death, but afraid to see each other naked. hahahahaha
AndyDi,Things have changed so much since then. Now when you check onto some ships, they make you sign a page 13 that talks about berthing rules. Two of the rules are that you can't sleep nude and you can travel from the showers to your rack naked. It's insane. Even at bootcamp back in 2013, we still had open communal showers, but people would wrap a towel around their waist when they got out and changed in the bathroom stalls. It didn't make any sense since we were just all showering naked together. hahahaha. At gyms on base, it is very uncommon to see anyone walking around naked; at least the base gyms I've been to. I've only been to one base gym that still has communal showers. All of the others were renovated to have individual showers. It's crazy that we're trained to defend each other to the death, but afraid to see each other naked. hahahahaha
I was in the Navy from Summer '71 to Spring '75. Indeed, things were different then. Being naked in the berthing space and especially sleeping naked was common. We were in dry dock at Hunters Point up in the bay area, Oakland side. Since we could not remain onboard, they put us up in a multi-story building that was like a cheap hotel. Two guys to a room and I shared with a buddy that was also a nudist from CO.
When I joined the FD, most everyone on the job was ex-military and was accustomed to nudity. Nothing unusual in the head, shower and locker area, to see lots of us naked but I was the only one that slept nude on my shift of 11 guys. No one seemed to care. At most large stations, there is a gang shower, 3-5 heads. Only the smaller stations had single head shower stalls. Nowadays, they are all single stall showers with a dressing room attached.
Times are a changing!
AndyDi,Things have changed so much since then. Now when you check onto some ships, they make you sign a page 13 that talks about berthing rules. Two of the rules are that you can't sleep nude and you can travel from the showers to your rack naked. It's insane. Even at bootcamp back in 2013, we still had open communal showers, but people would wrap a towel around their waist when they got out and changed in the bathroom stalls. It didn't make any sense since we were just all showering naked together. hahahaha. At gyms on base, it is very uncommon to see anyone walking around naked; at least the base gyms I've been to. I've only been to one base gym that still has communal showers. All of the others were renovated to have individual showers. It's crazy that we're trained to defend each other to the death, but afraid to see each other naked. hahahahahaI was in the Navy from Summer '71 to Spring '75. Indeed, things were different then. Being naked in the berthing space and especially sleeping naked was common. We were in dry dock at Hunters Point up in the bay area, Oakland side. Since we could not remain onboard, they put us up in a multi-story building that was like a cheap hotel. Two guys to a room and I shared with a buddy that was also a nudist from CO.When I joined the FD, most everyone on the job was ex-military and was accustomed to nudity. Nothing unusual in the head, shower and locker area, to see lots of us naked but I was the only one that slept nude on my shift of 11 guys. No one seemed to care. At most large stations, there is a gang shower, 3-5 heads. Only the smaller stations had single head shower stalls. Nowadays, they are all single stall showers with a dressing room attached.Times are a changing!
Yeah, it's crazy how we are becoming so progressive with protecting each other's individual rights, but have a problem expressing ourselves and being truly open with one another.
My father was in the Army in 71 and 72 and it was similar to what you described. Basic Combat Training was that way. What struck me odd is this, how can a man go through 9 weeks of BCT and 7 weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for a total of 16 weeks of seeing everyone naked a d everyone seeing you naked and then get to your unit and you become shy and embarrassed to be seen naked. WTF?
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