Edmund Rouisse
Edmund “Ed” Rouisse | U.S. Navy | “Water King” on a Destroyer | World Travel | Life Lessons at 92
Ed Rouisse is from Massachusetts and joined the U.S. Navy largely because of his Uncle Raymond, a WWII Navy veteran who stayed in for 20 years and sold him on the Navy’s mix of “goods and bads”—especially the adventure and travel (as long as you’re not seasick).
Why he joined
Ed had saved enough money for one year of college, but at the time he says there was no work to be had, so he decided it was the right moment to enlist. He emphasizes he never got seasick, even from deep sea fishing—so Navy life felt like a fit.
He also notes repeatedly that he’s 92, so some details are “as far as I can remember.”
Training + assignment
Boot camp: he believes it was Bainbridge, Maryland
Follow-on school: he thinks Great Lakes, about 6 weeks, learning steam systems (because ships then ran on steam)
Ship: assigned to a destroyer (“tin can sailor”), which he remembers as DD-676 (he says “d76,” but he’s clearly pointing to the hull number)
He spent about 36 months aboard that ship, with the rest of his enlistment covering boot camp and school.
The “Water King” job
Ed’s chief initially put him in the engine room doing basics—logging and recording details—until he realized Ed was exceptionally good at making water:
converting seawater to fresh water
keeping enough freshwater for steam production and enough leftover for drinking and cooking
His role became critical because water distribution also affected ship stability:
If too much water sits on one side, the ship lists.
Ed learned to balance tanks so the ship stayed level while still meeting operational needs.
That meant a lot of ladder climbing and valve work, which he liked as “good exercise.” He describes the chief treating him well because he did his job, didn’t complain, and understood how important the job was.
Liberty + Navy life (through Ed’s lens)
He could often go home on weekends when they pulled into Newport, Rhode Island (close enough to Massachusetts).
He describes an era where smoking was common (he estimates ~60%) and cigarettes were extremely cheap by today’s standards.
He points out how normal it was then to smoke in bars, and how being in uniform often meant people didn’t question your age.
He also describes watches and workload:
sometimes 4 on / 4 off when short-handed
often 4 on / 8 off when manning was better
His mindset: set your head right, don’t complain yourself into misery, sleep when you can, eat when you can.
Travel: the adventure was the point
Ed talks about frequent overseas deployments:
Northern Africa “from one end to the other”
Europe (including the British Isles)
“a little bit of Asia”
He says he took tours everywhere, intentionally trying to understand how people lived and how different governments/systems impacted daily life. His takeaway: travel made him appreciate the U.S. more—“heaven compared to some of these places,” in his words.
Discipline, honor, and the “don’t steal” rule
When asked what the military taught him as a man:
discipline
honor
“don’t try to get away with anything”
His strongest lesson—what he wanted to leave to future viewers—was blunt and repeated:
If it doesn’t belong to you, don’t touch it. Don’t ever steal.
He calls stealing from shipmates the fastest way to destroy your reputation and your career, and he gives examples of sailors taking small items (even handkerchiefs) just to pass inspections—until they got caught and faced serious consequences.
Why he didn’t reenlist
Ed says he chose not to reenlist mainly because:
he had a family (married his last year in the Navy)
he didn’t want to be gone for long stretches
he had a job offer lined up
Civilian life: machinist path + Florida
A high school teacher noticed Ed’s precision in wood shop and model airplane building and pushed him into a vocational machine shop track. Ed graduated with that training and used it after the Navy:
He became a machinist and says he fit in immediately—if a job was difficult, they brought it to him.
Florida came quickly after service. His ship had visited Florida 12–15 times, and he fell in love with the climate—especially compared to New England winters. He moved to Clearwater, Florida, and stayed. He mentions:
six children (three boys, three girls)
12 grandkids
none of his kids joined the military
Advice to a 19-year-old considering the military
Ed’s advice is practical:
You have to accept that you can’t do whatever you want anymore—a large part of your life is structured and controlled.
If someone is unsure about how to “survive” in civilian life, he suggests even a short term (he mentions two years) can be valuable for building discipline.
Best “one-line” summary for your archive
A 92-year-old destroyer sailor who became the ship’s “Water King,” traveled the world, and left a simple legacy: discipline, honor, and never steal from your fellow man.