So What's a Plankowner, Anyway?

In the days of wooden ships, as well as in today's Navy, the sailors who make up the ship's first crew are called "Plankowners." This comes from the tradition of bestowing upon the commissioning crew a piece of the wooden decking (plank) when the ship was decommissioned.

Even though modern ships are made of steel, the tradition of being a Plankowner continues. Modern Plankowners recieve a symbolic wooden plaque with the ship's crest and commissioning information attached.

Those with the determination and the tenacity can insist that the Navy give them a piece of their ship when the time comes. In recent years, there have been cases of Plankowners of various ships demanding and getting a metal plank from their decommissioned ships.