JMHO Loc: Utah

I ran across this nostalgic piece the other day, and it brought back many memories of my twenty plus years in that canoe club. For you old sailors out there, enjoy.

Where did they go?

They were famous throughout the Navy. The Gut in Barcelona; East Main Street in Norfolk; Flatbush Ave and Sand Street in Brooklyn; ( Fulton & Lafayette ), The Combat Zone in Boston; The Pike in Long Beach; Market Street in San Francisco; Bank Street in New London; Broadway Street in San Diego; Hotel Street in Honolulu; The Honcho in Yokosuka, China Town and Sakuragi-cho in Yokohama; Wanchai in Hong Kong; Buggis Street in Singapore; Sh*t River and Magsaysay in Olongapo; and all the other places where fleet sailors congregated.

People ask, “Where did they go?”

Well shipmate, they didn't go anywhere. You are asking the wrong question. You should ask, “Where did all the fleet sailors go?” Long ago, on payday night and in the nights following, these streets were a paradise to the North American Blue Jacket. A person could look down the street and see neon signs advertising beer and bars and a sea of white hats bobbing up and down as sailors made their way from bar to bar. Remember the nickel snatchers carrying sailors from their moorings in San Diego Bay? At liberty call these became a shopping center for intoxicating beverages and sex. And in some places a PO2 could get that new First Class crow sewn on or that old Third Class crow sewn back on. No need for crows these days. It is all collar and hat devices. These new Navy uniforms (that look like camouf**ge water) are the dumbest looking uniforms I have ever seen...13-button bell bottom dress blues were the best looking uniforms for enlisted, and dress Khaki was the best looking uniform for chiefs and officers. And, dungarees for work (Khaki for chiefs and officers). Also, I was never a fan of the piss-cutter hat...looked stupid. Hell, I don't see much need for dress canvas these days. The only time I see it worn is when a ship is leaving or returning from a deployment.

With all the straight sailors and females, the gays and lesbians and “don't knows” aboard these days, I figure sailors are shopping for sex closer to home.

The smoking lamp is cold and probably over the side or being saved for recycling or Mary Soo in Hong Kong. I can tell you a Mary Soo story that I experienced myself during a port visit in Hong Kong, if one is interested. Instead of trading useless gear to Mary Soo for painting the ship, the Navy now recycles and lets a multi-thousand dollar contract to get the job done.

Smoking is now frowned upon. Surface ships limit smoking to a tiny, uncomfortable topside space. My shipmates in the Bubble Head world can no longer smoke anyplace aboard the boat. Municipalities and states have also jumped on the bandwagon and banned smoking in bars and restaurants. Drive past any bar or lounge and you will see a group standing on the corner smoking and no, they cannot bring their drinks outside. It is against the law to drink in public. Drinkers are now pariahs in our modern Navy.

The clubs are closed. They no longer exist or have been converted to MWR game rooms where the strongest drink available is a lousy Red Bull.

Quarterdecks of ships, in addition to a podium, log books, long glass, and weapon are now equipped with a Breathalyzer and probably a watch stander to operate it.

Many commands are requiring that sailors refrain from drinking the day prior to a duty day.

Back in the day, a sailor ashore knew that his shipmates had his back. Whether in a confrontation with a sailor from another ship, marines, or Limeys, he knew his shipmates would stand with him.

Too much to drink? A shipmate would help you back aboard and even help you to your rack. You would do the same for him. These days, you are assigned a “Liberty Buddy.” You are to stay together and, I guess, keep each other from drinking or smoking.

With the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, I guess a dalliance with a “Rump Ranger” would be okay. But, before you go ashore, you have to formulate a “Liberty Plan” and get it approved by your Department/Division Liberty Coordinator. If during your liberty, you or your Liberty Buddy change your plan, you must contact your Liberty Coordinator and get the change approved.

I surmise that, “I'll be in the Barrio some place getting screwed.” Would not be an acceptable liberty plan. Always worked for me!

They were more than streets and bars. First and foremost, they were the repositories of small bits and pieces of the history of America's forces afloat. They were the unofficial clubhouses of those of us who went to sea on old gray steel under the f**g of the United States.

They were places where a thirsty bluejacket could go and park his butt here sailors of earlier fleets had parked theirs.

They were the poor man's Valhalla, where lads who plowed deep salt water could go and share fellowship and sea stories with fellow practitioners of the nautical arts… A place where well-intentioned exaggeration and bulls**t-gilded flawed recollection were readily forgiven and accepted.

They were places where lonely strays could tie up alongside a warm feminine fanny on a cold night… For a few bucks, and sometimes love.

Where did the streets and the bars go you ask?

Where the hell did the real sailors go?

WestPacs must be awful boring in today's Navy...I would never make it.

harleyusa

They went out with pc systems that control our. Military now. Bunch of asskissing scumbags telling people how to live ,

JetJock Loc: Texas

As an ole white hatter my self, this brought back many memories.

You are right, would not be fun any more.

:-( :-( :-(

MrEd Loc: Georgia

Would not be fun???? Hell, it's not even the military anymore. I don't think I could stand being in the military these days.

Ve'hoe

The "Marmont Club" and "Johnnie O's",,,Olongopo PI,,,, nuff said,,, there,,,

bmac32 Loc: West Florida

Have thought about WestPac several times over the years, Olongapo with s**t river but mostly about Subic City and what might be left. Did 18 months between there and Nam, 3 PI-6 Nam, 3 PI-6 Nam, 3Pi-6 Nam. Spent 90% of my time in Subic City doing basically nothing.

I remember the ride from Clark Air Force base to Cubi Point, what a ride. All roads were one lane so if you were in smaller vehicle you pulled over, never saw a head on here so I just the jeepney drivers knew better.

Still miss the place!

ghostgotcha Loc: The Florida swamps

While I have visited most of those ports of call, I remember little.

You see I and my team would jump into so many places on the spur of a moment, while on the way to somewhere else, that we hardly had time to spit on the sidewalk, let alone get into trouble.

T***h be known. If we even made a splash on land and got noticed by just about anyone, then we were up for a CAPTAIN'S MAST and no barnacle incrusted frog-man would want that on his sleeve.

But oh, the stories I heard... The one good part was I did not get (or allowed) a tattoo, which so many others regret to this day.

Subic Bay has a warm spot in my heart. Her name was......

The The Navy Exchange was super, and I received my first degree from the University of Philippians Manila.

Good times were had by all -- and I was young back then.

Ve'hoe

YEAH,,, Olongopo is a great place to do "nothing" sometimes nothing can be damned fun........

Ve'hoe

Yep,,,, but got to be careful spending too much time in olongopo,,, it ruins you for the real world,,,especially when you begin to confuse the real world with olongopo...

bmac32 Loc: West Florida

Opo was too much trouble that's why we lived out in Subic City. Not nearly as many anything bars, girls, girls, girls. The only time we went there was going back to base to be t***sferred back to Nam.

JMHO Loc: Utah

I can remember when San Miguel beer was a nickel a bottle. My liver filtered a lot of it.

JMHO Loc: Utah

During my 22-year Navy stint, I never got a tattoo...didn't want something permanently inked on me. Plus, when I was in, it was against the rules...guys still got them though.

Subic Bay had a great exchange complex. I bought a lot of westpac purchases in that exchange. The "O" club out at Cubi Point was a pretty good club.

I spent several upkeep periods, on four different ships, in Subic Bay.

JMHO Loc: Utah

Yokosuka Japan was a great liberty port in the early 60s, when it was 360 yen to the dollar. I remember Fiddler's Green in Sasebo Japan, when we were pulled out of port and sent to Korea when the North Koreans took the Pueblo. Hong Kong had some of the best restaurants, and some good British bars (the Bull & Bear comes to mind). Singapore was probably the cleanest city I've ever been in, of course it was a $500 fine for littering at the time, and all crew members were now Shellbacks. I remember villages 1, 2 and 3 in Okinawa. Then there was Keelung City Taiwan, a great place to buy knock-offs. Pusan, Korea was a great place to shop...bought 10 pairs of Nike and Rebok tennis shoes in graduated sizes for my son (age 10 at the time), at about $3-4 a pair. Itaewon shopping district in Seoul was good also. And, then my most favorite westpac port was Sydney Australia...my, oh, my the memories....

bmac32 Loc: West Florida

3 line I hope?

bmac32 Loc: West Florida

Yep no tattoo's. I remember as a kid my friends day had one and every summer when it was humid I remember him crying because it hurt so bad. He was a big man 6 4-6 5 so I decided right then, never. In those days it was real ink.

Got a sun burn once out on a mineX, chief wanted me written up but the gunner said NO.