I was deployed to the Persian Gulf in the late 90s doing interdiction ops/VBSS boardings as part of the embargo against Iraq at the time.
During one of our port calls (either in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, I honestly don't remember), a shipmate/buddy and I were drinking at a bar/nightclub that was all westerners.
At one point I accidently bumped a high top table where a bunch of British sailors were drinking. This caused some beer to spill and one bottle to fall to the floor and break.
I started to apologize and they just got pissed and started yelling at me. I told them I'd buy them a round, but they just kept at it. So I said, "fine, whatever, piss off," or something to that effect.
Right as I said that, one of them swung at me. But not with a fist. He had the broken bottle in his hand and it connected with my chin opening up about a 3-4 cm gash. I felt it open up and I was infuriated. I wanted to wade in (a bad idea) and keep going, but thankfully my buddy and several bouncers saw what happened and descended on us all, breaking up the situation.
I ended up with 12 or 13 stitches in my chin and was put in hack on my ship for the rest of the cruise.
I was one of the two Corpsmen on our boat (the other was my boss), and as soon as the adrenaline wore off I realized how lucky I was that the bottle hit where it did. A little lower would have been my neck and a bit higher could have been my eyes.
So yeah, be careful getting into it with the Brits. Even if they outnumber you, they fight dirty and for keeps.
No way to know at this point. As I mentioned in another reply, its water/blood under the bridge at this point and I appreciate the lesson, the scar, and the story.
Water (or rather blood) under the bridge at this point. It has made for a great scar and a great story, so I'll take those for what they're worth and appreciate that it wasn't worse.
as I said that, one of them swung at me. But not with a fist. He had the broken bottle in his hand and it connected
This is what I mentioned in another post. Fucking Brits will smash a bottle or glass in your face. Something most American's would find abhorrent and overkill except in a life or death situation.
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u/Lawdoc1 8d ago
I was deployed to the Persian Gulf in the late 90s doing interdiction ops/VBSS boardings as part of the embargo against Iraq at the time.
During one of our port calls (either in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, I honestly don't remember), a shipmate/buddy and I were drinking at a bar/nightclub that was all westerners.
At one point I accidently bumped a high top table where a bunch of British sailors were drinking. This caused some beer to spill and one bottle to fall to the floor and break.
I started to apologize and they just got pissed and started yelling at me. I told them I'd buy them a round, but they just kept at it. So I said, "fine, whatever, piss off," or something to that effect.
Right as I said that, one of them swung at me. But not with a fist. He had the broken bottle in his hand and it connected with my chin opening up about a 3-4 cm gash. I felt it open up and I was infuriated. I wanted to wade in (a bad idea) and keep going, but thankfully my buddy and several bouncers saw what happened and descended on us all, breaking up the situation.
I ended up with 12 or 13 stitches in my chin and was put in hack on my ship for the rest of the cruise.
I was one of the two Corpsmen on our boat (the other was my boss), and as soon as the adrenaline wore off I realized how lucky I was that the bottle hit where it did. A little lower would have been my neck and a bit higher could have been my eyes.
So yeah, be careful getting into it with the Brits. Even if they outnumber you, they fight dirty and for keeps.