Marked Stories

A Legacy Etched in Salt and Story Walk the streets near Naval Station Norfolk and you’ll see the living legacy of sailor tattoos — anchors, swallows, eagles, and mermaids marking skin like pages of a shared history. These symbols weren’t just decoration; they were storytelling before social media. For generations, sailors used tattoos to remember their journeys, mark survival, or carry love across oceans. Each design spoke without words — courage, loss, adventure, or belongin