Navy·Consolidated / merged·In Memoriam
Boilermaker
BR
Served: 1869–1948
The sailor who built, riveted, and patched the boilers themselves — heavy metalwork, not water chemistry.
The Story
Established 1869, briefly killed in 1928, resurrected 1943 because WWII needed every man who could swing a rivet hammer in a fire room. Then killed again five years later.
Epitaph
“Died twice. Beat to it by Boilerman, then beat again by gas turbines.”
Sources
- USS Little Rock — Boilerman Ratewww.usslittlerock.org
- NHHC — Enlisted Ratings 1775-1969www.history.navy.mil