Joining the Navy is an adventurous way to see the world, and for some fortunate sailors, that includes a visit to Jane Williamson’s house in Mobile’s Yester Oaks neighborhood. Her beautifully furnished home is inviting enough already, but on the big weekend rolling into Mardi Gras, she takes extra steps to make sure her out-of-town guests feel exceptionally welcome.
Williamson is one of many warmhearted area residents who briefly open their homes to sailors whose ship is docked in Mobile at the peak of the city’s most festive season. Others, like Lynda Combs’ family in Grand Bay, give a small group of Navy personnel a tantalizing taste of Mobile by treating them to a comforting meal in town.
The tradition of having a Navy ship come to Mobile for Mardi Gras goes back many decades, and the accompanying Host-a-Sailor program makes sure they have a plentiful serving of hospitality while they are here. A kind and gracious hostess, Williamson is a natural for it. “I love to cook and bake, and I love to entertain at home,” she says. “I want this to be a very casual, warm, welcoming situation for them.”
The sailors arrive four days before Fat Tuesday for a crash course on our Carnival customs before heading back out to sea on Ash Wednesday. For this unique community outreach mission, the Navy assigns different vessels from year to year depending on where its ships are and where else they might be needed. Sometimes there are last-minute changes, but the designated ship this year, appropriately enough, is expected to be the USS Farragut. It’s a guided-missile destroyer that’s named for the admiral who famously took away the Confederates’ control of Mobile’s port in the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864.
On their time off from their naval duties, the Farragut’s crew of just over 300 should have a busy few days and nights in Mobile. After a lively official welcoming ceremony, many will check out the parades and related festivities. For some sailors, that means socializing with families or attending parties thrown by various businesses, including several law firms. Some will ride in floats and attend balls, and others will make educational visits at area schools, according to Brian Campbell, a retired Navy officer who since 2010 has headed up this annual program for the Mobile Council of the Navy League of the United States.
In turn, crew members will play host to civilians climbing aboard for a closer look at their Navy life. “The ships are open to the public while they’re here, and they do 250 tours — and sometimes as many as 400 tours on any given day — while they’re in port for Mardi Gras,” says Campbell. “The tours are free, and people will get to see what a warship looks like inside and outside and get to talk to sailors who will be showing off their equipment.”
A Mobile native, Campbell got an early interest in the Navy from experiences such as these. As a child, he enjoyed visiting the USS Alabama and the nearby USS Drum, both of which are permanently docked, decommissioned relics from the World War II era. As a teen, he toured ships that visited here during Mardi Gras. He fondly recalls departing Dauphin Island aboard a Coast Guard cutter to catch a ride on a destroyer as it entered Mobile Bay toward its port of call in the Port City.
Campbell went on to reach the rank of lieutenant and serve 28 years on active duty and with the Navy Reserves before retiring in his hometown, getting involved with the Navy League and working as a recruiter for the United States Naval Academy. With such a full-circle life experience, he knows firsthand how the Navy’s presence during Mardi Gras can be tremendously impactful. As the Navy League’s official liaison between the Navy and the community, he encourages the visiting sailors to remain in uniform when they step off the ship. It’s an automatic attention getter, even in a sea of colorful costumes. Revelers are typically quick to offer a friendly greeting to a man or woman in uniform, and their presence in the community could be even more lasting. “Families go up to them and say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ and the sailors will stop and talk with that family and, who knows, that young boy or girl may be motivated to go into the Navy one day,” says Campbell.
For Combs, whose family runs CJ Farms in Grand Bay, a Downtown restaurant is the best place to befriend a small group of sailors and share a quick meal. She knows that at some point they’ll be anxious to race off and explore on their own, so she and her husband, Russell, usually select a site that’s close to the action. They tend to favor Chuck’s Fish on Dauphin Street for the meet-and-greet because of its varied menu and atmosphere. If they can, their daughters Sarah, Jocelyn, Kathryn and Erica will join in on the fun.
“These servicemen and women are a long way from home and a lot of them are very young,” says Combs. “This gives them a sense of family and gets them off that ship and away from the crew for a little bit. It helps them get their minds off what they’re doing day after day.”
Though she wants her guests to feel at ease, Williamson also strives to make them feel special. She breaks out her fine china and crystal glassware for a hearty home-cooked meal that’s been carefully considered. After enjoying Champagne and appetizers in the den, the party will move to her dining room table for a thick, lasagna-like casserole, which is served with wine, green beans and a salad. “I know it’s good and nourishing, and it’s something anybody would like,” she says. “They really go through the fresh green beans because they don’t get fresh vegetables a lot. And the salad is fresh, fresh, fresh.” Dessert, served more casually in the kitchen, consists of a chocolate layer cake and a pound cake. (She makes sure her guests know it’s perfectly acceptable to sample some of each.)
While the food is satisfying, both Williamson and Combs say the conversation with their new acquaintances is another star of the interactions. “The sailors come from all over, of course, and I find that fascinating,” says Williamson. “I will go around the table asking questions: ‘Where are you from? Where is home originally? Why did you happen to join the Navy? What are your duties on the ship?’ Their answers can be very interesting.”
The custom of hosting groups of sailors for dinner or for other social outings is a strong one in Mobile. Though participation dipped significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic, Navy League President Pete Riehm gives Williamson full credit for revitalizing it in recent years. “It had fallen by the wayside, and she brought it back,” he says. For Williamson, the reasons are simple: “It’s important for the city of Mobile, and it’s important for these sailors to know that the people here welcome them and want to do something for them.”
