Every year, on the anniversary of the founding of the US Navy Submarine Force, at every submarine base and other locations where a sufficient number of submariners is located, they hold the Submarine Birthday Ball. The name itself is something of a misnomer, for it is as much of a memorial service as it is a celebration. At the beginning of the activities, two submariners are selected - the youngest who most recently finished their submarine qualifications, and the oldest (usually retired and advanced in age) who had qualified in submarines the farthest in the past (at one such event I attended in the mid 1980's, that gentleman had qualified on submarines back in WWI). These two submariners then conduct a ceremony, during which all present stand at attention. The oldest reads off the name of every USN submarine that has been lost since the inception of the force, and for each submarine's name read aloud, the youngest will ring a ship's bell once, to honor the submariners that were lost along with their boat. As best I recall, at last count there were 52 submarines on that list. And for each one, the same epitath is given - "ON ETERNAL PATROL"

Oh man, imagine if they ever see a ground war. "Marines don't die; they're either assaulting Hell or called to guard Heaven's gates."

Every long-time mariner _KNOWS_ that their ship is "alive" in a way that simply can't be explained. The longer the vessel has been in service, the stronger that feeling is. A visit to the USS Constitution will confirm that to anyone who has sailed the ocean. I know my dad felt the same way about the B-17 he was co-pilot on (Duffy's Tavern), so I suspect all of those who spend a lot of time with ANY particular piece of complex machinery do as well.

I wonder what a truly alien species would think, once they realized we give names and attribute both life and personality to our ships, vehicles, homes, and even tools.

On eternal patrol, listed as overdue… USS Wahoo and her sisters.for all submariners that went to sea and never made port.

Strangely affecting, raised a lump in my throat. US Submarines lost with their crews are listed as still on patrol.

That is kind of like what the u.s. Navy does with their submarines. No submarines are considered lost at sea they are considered on patrol forevermore. And on holidays such as Christmas they open up all communication channels especially ones that those submarine communicate on and say merry Christmas happy New Year wish them a safe Patrol

Humans still know, at least subconsciously, that the eternal faithful watch over them.

I just don't know why but this story is making me strangely emotional.

The first time they try to force a human ghost to do something. It will be entertaining to watch. They should also avoid earth at all cost. Flying Dutchman might get them.

Least we forget! The flyin dutchmen!!

For those interested, the second part is on Reddit where he gets to experience the love of earth in all its might. I’m not gonna spoil anything if he ever narrates the second part but personally I think it’s the better of the two.

That ambassador is going to get a shock if he ever sails on earth...

It seems that the Ambassador is lucky not to see Earth on his Tour. Probably a whoel different Aura there.

I am always filled with pride when we, as Americans, stand tall and proud to show respect for those who have sacrificed all. It is a bittersweet pride, because they don’t get to stand with us any longer as they continue on their eternal patrol.

Indefatigable means “persisting tirelessly” The perfect name for a specter ship

The spirits of loved ones and also pets. Well, comforting really. Ghost ship guarding the first outer system colony. Wonderful!

The memory of the dutiful is never forgotten. May their will be forever entombed in their ship's core.

Friendly was she ? For now, kindly remember what she is. A part of us and of Our Father, a short of bridge.

It's a heartening thought, and a commendable honor, so rarely given those that go before us.

Got me in the feels!

Echos more than ghosts, the mental imprint of the belief gives it form, energy and personality, so... Warp but without the chaos deities, and you can be quite certain that there are a lot of ghosts in the closet as the memory of the past is what gives us a future

Need more ghost stories like this one

Damn, that last sentence made me start tearing up.

The faithful old dogs, still watching and protecting their humans.

This story reminded me of a scifi story/song about Dawson’s Christian, the ghost starship

Humans may not be able to see them, but on an instinctual level we can still feel and perceive them.

Oh goody! There _IS_ a Part 2! And it's actually BETTER than this one!

A ship is never destroyed, just missing in action

Well done! A bit of a choke up on that one. Clever tale and my thanks.

Still honored and remembered.

In another story they found a human ship hulk and the captain's spirit had yet to pass on, it took a human made robot to pit the ship to rest

In the darkest times of strife we learn we’re spirits not animals that there’s something in time and space as well as beyond, that weather we like it or not spells duty.

it was so worth the 2hours searching spree, for this special story. that i couldn´t even clearly remember. May, the UNSS Indefatigable. Patrol the Space until the end of time. So she also my rest in peace, knowing she did all she could to protect the others. Form all the unseen dangers of Space. May it be Spectral, or Physical. Let us pay respect. For a ship that, Never stoppt to Protect, Never stoppt to Fight. And never Dying.

Wait until that alien comes to earth and discovers all the "lost eternal patrols"

Yep. The Eternal Patrol is everywhere. Would a ghost watcher see phantom armies on both sides in a battle, fighting on 'til the engagement is settled?

This story choked me up quite a bit. And No, those are not tears.

Thanks for the narration! For the algorithm!

Check out Sacred Cow Shipyards, a segment titled "A Slow Night At An Air Force Base".

Thanks for the story 🙂☺️😊

I want to see these aliens go to places like mount marmolada, it’s where ‘White Friday’ happened during ww1 and I’m not sure if they were removed or not but there should still be corpses there, soldiers and their guns in their trenches, frozen in a eternal standoff buried under the ice and snow What would the xenos see? Or what would they see if they went to a concentration camp?… places of nothing but death and suffering, or Warsaw, where people say you can still hear the screams… where you can still smell the sweet smell of burning corpses in the air where it snowed ash Or the ‘hot gates’ of Thermopylae, where the Spartans made a glorious stand immortalized in history Or even mount Olympus, the mountain of the Greek pantheon

Sounds more like a tulpa than a ghost.

Even in death duty does not end

Humans: “Hey Death I ain’t no Bitch! Give me another Mission! We got People to Protect, and unlives to Live!”

I wonder how they would feel about Phantom Watchstanders

this made my eyes water...ffs

Whan Death cannot defeat your loyalty and determination, and your people know it.😂😂

So dead but not forgotten. Take heed if you wish us harm.

One must wonder what might happen if the Sythons with their gift toured Earth's many battlefields. And Now i wonder. If the Spirits of all these fine vessels ever had the power to manifest, to become physical if only for a short time, would they be considered Ghost Ships or hailed as proof that their mighty spirits never truly vanish, but sail the stars beside their ever faithful and caring creators?

for the author(s)! for the algorithm! for the disembodied voice! for the emperor!

For the Algorithm, for the Author(s), for the Disembodied Voice!

Greetings Mentelgent! For the Rhyhtm that is Algo Every Loyal and Vigilant

humans understand better then they know

I was expecting them go somewhere like Moscow or Verdun

keeper going

Right in the feelings

For the Algorithm the story and the voice

I adore the ghost stories

Now imagine ya boi encountering an Enterprise.

So what is ghist of Bizmark look like....

Those Aliens are nice, but i bet they would be surprised at how much spirit, spectres, Youkai, youmu and such we humans make in our life time Life humans tend to name our favorite items, toys, tools, and stuff heck japan is called the land that births a million gods because of that

For the Algorithm11!

mm..... first ,extremely nice that the ship and crew where given honorary eternal patrol not for having destroyed an alien armada or such but for the low glory 'daily' things such as supply runs and nocking space rocks away.. and now remember alien ,this is a specter forged from a ship and crew only infused with just the general thoughts of gratitude for exemplary service in duties that where 'dull'... now try go to war with the humans.... and learn what will awaken as billions of them not just cries out wishing that old prides could scorch your fleets ,but that they could rise as wardens of the whole world...not just for their sake , but the wilderness sake to... ancient dreadnoughts through time will be born as spirits of thousands crews memories channels those desires for the reborn massive spirit to awaken and raise a reflection of its 'body' in life from cold graves ...reforged for space war... or if so ancient its only its name and history that remained , the slumbering thoughts of entire lost cultures collective memory will manifest to into the titans they where named in honour of in their tales... as specters of Bismark , Hood , yamato and countless others rain spectral hel fire upon advancing alien fleets , so would the Titans of destruction eagerly drink the rage of them... and follow ,having the feathered serpent , jourgmundir , aphopis among others twist and turn their titanic spectral bodies and rip entire moons to pieces... swallow carriers whole...

Imagen them going to erth and walking around

it's some kind of old human tradition I guess

Sounds like necromancy

Ghost ships?... Try coming to Earth... if you want ghost ships.

Hi

Squeeeeeeeee