Incredible artwork by Lyne's Creations

     When an Eastbound ship has crossed the 180th Meridian, or the International Date Line, it is said to have entered The Realm of the Golden Dragon.  Upon crossing this line, you lose a calendar day; hopefully not your birthday as it was Petty Officer 'pumpkinhead's'. (you know who you are!)  Fortunately, on the return trip you get to enjoy the same day twice.  This time is well spent trying to correct the mistakes you made yesterday (or as it is....today again).  Also, this will raise havoc with the accuracy of your journal entries.
        To commemorate the crossing, many sailors follow the old practice of adding a souvenier patch to their dress uniforms.  These are referred to as liberty cuff patches.   These patches are sewn to the inside of the cuff and flipped up while out on liberty.
An example of a Golden Dragon liberty cuff patch can be seen below:

One of the other things that was brought to my attention is the custom embroidery that can be found under the flaps of those who seeked out the cool (unauthorized) designs available in the Far East countries, such as Japan, the Phillipines, Hong Kong and Korea. (Left) is an awesome Golden Dragon done under the flap. (notice the stars)

A special thanks to Cliff Williams for the Golden Dragon patches!

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