you flew into norfolk after graduating from the atd , a kind of advanced basic where you marched around the base and sat in hot steamy classrooms and tried to stay awake while old chiefs rambled on about capstans and pulleys and boats and painting , and told sea stories about guys getting cut in half by snapping lines , and going out in to chicago one night riding the trains into the city and wandering around looking at the people who were looking at you , and sitting in diner and eating your first meal without someone screaming at you to chow down and get your ass in muster and then going up to the counter and having the owner tell you that someone had already paid for your meal .