Unusual Name on Navy Turbine. I took this picture because it called to me. I was stunned by the scene of a turbine, featuring my name, Shirley. Not because it hosted my name, but being an old Navy brat, I know that they don’t name their engine room parts, nor any aspect of the inner workings of a ship. I’ve been all over them, and on a wide variety of ships, none had names of any kind on them. I called my Ex, a retired Navy man, he just laughed, sure it was a hoax. Then I called the USS Hornet, and then the Navy and no, they had no information. It bothered me a lot, and my sister, who is an even better researcher than I am got on the research wagon, no help. That was some years ago, but the image popped up on my screen again, so now that I am working exclusively with my guide Thanes, I asked her for help—from Thanes:

The image that has eluded you for all of these years taken on the USS Hornet was created by a rogue sailor. The turbine was prepared for the museum by a veteran who wanted to leave something of his past on the ship, his last assignment in the Navy. He chose his wife’s name so attention would not point to him. While many administrators have noticed the words on the turbine, no one had the heart to remove the name given to the turbine by a fellow seaman.

While military personnel had noticed the anthropomorphized turbine, no one had the heart to remove the turbine’s affectionate gift by a fellow seaman. The tendency to anoint a part of a vehicle, engine or ship with pet names has been around for over a thousand years, with ship and sword naming evident in early Homeric epics. Therefore, the USS Hornet’s turbine was allowed to keep its complementary gift. As such, the gift was also unmistakable to an unsuspecting sight seer, taking pictures aboard the ship on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Who knew that the sight seer’s name would also carry the same name as the wife, so many years prior to that day.

Who knew that the sight seer’s name would also carry the same name as the wife, so many years prior to that day.

Well, I believe that is as good as it gets, I will accept that explanation of the scenario! Dr. Shirley Ryan