Sailors aboard the escort carrier USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80) take part in the time-honored 'Crossing the Line' ceremony, initiating first-time equator crossers into the 'Order of the Shellback.' Costumed as members of King Neptune's royal court - including a 'Royal Doctor' and 'Royal Nurse' - crewmen administer good-natured ordeals, a tradition that provided welcome levity during the long Pacific deployments of World War II. Project: 218428