Okinawa Memories

[Oxmix]

Okinawa Memories
I have been asked to write about my memories of Okinawa in the 1960’s. I will start by saying that my time on Okinawa was in the years 1968 and 1969. I will also say that my time on Okinawa was too short.
I was assigned to the 44th Ordnance 30th Artillery Brigade in Sukiran. I was a 22G20, Like Hercules Launcher Repairman. My rank was Specialist 4th Class, Spec 4 as we use to call it.
Nike Hercules Launcher
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/NikeLauncher.jpg
30th Arty Patch
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/30thArtyPatch.gif
After a bus ride from the Oakland Army Terminal to Travis AFB we boarded a Flying Tiger DC8 for a rather turbulent flight to Okinawa.
Our Plane.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/FlashGordonsRocketShip.jpg
Our first stop on the journey was Anchorage, Alaska. Our departure from Anchorage was nothing less than spectacular. I knew we were possibly in trouble when I saw the yellow lines at the end of the runway and we hadn’t started to lift off yet. The next thing I saw was dirt and the plane shuttered and became airborne, much to my relief. Our next stop was Yakota, Japan. After a short lay over we were again airborne. we hadn’t been up very long when the pilot announced over the intercom that our next stop would be DaNang, South Vietnam. GREAT!!!, I said to myself, “SAM” has changed my orders. A few minutes later the pilot again come on over the intercom and announced that there was a correction and we would be landing at Kadena AFB Okinawa as originally planned.
Kadena AFB
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/KadenaAFB.jpg
The first thing I noticed when I arrived on Okinawa was the heat and humidity. I was no stranger to heat as I had just come from McGregor Range in New Mexico north of El Paso, Texas.
McGregor Range
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/McGregorRange.jpg
I was amazed that I could take a shower, dry off and by the time I walked back to my bunk I was just a wet as I was when I go out of the shower. At least at McGregor we had air conditioning in the barracks, but not here. What we had was 4 large fans per bay. I found it was easiest to dress if I would drag a fan over to my area and turned it on myself. It was also common that when we came into the barracks at night to go to sleep we would move a fan so that it would blow on our bunk so we could get to sleep. I always looked forward to jumping into a bunk that was wet with sweat. LOL. The only good thing was, each month we turned our soggy mattresses in for a nice new dry one. We had mosquito netting on our bunks to be used any time the mosquitos were really bad. The only problem with the netting was that you would probably die from heat stroke if you used it. It was better to become anemic letting the mosquito’s feast on you all night.
Inside barracks. I'm on the left.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MyselfBillDeiters44thOrd.jpg
My first venture off the post was to a place call Moon Beach for an afternoon of swimming and fun with a few of the likewise new arrivals to the 44th. After our swim we decided to go exploring walking a climbing on the rocks along the ocean.
That evening a few of us decided to go into Koza and visit the bars on BC and Gate 2 Streets. This would be the last time with the exception of a very few times that I would ever go into town with anyone.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/KozaNightLife.jpg
I was no strange to bar districts after having spent time in Juarez, Mexico.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/JuarezTaxiDrivers.jpg
Juarez can be a bit tricky and if you weren’t street smart you could easily find yourself in a Juarez jail. BC and Gate 2 Street’s were like pussy cats in comparison to Juarez. Very rarely did I ever feel unsafe anywhere on Okinawa.
The first Okinawa bar we went to was the GoGo. The GoGo was on a side street just off of Gate 2 Street towards BC Street. The walls were painted with paisley type designs which glowed with the black lights shining on them. We were immediately greeted by 2 bar girls, Deko and Junko. Deko was absolutely stunning. To this day I’m not sure that I have ever seen anyone as beautiful as she and here she was sitting with me. Deko had a beautiful tattoo on her left arm. The Tattoo was a rose with a winding stem that wrapped itself around the blade of a dagger that pierced it with a drop of blood at the tip of the dagger. I wanted a tattoo like that one. I talked to other Okinawa’s about were I could get a tattoo and that I wanted one just like the one I described. They talked me out of getting the tattoo telling me that I would most likely get an infection. I later learned the real reason why they talked me out of the tattoo. That tattoo was a gang tattoo.
In early 1969 there were gang wars on Okinawa. I noticed a lot of people with bandages on their arms or legs. I asked around and found out that the bandages were covering gang tattoos and former gang members that didn’t want to get caught up in the gang wars were covering their tattoos. One night I thought, why not walk back to Sukiran form BC Street. Well I got just about to the Piccadilly Theater when I saw a bunch of Okinawa youths fighting each other. I wasn’t sure if I dared to keep walking or not, so I hailed a taxi and rode back.
The girl sitting across from me, Junko, was also a pretty girl although she did not have the perfect body like Deko. When ever I would stop into the GoGo Junko would come up and sit beside me at the bar. She never asked me nor would she ever acccept my offer to buy her a drink, all she wanted was set and talk to me. About a week before I was to leave Okinawa and separate from the Army I stopped into the GoGo, sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. From behind I suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around me and Junko’s cheek press against my cheek. She said to me “I’m very sad. Would you do me a favor? I know you are leaving soon. Would you go and get a large duffle bag and take me with you”. I told her that would be nice and I would if I could but unfortunately I couldn’t do that. The best that I could do was wined and dine her my last night on Okinawa and say good bye. I have never seen her since. I have thought about her from time to time and hope that she has had a good life.

Regards

Ox

[Muku]

I love the airplane you flew over on. :D:D

Thank you very much for sharing, plus the pictures as well. I really hope that others will join in and share their memories here too.

Thanks again I enjoyed reading that very much.

[Oxmix]

Thank you very much. I appreciate that. More stories to follow as time permits.

Regards

Ox

[antonio gonzalez]

I left travis afb on friday,first stop was hickam afb,hawaii, then stopped in wake island,they off loaded everyone,a lady was in charge,sheook us the chow hall for the first GOOD MEAL since travis.From wake we went to Tokyo, then kadena .nobody explained to that would loose a day,Could not figure out whatever happened to DUNDAY!!! The Flying Tiger, what a long ride!!!! about 36 hrs. long!!!!

[Oxmix]

I left travis afb on friday,first stop was hickam afb,hawaii, then stopped in wake island,they off loaded everyone,a lady was in charge,sheook us the chow hall for the first GOOD MEAL since travis.From wake we went to Tokyo, then kadena .nobody explained to that would loose a day,Could not figure out whatever happened to DUNDAY!!! The Flying Tiger, what a long ride!!!! about 36 hrs. long!!!!

We took the northern route over and the southern route back, like you stopping at Wake Island and Honolulu then San Francisco. We left Okinawa at 11:00PM and we arrived back in the States at 11:00PM the same day. Now that's quick.
The ride over was very turbulent. It was like riding a roller coaster. The plane even rattled. It sounded just like rattling noise that the B17's on the series 12:00 High made when they were taking flak. I thought for sure the plane was going to break up for sure. :scared: The flight back was smooth as glass.:)

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Okinawa Memories

On My Own

After going into town with a group I decided I didn’t want any of that and I made the decision to go it on my own. Now, where to go?
BC Street seemed like a good place to start. So many bars, where do I begin? I decided to start at one end of BC St. and work my way down, bar by bar and see what each bar had to offer. I most cases it was a quick look inside then off to the next bar making mental notes as to what I had seen. After a while I had an idea which bars I liked and which ones I disliked. I disliked over crowded bars. I liked bars with bands. There were bars with bands or floor shows, or just quite watering holes. I happened to find one of those quiet watering holes, a bar called Kinbasha.
The bar Kinbasha was almost across the street from the New York Restaurant. Getting to the Kinbasha meant climbing a steep set of stairs. It was a small bar with a juke box on a side street. As I entered the bar for the first time I was greeted with the familiar Hi Dozo. Mama san and a young half Okinawan/American girl, Dena, were behind the bar. Sitting on a stool at the bar was a girl, Junko. The bar was a family business. Mama san was the owner. Junko was her niece and Dena was mama san's daughter by an American service man during the Korean War.
A young Okinawa man, Charlie, came up the stairs and immediately started telling us about a stabbing he had seen. Evidently some Okinawan and Americans got into a fight and one of the Okinawans had a knife and cut up an American quite badly. Charlie was the door boy for the Club Cannon around the corner. Later, Charlie, Nakamoto, and I became good friends.
The Kinbasha felt right and became my watering hole. Junko and I became close. The Kinbasha was never crowded which was nice because I could spend more time with Junko. Most of those who stopped in stopped for one drink and were on their way. Sometimes Junko would get them to buy her a drink. I’d do small things to help out. One time I was tasked with doing the hand lettering on the match boxes. The Kinbasha was a small budget operation, they didn’t have their match boxes printed up.
One night a GI with a cast on one leg from his toes to his hip and crutches somehow made it up the stairs. His name was Tom and he was from PA. Tom had almost lost his leg to a mortar round in Vietnam and was convalescing on Okinawa until he was well enough to go home or go back to Vietnam. Tom became a regular and was good company. I saw Tom go from his cast to no cast and crutches to no crutches and a cane, Tom was ready to go home. After went home Junko and I spent more time together. One night a Marine Corps sniper stopped into Kinbasha one night. This guy was big, about 6’3” and 220 pounds of solid muscle. We talked for a couple hours. This guy was in emotional pain. He had started taking his kills personally. He questioned his value as a human being. He told me that after a kill he would think about his victims family, did he have a wife and children, mother and father, sisters and brothers. At the end of our conversation he thanked me for listening to him spill his emotions, then he said “I’m gonna go out and get in a fight.” I don’t know if he got in that fight or not, but I do know I wouldn’t want to be the fellow he got in a fight with.
It was my 22nd birthday so as usual I headed for the Kinbasha to celebrate. What happened when I got to the Kinbasha floored me. Junko threw a birthday party for me, cake, presents and all. I don’t remember ever telling her when my birthday was, but I must have.
Nothing good lasts forever. One night Junko and I were having a private diner at a restaurant on Moromi Street. I felt the time was right, so I popped the question to Junko. She said no. I was hurt and made the decision not to see her anymore.
About a month later Junko came by my new watering hole, the Club Cannon. She asked Charlie to get me. I came outside to find her with tears running down her cheeks. She wanted to get back together. I asked her to come into the Cannon for a drink. She wasn’t sure if it was alright for her to go into the Cannon. I assured her that as long as she was with me that it was okay. We talked about our feelings for each other and I again asked her to marry me. She said she loved me but couldn’t marry me. I never saw her again.
I did stop by her Aunt’s restaurant just before I left for the States hoping to see her just one more time, kiss her one more time and say good bye. She wasn’t there so I entrusted my good bye to a restaurant employee hoping she would get it.

Regards

Ox

[kilo_four-six]

Oxmix you need to write a book too...this is great stuff..unless you are really EC incognito...?? :ohmy:

[Oxmix]

Thanks Kilo. Do they publish short stories?

Regards

Ox

[Asshat]

Antonio and Ox, Thank you for your stories. I arrived here in the late 70's and haven't left. Cannon Club was still going, and BC street...well, it is unfortunate what has happened there, but no worse than what has happened to Gate 2.

I chuckled when I read about Charlie and Junko, because I think all of us who have been here awhile knew a Charlie and a Junko.

My Junko was the woman I met my first night on Okinawa. I gave her most of my smokes which she stashed in a hanging plant and spent my whole paycheck and traveling funds on her because I was deeply in love after about an hour. It only took me three more years to realize the girls were working. :)

[Muku]

Oxmix you need to write a book too...this is great stuff..unless you are really EC incognito...?? :ohmy:
I agree as well.:D

Omix could I ask one favor, and this is not meant with any disrespect at all, it would just help us to read it more easily if you would use more paragraphs instead of on wall of text. It is difficult to read. :)

Tha subject matter is great, and I am sure that guys that have been here can relate to your story and experiences with Junko, many have their own Junko too.:D

I am looking forward to your next installment.

[ryukyuboi]

My first journey to Okinawa in 1957 was on a Navy ship. It took 2 weeks to cross the Pacific Ocean. I remember encountering a typhoon on the way.

[Oxmix]

Omix could I ask one favor, and this is not meant with any disrespect at all, it would just help us to read it more easily if you would use more paragraphs instead of on wall of text. It is difficult to read. :)

Sorry, I never was any good in English composition.

Regards

Ox

[Cathleen_38]

Sueko-san,
I have tried to contact you. Your address: (len-len.sueko.@softbank.ne.jp) doesn't work. if you can get a hotmail or yahoo
account you can chat with me as much you like.
My email address is: cacass@hotmail.com or ibanezrocker35@yahoo.com
I'll tell my other information later such as my mailing address and phone number so you can call me alright?
Please email me soon and I'll get in touch with you.
Your Friend,
Cathleen A. Cassidy

[Oxmix]

The Cannon

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MatchBookClubCannon.jpg


After Junko and I broke up I settled into the Cannon Club just around the corner.

The Cannon had an okay band and the bar girls would leave me alone. I use to sit at the bar, order my large Orion, light up a Lucky and settle in. Reiko and Iwako were the two bartenders. Reiko was the more talkative of the two. Most of my time was spent listening to the band and talking to Reiko and Iwako. I knew most of the bar girls, Mari, Sachiko, Teri, Kyoko.
On occasion I would stop at the commissary and buy some canned fruit to take with me to the Cannon. At the Cannon I would break out my P38 and open up the cans of fruit. Reiko would take the fruit and put it in glasses. There was a glass for each of the girls in the bar. All I had to do was say the word and all of the girls were at the bar eating fruit much to the dismay of the guys they were sitting with in the booths.

At some point in the evening I would leave the Cannon and cross the street to the New York Restaurant. For a large ice tea and on occasion something to eat. Sometimes I would stop next door at the popcorn stand and buy a large bag of buttered popcorn and divi it up among the waitresses at the New York. There was one waitress that wouldn’t take my offering of popcorn. All she would ever do was grunt and turn her head when I would talk to her, so I named her Stuck Up. I made it a point to have her as my personal waitress. One night I was sitting at the counter and called Stuck Up over to take my order. While I was waiting for my order I was watching some bugs that were on the counter and called her over at which point I said to her “Are those your bugs or mine?”
She put on an angry face then started to laugh. After that for some reason she would talk to me. Go figure.
One night I stopped into the New York hungry for a ham and egg sandwich. Well, ham and egg sandwiches were not on the menu. I told Stuck Up how to make the sandwich and she asked the cook to make me one. The cook wasn’t really sure how to make it so he asked me to come into the kitchen and teach him how to make it. After that night, ham and egg sandwiches were on the menu. I’m curious. If any of you happen by the New York and see if ham and egg sandwich is on the menu. Also, see if there is a 60 ish waitress that grunts and turns her head when you talk to her.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/NewYorkResturantd-1.jpg

The Cannon was always my first stop. There was a bar across the street called Mid Town, Midnight or something like that. Any way, they had a band there that did an excellent job playing Ina Godda Da Vida by the Iron Butterfly and Magic Carpet Ride by Steppen Wolf. Down the street was a 2nd floor bar with another good band with an absolutely drop dead gorgeous singer. She wore tight fitting sequenced dresses and had a voice a beautiful as she was. I found out later that she was only 16 years old and didn’t speak English, yet when she sang her pronunciation was perfect.

If BC Street stayed open all nigh, I would have stayed there all night. As it was BC Street rolled up the sidewalks at midnight.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Gate 2 Street

Not all of my time was spent on BC Street. After the BC Street bars closed I would walk the dark side streets to Gate 2 Street. The nice thing about Gate 2 Street was that it never really closed.

Door boys were out on the street looking for potential customers to whisk into a bar when the coast was clear of police. Some of the bars were packed full, some were not. Some offered floor shows but most had only a juke box and friendly girls to help you pass the time and your money away.

Occasionally the bars were raided by the police. When the bar was about to be raided you were whisked out a rear door. Sometimes a bar employee would guide you back to Gate 2 Street, sometimes not and you were left on your own to figure out how to get back to Gate 2 Street.

One of my favorite Gate 2 Street bars was the Roaring 20’s. I liked a few things about the Roaring 20’s. The band played “The Doors” music, which I loved and I could buy an Orion curl up in a booth and catch a few zzz’s without being interrupted.

Across the street form the Roaring 20’s was a bar that after hours had a rather elaborate way of getting inside. The first thing you had to do was climb a fire escape on an adjoining building. Once on the roof you had to jump from that building to the adjoining building go through a doorway down a hallway and you were in the bar.

Besides the bars, there were other things I could do to keep myself busy until the busses started running again a 6 am.

Every Saturday night I would stand outside the bar Texas and wait. It seemed that at about 1:00 the old west style bar doors would swing open as the result of a bar fight, with the fight finishing in the street. Kinda like in the movies.

Sometimes to help pass the time I would strike up a conversation with one particular street prostitute. I wasn’t after her services and had an arrangement with her to walk away if anyone got within a certain distance of her. It helped both of us pass away the time. Funny, every time I saw her she had a different name.

Another thing that I would do was to go to one of the "hotels" that was still open at 2 or 3 in the morning. The girls were usually sitting around playing cards. I’d give one of the girls some money to go out and get us something to eat and buy some Orion beer and then I would join them in playing cards. The card games were penny anti, and the rules were constantly changed so that I never won. Later one of the girls and I would spend the remainder of the night in her room.

In E.A. Coopers book B.C. Street, E.A. mentions an over the hill street prostitute that tries to unsuccessfully hustle Cole. I happened to meet a girl just like that. This lady would not take no for an answer. She was a character. Here is her story as she told it to me.

She was 35 years old. Five years previous she had been engaged to an American. One night they were out driving and got into a terrible auto accident. Her fiancé was killed and she almost died in the accident. I didn’t doubt her story, her face and body looked like she had been in a war, lots of scars. If her face was once beautiful it wasn’t now. She was honest and frank, which I respected. Because of the auto accident she would never be able to have children. She had no family and had to turn to prostitution to live. She wanted someone to take her to America. She told me that if I would take her to America she would be mine forever and serve my every need. I told her I wasn’t the one she was looking for. She kept trying.

From time to time when I was on Gate 2 Street in the wee hours of the morning and she would see me, she would drag me off to her place, buy me some beer and service my needs. I wonder if she ever made it to America.

One night I’m walking down Gate 2 Street when I see an American and Okinawan starting to fight. It started out with just the 2 combatants, then, more people started piling on. Suddenly I felt myself being slammed into a doorway. I thought that I had just become an unwilling participant of the fight. Fortunately that was not the case. An Okinawan friend had seen the fight and saw me, and to keep me from being dragged into the fight she pushed me into a doorway. This gal was my best friend’s girlfriend. She was with a group of Okinawans and was on her way to buy some food when she saw me. She and her friends were then going back to her place to eat. She wanted to know where her boyfriend was. I told her that he was at his place and considering the time, he was most likely asleep. She wanted me to take her to see her boyfriend. She obviously had had too much to drink. She insisted that I come with her and her friends back to her place for something to eat.

There were 2 cars parked at the curb and she told me to get into the one with the open door. I expected her to get in, but she didn’t. The car took off and there I was in a car with a bunch of people that I didn’t know heading down unfamiliar dark neighborhood streets. I wasn’t very comfortable with this arrangement. The car stopped in the middle of an intersection and I was told to get out. The car sped away and there I was standing in the middle of an intersection in total darkness except for the stars in the sky. I didn’t have any idea where I was and figured that I would have to wait till sunlight to get my bearings. I suddenly saw headlights a block away and I started walking towards the headlights as the car pulled over to park in front of a small apartment building. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my friends girl friend exit the car. She saw me walking towards her and motioned for me to come and come into her place.

Inside her place, people were already starting to prepare the meal. We all sat around the table and with chop sticks dished food from a large bowl in the center of the table into our small bowls. The meal was really quite good. Much better than Army chow. Again she kept after me to take her to her boyfriends place until I finally relented.


For me there was never a dull moment on Gate 2 Street or B.C. Street. The guys in the barracks use to think that I was crazy to go into town and spend the night walking the streets by myself. They thought for sure that at some point I was going to be killed.

As a side note.
My friend married his girlfriend in 1970. I was instrumental in their meeting. Because my friend was under 21 years of age, parental permission was needed before he could marry. I convinced his parents that his girl was truly in love with their son and not looking for a plane ride to the States. They are still married and have 5 children. We are still the best of friends.

Regards

Ox

[eacooper]

Gate 2 Street

Not all of my time was spent on BC Street. After the BC Street bars closed I would walk the dark side streets to Gate 2 Street. The nice thing about Gate 2 Street was that it never really closed.

Door boys were out on the street looking for potential customers to whisk into a bar when the coast was clear of police. Some of the bars were packed full, some were not. Some offered floor shows but most had only a juke box and friendly girls to help you pass the time and your money away.

Occasionally the bars were raided by the police. When the bar was about to be raided you were whisked out a rear door. Sometimes a bar employee would guide you back to Gate 2 Street, sometimes not and you were left on your own to figure out how to get back to Gate 2 Street.

One of my favorite Gate 2 Street bars was the Roaring 20’s. I liked a few things about the Roaring 20’s. The band played “The Doors” music, which I loved and I could buy an Orion curl up in a booth and catch a few zzz’s without being interrupted.

Across the street form the Roaring 20’s was a bar that after hours had a rather elaborate way of getting inside. The first thing you had to do was climb a fire escape on an adjoining building. Once on the roof you had to jump from that building to the adjoining building go through a doorway down a hallway and you were in the bar.

Besides the bars, there were other things I could do to keep myself busy until the busses started running again a 6 am.

Every Saturday night I would stand outside the bar Texas and wait. It seemed that at about 1:00 the old west style bar doors would swing open as the result of a bar fight, with the fight finishing in the street. Kinda like in the movies.

Sometimes to help pass the time I would strike up a conversation with one particular street prostitute. I wasn’t after her services and had an arrangement with her to walk away if anyone got within a certain distance of her. It helped both of us pass away the time. Funny, every time I saw her she had a different name.

Another thing that I would do was to go to one of the "hotels" that was still open at 2 or 3 in the morning. The girls were usually sitting around playing cards. I’d give one of the girls some money to go out and get us something to eat and buy some Orion beer and then I would join them in playing cards. The card games were penny anti, and the rules were constantly changed so that I never won. Later one of the girls and I would spend the remainder of the night in her room.

In E.A. Coopers book B.C. Street, E.A. mentions an over the hill street prostitute that tries to unsuccessfully hustle Cole. I happened to meet a girl just like that. This lady would not take no for an answer. She was a character. Here is her story as she told it to me.

She was 35 years old. Five years previous she had been engaged to an American. One night they were out driving and got into a terrible auto accident. Her fiancé was killed and she almost died in the accident. I didn’t doubt her story, her face and body looked like she had been in a war, lots of scars. If her face was once beautiful it wasn’t now. She was honest and frank, which I respected. Because of the auto accident she would never be able to have children. She had no family and had to turn to prostitution to live. She wanted someone to take her to America. She told me that if I would take her to America she would be mine forever and serve my every need. I told her I wasn’t the one she was looking for. She kept trying.

From time to time when I was on Gate 2 Street in the wee hours of the morning and she would see me, she would drag me off to her place, buy me some beer and service my needs. I wonder if she ever made it to America.

One night I’m walking down Gate 2 Street when I see an American and Okinawan starting to fight. It started out with just the 2 combatants, then, more people started piling on. Suddenly I felt myself being slammed into a doorway. I thought that I had just become an unwilling participant of the fight. Fortunately that was not the case. An Okinawan friend had seen the fight and saw me, and to keep me from being dragged into the fight she pushed me into a doorway. This gal was my best friend’s girlfriend. She was with a group of Okinawans and was on her way to buy some food when she saw me. She and her friends were then going back to her place to eat. She wanted to know where her boyfriend was. I told her that he was at his place and considering the time, he was most likely asleep. She wanted me to take her to see her boyfriend. She obviously had had too much to drink. She insisted that I come with her and her friends back to her place for something to eat.

There were 2 cars parked at the curb and she told me to get into the one with the open door. I expected her to get in, but she didn’t. The car took off and there I was in a car with a bunch of people that I didn’t know heading down unfamiliar dark neighborhood streets. I wasn’t very comfortable with this arrangement. The car stopped in the middle of an intersection and I was told to get out. The car sped away and there I was standing in the middle of an intersection in total darkness except for the stars in the sky. I didn’t have any idea where I was and figured that I would have to wait till sunlight to get my bearings. I suddenly saw headlights a block away and I started walking towards the headlights as the car pulled over to park in front of a small apartment building. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my friends girl friend exit the car. She saw me walking towards her and motioned for me to come and come into her place.

Inside her place, people were already starting to prepare the meal. We all sat around the table and with chop sticks dished food from a large bowl in the center of the table into our small bowls. The meal was really quite good. Much better than Army chow. Again she kept after me to take her to her boyfriends place until I finally relented.


For me there was never a dull moment on Gate 2 Street or B.C. Street. The guys in the barracks use to think that I was crazy to go into town and spend the night walking the streets by myself. They thought for sure that at some point I was going to be killed.

As a side note.
My friend married his girlfriend in 1970. I was instrumental in their meeting. Because my friend was under 21 years of age, parental permission was needed before he could marry. I convinced his parents that his girl was truly in love with their son and not looking for a plane ride to the States. They are still married and have 5 children. We are still the best of friends.

Regards

Ox

Hi Ox, please call me Ed. A lot of things changed on Okinawa and B.C. Street over the decades after WWII; however, I suppose there are stock characters in life that many of us encounter regardless of the time or place. Actually, I meant Katie to be a composite of all the aged prostitutes that struggled to make a living on the U.S. GI economy. I regret that there were not more opportunities for young girls on Okinawa rather than that of "making good time GI." There were only so many openings for maids, mess hall workers, and laundry girls. I hope B.C. Street sells to a wide general audience, so that the average American begins to understand why we are not always embraced overseas. Though some may think otherwise, I truly support the U.S. military, but like the Army slogan, I would like for it to always "be the best that it can be." Treating people in an arrogant or heavy-handed way is not going to make friends or influence others despite our best intentions.

[Cathleen_38]

I totally agree. When I was in the Marines, Our Joint Cheif of Staff General Paul Overstreet once said that we are the " ambassadors of the U.S." and he
was hearing stories about servicemen and women drinking and carousing, and the taxi driver who was stab by a servicemember at the time I was there, people were rioting outside the gates over this matter. U.S. Military has to realize that this isn't our land, it may be occupied by military forces but it is still japanese territory, and we needed to respect the land and its people. General Overstreet was right, and still is to this day. We can't be arrogant and push our weight around on other nations just because we think this is the way to go. Every country has its own way of governing itself. We should respect their wishes as to how they run things. If we don't things could be disastrous for our nation (the U.S.) You look at immigration, you look at Iraq and Iran. I don't condone terrorism, or the people behind it. I commend our troops for trying to do what is right for the United States. And that is to protect our freedom at the same token it pisses me off that our troops aren't being protected like they should be! They are getting killed left and right. I hope God is with you at ALL TIMES. And yet, should I say it? I don't agree with Bush with some of things he pulls. You can't change a thousands upon thousands year old Jewish nation and expect them to just give in it's not going to happen especially when they see us as an arrogant, greedy nation trying to change their culture. That is a matter of diplomacy and respect. regardless of how bad the situation may be, that is their country and culture.
Think for a minute if Iraqi people leaders came over here and pushed their culture on us and forced us to live the way they do would we as a nation tolerate it? think about it. the answer would be NO! so, why you expect them to be any different than any other nation in the world today, if you want peace in the world? It boils down to one word: RESPECT.

[Oxmix]

Hi all,
My next segment will deal with life inside the 44th Ordnance.

Regards

Ox

[ja_Patriot]

Ox,

Interesting stories.

My son's in ordnance so we'll wait for that segment.


#

[chiefk]

OX,
It was very interesting to read about your visits to the Cannon Club as I have personal experience with that place. In October 1969 I went in there one afternoon with a good friend from work for a drink. We were the only two in the place with the girl bartender. We really had a good time or should I say I had a good time talking with the girl on duty. I think I fell in love in one hour. When we left I told Rich, my friend, that is the girl I'm going to marry.
Long story made short, I married her and still am 34 years later. We were married in 1973 in Las Vegas after she came to the states on a Fiance visa.
I can't believe you have that Cannon club match box!!

[Oxmix]

There were 2 lady bartenders at the Cannon. Reiko and Iwako, real name Imiko. Imiko married a fellow named Joe Wright I lost track of them in the 70's. So did you marry Reiko? If you did, you married a very nice lady. Let me know if in fact she used the name Reiko. Reiko's only job was bartender.
If you don't want to post personal details feel free to PM me. My curiosity is running wild.

Regards

Ox

[TheNoNamedOne]

If any of you happen by the New York and see if ham and egg sandwich is on the menu. Also, see if there is a 60 ish waitress that grunts and turns her head when you talk to her.

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I am not sure if that is still on the menu, Ox, but man, looks like the New York hasn't changed at all. I was there just a few years ago and it looks just like that pic.

Honesly, though, I don't know how it stays in business or if it turns a profit these days. It is always empty when I walk by it. On the walls there are black and white stills of it hosting grandiose what appears to be special dinners of military persons in large parties of days long gone. Obviously those were New York's glory days.

[Oxmix]

The 44th Ordnance

I left the Army’s best kept secret at McGregor Range and found myself in the Company from Hell. The 44th Ordnance.

Let me start by telling you what I left.

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McGregor range was located about 35 miles north of Fort Bliss Texas. As Ordnance our job was to keep the Nike launchers used for annual service practice serviceable. Our 1st Sgt. felt we had been dealt a hardship by being stationed out in the middle of the desert away from everything. As long as we kept out of trouble, main post Fort Bliss didn’t seem to care what went on at McGregor. To help us cope with this hardship we had relaxed duty. We didn’t have formations, KP or PT. We had overnight and week end passes available to us when ever we wanted.

Inspections were rare. We had only 2 inspections while I was there. The last inspection was an IG inspection. We did so well on the inspection the inspecting General promoted our CO to Captain.

Time spent after our work was done consisted of any number of things. One of the guys had a TV and we would sit around watching TV drinking beer and eating large Polish sausages. We had a movie theater with a new movie every night. There was a special services area where I spent many hours developing pictures.

The Army isn’t noted for it’s tasty meals, but we had a gourmet dining hall. Because McGregor Range was the world largest free worlds annual service practice range, the Army wanted to leave a good impression with the units that came from all over the world to launch missiles. The result was that we ate very well.

The biggest thing though, was that nobody messed with us. Duty at McGregor was like having a job, not being in the Army. All of that was about to change with my orders to report to the 44th Ordnance.

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My first impression of the 44th Ordnance came as I lugged my 2 duffle bags up the long stairs to the upper barracks where the orderly room and mess hall were. As I was walking up the stairs an officer was walking down. It was my new CO. I dropped my duffle bags and saluted him. The next thing I know he is ripping into me about my haircut. I didn’t think I had a problem. I had just gotten a hair cut. The haircut standards of the 44th were different than my old unit.

After reporting in I was given a bunk assignment. I was hot and tired. All I wanted to do was take a shower and get some sleep. I took my shower and walked back to my bunk. I was about to crawl into my bunk when I noticed that I was ringing wet. Boy, I must really be tired, I forgot to dry off after taking my shower. I then noticed that my towel was wet. I had dried off. In the length of time it took to walk from the shower to my bunk I was soaking wet with sweat. Unlike McGregor there was no air conditioning in the barracks.

There were about 10 new arrivals that day. The next morning at formation, all new arrivals were ordered to report to the orderly room after chow.

After chow all of us new arrivals reported as ordered to the orderly room where we met the CO and 1st Sgt. It started off the usual welcome to the 44th Ordnance, this is what we expect from you yada yada yada. The CO then turned his attention to one of the new arrivals that was wearing jungle fatigues and went off on him informing him that he was out of uniform and wanted to know why. The answer was very simple, he had just arrived from Vietnam. He did not have the standard issue OD fatigues. He had jungle boots, not the standard issue black boot. I was glad I wasn’t wearing jungle fatigues and boots, that would have been strike 2 with my new CO.

It didn’t take me long to find out that it was best to make yourself scarce and not to hang around the Company area any more than necessary. I also found out that the CO and 1st. Sgt. handed out an Article 15 each day. All you had to do to get an Article 15 was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It was clear that if I was to survive in this Company I had better make some friends that had some rank and get some dirt on the foul ups that liked to report individuals. My hope was that I could use some leverage to my advantage if push came to shove.

While at McGregor Range I had access to all of the Army Regulation manuals and when I had MSA Guard duty I would read the manuals and make copy’s of regs that I figured might be useful in the future.

We had a lot of good sergeants and a few that were absolutely worthless. These worthless individuals were the trouble makers. You know the kind, they couldn’t make it in the real world so they sponged off the Army and made all the lifers look bad and probably kept a lot of good people from making a career out of the military.

I first became aware that the guy’s weren’t putting up with bad NCO’s was when I saw a Sgt. who’s face looked like it met a brick wall at 55 mph. It wasn’t a brick wall that met his face, but a 2x4. Seems he was in town one night and a few guys gave him a party. He was a nice guy after that. He got the message.

Usually the guys would give little hints and if these were disregarded then more serious things would happen. I’ll give you an example. When a Sgt .was taking a shower his room would be pad locked. When he was in his room his door would be pad locked. This was pretty innocent stuff, but a message to back off.

The food at the 44th was bad, really bad. Food poisoning was common. Food shortages were very common. It was common to stand in line for 30 minutes and just before you got into the mess hall it was announced that there was no more food and the mess hall was closed. I think the food shortage could have been alleviated some what if the CO didn’t back his station wagon up to the mess hall and fill it up with our rations. Once a month the mess hall served C rations. This was gourmet dining compared to what we were normally served.

Every pay day I would walk over to the commissary, buy Campbell’s soup, Ditty Moore Beef Stew, canned fruit and a few cartons of Lucky’s. $.99 for a carton of smokes. My locker was now stocked and I was set for any food shortage.

The 60’s were a time of racial tension. And the 44th was no different. I looked at it as reverse racism. Everyone, white, felt that it was unfair that the Black GI’s would get a pass for missing formations, not showing up for work, being out of uniform, having Afro’s, etc. Things got so bad at one point it looked like the Company was going to mutiny. A Spec 6 in my Section told me to not get involved in a mutiny. He had been in a unit in Germany where all but one soldier took part in a mutiny. All of the soldiers were prosecuted, all except the one solder who did not take part in the mutiny. He was that soldier.

One night I came back from a night on the town and was in the orderly room signing back in when we were made aware of a fire in the lower barracks. A Black soldier said that a white soldier had thrown a Molotov cocktail through the barracks window onto his bunk trying to kill him. He later confessed that he had done it.

This incident led to a special formation for white soldiers only. Our CO started telling us that we were responsible for all of the racial tensions in the Company. Someone yelled GET HIM and there was a mad dash to get the CO. Some sergeants blocked the doorway as the CO made his escape. Other Sergeants attempted crowd control. The CO knew he was a marked man.

It wasn’t too much longer after that, that the CO was relieved of command

Our new CO turned out to be an A hole also. I knew the new CO from Red Stone Arsenal where he was a 2nd Lieutenant and a good officer. I wondered what happened to change him. He must have been a substitute CO because he didn’t stay very long.

One night I was the Duty Driver. An Officer came up to me and introduced himself as the new CO. He wanted to know everything about the 44th. I told him everything I’ve told you so far. He wanted to go to the shop area in Machinato. I had drawn a 4X assigned for the Duty Driver that night. It was raining cats and dogs and the windows wouldn’t roll up. The CO said let’s go to the motor pool and get another vehicle. The motor pool wasn’t about to let him have another vehicle. After a few phone calls we had another vehicle. We were off to the shop. We were only at the shop about ½ an hour. In that ½ an hour I ran into one of the guys from McGregor Range who was there for a few hours to pick up something then he had to go back to Guam.

The new CO seemed like an okay guy. He seemed to take a real interest in the Company and correcting the past problems. He asked me about the food. I told him what to expect for breakfast and what not to eat. After breakfast he came to me and said he had eaten the things I told him not to eat and told me I was right. The next thing he did was to order the mess Sergeant to go get his bunk and locker because he was moving into the mess hall until it shaped up. I told him about the Article 15 a day. That practice stopped. He asked me how many times I pulled extra duty. I told him I was pulling extra duty about once a week as punishment for refusing a promotion. I told him I turned down a promotion because I was short and promotions were hard to come by in the 44th. (Ordnance under Artillery. Artillery takes all the promotions and if there are any left over those go to Ordnance.) Someone with more time left than I, could use it more than me. He said as long as he was CO that I would never pull extra duty again. I never did.

What I took away that night was that our new CO was a soldiers soldier. The 44th finally had a good CO. I wished he had been the CO when I arrived at the 44th. As it was he was my CO as I was leaving the 44th on my way back to civilian life.

Regards

Ox

[DocTurtle]

You should put that on tape cause that is a a massive read! lol.
It was good though. Thanks for sharing :)

[Oxmix]

Launcher

22G20 Nike Launcher Control Repairman. That was my MOS description. Launcher was a good gig. Infantry walks Launcher rides. The fact that I didn’t have to be cooped up in a shop all day, but was able to get out and drive around the Island made my job great.

As Ordnance I was assigned to the 44th Ordnance. Our shop was located in Machinato. The shop area was designated MSA, Maximum Security Area. No one got in or out without a pass. Everyone who worked there had to have a security clearance. My clearance was classified Secret. Everyone wore a security badge.

My Badge :)
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There were 2 ways to get to the shop. The first was by bus, the second was to trek down to the motor pool and check out a vehicle. I preferred the latter.

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Everything that went in or out of the compound had to have paperwork. The vehicles were inspected as well as the paperwork. It didn’t take me more than 5 minutes to realize that the GRI police inspecting the vehicles couldn’t read English.
Missile crates were made out of plywood. The plywood was normally scraped. A lot of NCO’s wanted the plywood for projects at home but had no way to get the plywood out of the compound. With permission I devised a plan to get the plywood out. You might say I was in the recycling business. I would write up a job ticket and sign it either Major Confusion or General Catastrophe. Our GRI Police guards would look at the plywood and the work order and satisfied that everything was okay let me pass.
I received a special request from a SFC. He wanted me to take a generator out of the compound. I was all set to go when my section chief called me aside and said that the plywood was okay but the generator would get me prison time if I got caught. The generator stayed in the compound.

Did you know it rains on Okinawa? Evidently the Army figured that out all by themselves. We were issued new rain gear. Nice bib pants and jackets. On the first day of issue we brought our rain gear to work with us. I drew a van that day from the motor pool. We put our rain gear in the back of the van. On our way out of the compound that day the guard saw our nicely folded rain gear and wanted to see our paper work. What paper work I said. The rain gear is ours, issued by Uncle Sam. He insisted we were stealing it. He called the MP’s. The MP’s show up and instruct us to follow them to headquarters. At headquarters we were directed to a room with an MP Lieutenant sitting behind a desk. I tell him my story. He doesn’t buy it. I told him to call the 44th and talk to supply. Supply they will verify our rain suite issue this morning. No one is in supply. I start to argue with the Lieutenant. Off all the things in the world to steal from an MSA compound does it make sense that I would steal rain gear. Are you an idiot or what? For a minute I think he forgot about the difference in our ranks as we argued. When he realized that he was the officer he brought me to attention, dressed me down, informing me that he was an officer and that was no way to address an officer. I apologized. He sat back in his chair for a moment then let us go.

I was fortunate in that when I arrived on Okinawa I had experience working on launchers. I wasn’t fresh out of school with no practical experience.
All of the experienced guys were short with only about 30 days left on the Rock. This required that I be brought up to speed quickly. I needed to know how to get to and from each of the 8 Nike sites I would be servicing.

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The next thing I needed to know, and this was very important, I needed to know the location of the best mess halls nearest to the sites we would be servicing. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps all ate very well compared to us.

The Navy mess hall in Naha was unbelievable. There was a serving line, a pizza island, a hamburger island where you could build a hamburger to your specs and a soda fountain.

Two Air Force mess halls, Yoza Dake and Ona Point had great steak diners. At one of those mess halls, I forget which one it was a waitress would hand you a menu and take your order. When you were finished with your meal a bus boy would pick up your dishes.

One time I arrived early at the Ona Point mess hall. The head counter wouldn’t let us in. He told me I would have go to an Army mess hall as they didn’t serve Army personal. I informed him of my mission and my orders to eat at the nearest military mess hall regardless of branch. He still refused. I pressed the issue. Soon the mess Sgt. came over to see what all of the ruckus was about. I explained my mission and orders, then added, that we went out of our way to try and be close to his mess hall at chow time because he had the best food on the Island. The mess Sgt gave me a surprised look and then turned to the head counter and said. You let these guys in right now and any time in the future that they want to eat here. I guess he never received a compliment before.

The short timers were gone now and it was up to me to get out to the sites and fix what needed fixing. I was told to pick my crew. I chose 3 guys. My first choice was a known hard worker. My second choice was a buddy who was going through a tough time with a nervous breakdown and needed to be shielded from stress if possible. My third choice, well, how do I say this and be kind, wasn’t qualified to do anything without very close supervision.

CONTINUED

[Oxmix]

Launcher Continued

A typical day would find me walking down to the motor pool to check out a vehicle. This vehicle could be a jeep, deuce and a half, ¾ ton or a van. If I was really hung over I would crawl into a van shut the door and catch a few zzz’s.

It normally took about half an hour to drive from the motor pool to the shop. It was always bumper to bumper traffic in the morning. One thing I learned was, never leave a space between you and the vehicle in front of you or someone would take it and slow you down.

I always liked servicing the sites in the southern part of the Island. It was a nice drive with nice scenery. We often went past Suicide Cliff and a site where several young girls were killed during WWll.

The sites were all gated. There was a security check to go through. No cameras or flame producing items were allowed on the pad. Because we couldn’t smoke on the pad, we would chew. The pad was the actual area where the launchers were. We never took cameras. We never told them about our Zippos and they never checked. A second security check was required to get up to the pad. These usually went well.

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Once on the pad we would take out our tool boxes and parts and start making repairs to the launcher. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? It should have been simple except one thing always crept into the equation, Artillery. It seemed that every time we got all of our stuff unpacked, Artillery would decide to run a practice drill. We would have to load up our stuff and head down off the pad. These drills would last about half an hour. When we got the all clear we had to go back through the security check again to get back to the pad. These drills really pissed me off and made for some long days.

We went to site 8, Naha, one time. The security officer there was an MP E5 hard striper. I hated the prick. This guy wasted a lot of my time.
After going up to and down from the pad several times and having to go through a security check each time I’m asked for my flight line pass. We didn’t have one. In fact we had been trying for over a month to get one without success. We actually used out security badges, flashing them at the guard as we drove onto the flight line and were never called on it. Now this MP wanted to see our flight line pass. I told him one of the guys had it. Each guy in turn told him the other guy had it until he came back to me. Okay you got me I said, we don’t have a flight line pass.
How did you get here without a flight line pass? I looked a round, then said, you have to keep this a secret. Did you notice anything unusual about our truck? No, he said. Well, our truck has been specially equipped so that we can drive through water. What we do is bypass the flight line by driving through the ocean. He wasn’t buying it. He said that he was calling the AP’s. I got mad. You guys called us here to fix a launcher. We have been trying for over a month to get a flight line pass without success. We figured out a way to get here so that this site can be kept ready. We’re not the enemy, get it, not the enemy. I’m not waiting around for any AP’s. We’re going to get in our truck and leave and if that gate isn’t open, it will be after I drive my truck through it. At that point he knew I meant business and opened the gate. I drove back to the shop. I walked into the section and yelled, where are the AP’s? I got a lot of blank stares. My section chief said calm down. What are you talking about? I told him the story. He picked up the phone and made it very apparent that he wasn’t very happy about what had happened to me and that unless we had flight line passes, we would no longer send people to site 8. He told me not to worry about the AP’s. I thanked him. I was relieved. I though for sure that the AP’s would be waiting for me when I got back to the shop and that I would be led away in handcuffs. I also told him that I didn’t ever want to go to site 8 again. He agreed with me that it would be best if I didn’t go there again.

I took lousy jobs, the kind I liked. It was part of the agreement I had made with my section chief early on. I told him I would take all of the dirty rotten jobs that no one else wanted and work as long as it took to complete the job. This often meant I and my crew worked a lot of 16 hour days. In return I was to have 1 of only 15 weekend overnight passes for as long as I was there. Just think of it, only 15 overnight weekend passes for 300 people and I secured one. Alright!!!

Remember my crew member I labeled as not qualified? Well, we had the job of megging all of the cables on the sites. Our equipment consisted of a box called a megger, a manual and assorted adapters for the cables. We would hook the cable to be tested to the megger. Pushing a button on the megger would start testing each wire in the cable.

We were down in the magazine; this is the underground room where the missiles were stored, testing cables. It was very hot in the magazine, so what I would do when I went into the magazine was to keep the stairway door open, then I would open the LCI, launcher control indicator, door, climb the escape ladder and open the escape hatch. This allowed us some circulation and kept us from getting sick from the heat.

I was standing in the stairway trying to cool down a bit. I looked over at Unqualified and saw that he had taken it upon himself to hook up a cable to the megger. As I watched him I suddenly realized that the other end of the cable he hooked up to the megger was still attached to the bird, missile, and he was about to press the button on the megger. I yelled stop as loud as I could and luckily he didn’t push the button. I don’t know what would have happened if he pushed the button. I didn’t let him touch anything else that day.

Not all of our work was on launchers. There was one job we did on the missile. The missile has roll, yaw and pitch actuators. When necessary we would replace these small items.

One day the guys were taking a break from replacing these actuators.

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I was talking with an artillery SFC. Suddenly over the intercom an alert was called, then the words, “This is not a drill”. I thought, Oh shit the Chinese are attacking Okinawa and all I have is a tool box. About 10 minutes later we got the all clear.

At the end of the day we had to bring our vehicle back to the motor pool. We had to make sure the fuel tank was full, the vehicle was washed and our log book was filled out.

I use to drive the filling station attendant crazy. The filling station had a sigh 5MPH. I’d shift my deuce and a half into low range and 1st gear. The engine rpm’s would be just about maxed out but I would only be going about 5mph. This guy would come flying out of his shack thinking I was coming in doing 100mph, then curse and yell at me. I loved it.

On the wash rack it was a common practice to distract a new guy, take the water hose and fill the exhaust with water. With the wash over, the new guy was instructed to stand by the tail pipe and listen for rattle. When the engine started the new guy got soaked. They tried that one on me but I had seen them put the hose in the exhaust. They started the vehicle then quickly jumped out laughing, expecting to see me soaked. I was dry as a bone and had the last laugh.

Then it was the hike up the hill to the small PX where I could get a bottle of cold Orion for 10 cents before heading to the mess hall to see what they poison of the day was.

Regards

Ox

[eacooper]

Oxmix . . . tried to answer your email, but message wouldn't transmit. I think there's a good possibility of a sequel if "B.C. Street" has enough sales to attrack a major publisher. I'm also hoping for a movie contract. Might as well dream big. Will probably be another year before I'll make a decision on a sequel, but I'm leaning in that direction. Thanks for your interest. Please help spread the word about "B.C. Street." Again, I appreciate your support and enthusiasm. By the way, I've really enjoyed your photos and narrative. You can continue to feed me ideas for the sequel if you care to. I'm prone to "borrow" whatever sounds good. Stay in touch . . . E. A. (Ed) Cooper

[Oxmix]

Ed,
Sorry about the email. I was having email problems. Problems solved now.

Let's hope the sales are good. I would love a sequel.

A movie. That would be great.:thumbup:

Regards

Ox

[eacooper]

Oxmix, thanks for the excellent review you left on amazon. I'm grateful. It's gratifying for me to see that GIs and former GIs (from all branches) are enjoying the novel, a nostalgic trip back in time with relevance to today's global scene.

Likewise, I enjoy reading your recollections and viewing the photos you've shared. If you like, I'll be glad to share reader comments. Just e-mail me at edcooper_edd@netzero.com with your postal address, and I'll send copies your way.

Again, thanks for giving B.C. Street a 5-star review.

[Oxmix]

Snap Shots
One night at the Cannon a few of the bar girls decided to go up to Kin Village and asked me to come along. Our driver was a Marine Sgt. He had a nickname Crazy then his name. He seemed normal enough to me so I took them up on their offer for a ride to Kin. Just before we got to Kin Village we spotted a MP road block. Our driver stopped about a block away from the road block, turned around and headed back to B.C. St.. I asked him why he turned around. He told me he had an M16 in the trunk and didn't want to have to explain to the MP's how he came about it. When we got back to B.C. St. I asked to see the supposed M16 he talked about, thinking he was putting me on. He opened the trunk and sure enough there was a M16. I'm glad that the MP's didn't decide to see why he turned around instead of going through the road block.

One night I left the Cannon and headed down the street to the Hotel Happiness to catch my regular gal for a short time. As I approached the Hotel Happiness 2 G.I.'s came out of the shadows. They were drunk and out of money and figured that they would roll me for drinking money. As they came after me the first one drunk as he was tried to take a swing at me. I just stepped to the side and pushed him into the side of a building. The second one started towards me but fell down before he could get to me. Thats where I left them and continued on my way to the Hotel Happiness.

One night I told myself I was going to see if I could find the prettiest prostitute on Okinawa, if such a girl existed. Most of the prostitutes were very plain or down right ugly. After hitting every place I could think of in Koza I found myself in Kin Village in a place talking to a girl. She was the nicest looking girl I had seen all night. She said that she was half American and that her father was an Air Force Sgt Major. We ate, drank and talked all night. I'm not even sure if she was a prostitute. I wasn't in a bar, I knew that much, I was in her apartment. I also know we did not go to bed, but I had a really good time talking to her. Her English was first language good, she was smart and good at conversation. Anyway, I found the whole evening rather entertaining. At some point in the evening our cigarette lighters got mixed up and The next day I realized that I had her lighter and she had my brand new Zippo. I still have her lighter and the memory of that evening.

I was standing in the doorway of the Cannon one night. A G.I. walked out of a bar across the street, walked out into the street spun around and passed out cold in the street. I next see his 2 buddies walk out of the bar looking for their friend. I yelled across the street to his buddies that their friend was laying in the street. They found him. They stopped a taxi, put him in the back seat, gave the driver some money and away the taxi went.

My buddy and his future bride were living in an apartment in Koza. I would stop over ever so often and we would drink some Orion and eat a little. Well one evening I was walking over to his place when all of a sudden an Okinawan man comes out of a house and into the middle of the street with a television set in his arms. He's screaming something in Japanese. He raised the TV up over his head and smashed in down onto the pavement. He screamed a few more words at the TV then walked back into the house. Huh!

I was driving back from a missile site in the southern part of the Island. The car in front of me was going real slow so I tried to pass him. As I would get along side him he would speed up and not allow me to pass. I tried several more times to pass but was unsuccessful. I finally decided I was going to pass this guy, come hell or high water. I pushed the pedal to the metal on the deuce n half. Again he was not about to let me pass. Not only that but there is a car coming at me so I decide to back off an get behind this joker again. As I slow down this joker also slows down. I've got a problem. I have a car approaching fast and this joker won't let me back in, so I hit the accelerator again hoping to pass before I hit the approaching car head on. Just before we were about to collide the approaching car took to the ditch and I turned into the jokers car to avoid a head on collision putting him into the ditch. Wow, 2 Okinawans in the ditch and I'm still rolling down the road. Not bad for a days drive in the country side and I got to paint 2 red meatballs on the door of my truck to boot. 5 more and I could become an Ace. :D

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Match Boxes from some of the places that I use to frequent on B.C.St, Gate 2St. and Kin Village. Anyone remember any of these places? Other than the New York Restaurant, are any of these places still around?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MatchBox0007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MatchBox0006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MatchBox0005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MatchBox0004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MatchBox0003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MatchBox0002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MatchBox0001.jpg

Regards

Ox

[okisteve]

Cool you held onto them. Thanks.

[Oxmix]

Misc items:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ArmyHospital.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ArmyHospital0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/Stationary.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/Envelope0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/RaffleTicket.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ClaimCheck.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ClaimCheck0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MotoristGuide.jpg

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

News Paper Articles:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/B52Crash.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/OkinawaProtest-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/SatourgesreturnofOkinaw.jpg

Regards

Ox

[TheLastDon]

Wow nice picture of the hospital. Almost looks the same, almost. The helipad is still in the same place.

[mikersoft]

Cool pics! I've been to Cannon a few times back in the day. I dig this thread. If I had a scanner, I'd post some of my stuff from the early 90's. Of course, it wouldn't be as interesting as your stuff.

-Mike

[P_chan]

cool newspaper clippings and matchboxes. Funny to see a club boston matchbox, that place is still around. I've never been there, but my buddy used to go there every weekend:D. I don't really think the quality of the women there is very "high" anymore.

[Oxmix]

This is the short timers letter I received just before leaving Okinawa.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ShortTimersLetter-2.jpg

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Business Card Club MG

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ClubMG.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ClubMG0001.jpg

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Yoko

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/Yoko.jpg

Junko & Me

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/JunkoJoe.jpg

Junko

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/Junko.jpg

L to R
Roger Air Force. Bill and I are still looking for Roger Rosenwinkle who was from Chicago. A super nice guy. He may have married an Okinawan girl.
Myself
My buddy Bill

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/OkinawaCountryFair.jpg

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

cool newspaper clippings and matchboxes. Funny to see a club boston matchbox, that place is still around. I've never been there, but my buddy used to go there every weekend:D. I don't really think the quality of the women there is very "high" anymore.

The ladies were Okinawan when I was there. :D

Regards

Ox

[P_chan]

Well they ain't anymore:D

[chiefk]

[QUOTE=Oxmix;51761]News Paper Articles:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/B52Crash.jpg

I was working on a RC-135 on sugar row when that B-52 went off the end of the runway. I heard him shut down the engines on takeoff roll which alerted me that something was wrong. I went to the back of the plane I was working on and watched the B-52 go right past me, he deployed his drag chute just past where I was and then slowly went off the end of the runway. When the explosions started me and the RC-135 crew chief started running and then when the big one went off we were thrown to the ramp. Pieces were falling all around us and we just stayed down for a few minutes. That was my last working night at kadena as my 4 month TDY was finished the next day! What a finish!

[Oxmix]

[QUOTE=Oxmix;51761]News Paper Articles:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/B52Crash.jpg

I was working on a RC-135 on sugar row when that B-52 went off the end of the runway. I heard him shut down the engines on takeoff roll which alerted me that something was wrong. I went to the back of the plane I was working on and watched the B-52 go right past me, he deployed his drag chute just past where I was and then slowly went off the end of the runway. When the explosions started me and the RC-135 crew chief started running and then when the big one went off we were thrown to the ramp. Pieces were falling all around us and we just stayed down for a few minutes. That was my last working night at kadena as my 4 month TDY was finished the next day! What a finish!

Wow!!!
What an experience. Those don't come along very often in ones life. Fortunately.

In the morning I checked a vehicle out of the motor pool and managed to grab a repair order for a Nike site north of Kadena. I then worked my way to the crash site, which was a very large hole in the ground. It's too bad I wasn't allowed to carry a camera while working.

I think that I would have driven by the crash site even if I was sent to a Nike site in the south. If questioned about it I would have said that I took a wrong turn and got lost. :D

Regards

Ox

[eacooper]

Ox . . . I'm glad you survived and are now able to share so much with those of us who were not thoughtful enough, or mature enough, or sober enough to gather and save such fine memorabilia, including your great photos. Your postings have really meant a lot to me, and I thank you for it. As you know, I've tried to do my part by writing about Okinawa as it existed years ago from the perspective of a lowly GI. If you have the time, check out okinawa-bcstreet.com. My son and I threw it up over the holidays. It's a work-in-progress. I welcome your suggestions. Again, thanks for the memories . . . E. A. Cooper

[Oxmix]

chiefk,

Here is a link to more on the crash of the B52 in November 1968.

http://www.madracki.com/usarmyhawk/storyb52.html

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

USO Okinawa Ashtray 1967

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/USOAshTrayOkinawa1967.jpg

Regards

Ox

[jimbob17755]

Hello Oxmix,
I am jimbob and your past stories of time spent on "the rock" have given me so much true enjoyment that i can picture myself there again.i to have very fond memories of the time spent in a bar spending the time with a beer and small talk to a bar girl,in fact most of my real knowledge of how to get along on the island was learned from the bar friends i made and not from special services on base. where can i buy the book you mention-B.C. Street?
please continue with you reminiscences of "happier times", i for one love going back in the past! God Bless!

[jimbob17755]

p-chan,
hello , i believe the girs that work the bars on oki today are philipino,expressly imported by the jap. gov. to work the bars!

[chiefk]

chiefk,

Here is a link to more on the crash of the B52 in November 1968.

http://www.madracki.com/usarmyhawk/storyb52.html

Regards

Ox

Thanks for that link. It is interesting even though some accounts are way off.
Dan

[Oxmix]

Hello Oxmix,
I am jimbob and your past stories of time spent on "the rock" have given me so much true enjoyment that i can picture myself there again.i to have very fond memories of the time spent in a bar spending the time with a beer and small talk to a bar girl,in fact most of my real knowledge of how to get along on the island was learned from the bar friends i made and not from special services on base. where can i buy the book you mention-B.C. Street?
please continue with you reminiscences of "happier times", i for one love going back in the past! God Bless!

jimbob,
I appreciate your kind words.

I got my copy of B.C. St on Amazon.com.

I experienced the same feeling when reading B. C. St. that you had reading Okinawa Memories. I felt like a fly on the wall watching everything happening. It was kinda like watching a movie only the pictures were in my head and not on a movie screen. The scenes in my mind were more detailed. It was all of the little things going on in the background that were based on my own personal experiences.

I can only hope that sales will be good so that E.A.Cooper can continue the story.

Regards

Ox

[jimbob17755]

oxmix,
i encourage you to continue to relate your short stories,to us,the ones that after all these years continue to live in our wonderful memories.
you were a generation before me. i arrived on the rock in 1976 and stayed for two years as a marine,only to discover that this place was everything AND MORE of what i had heard. i already knew that if i was going to benefit and enjoy my stay in "loochu" that i should not hang with my buddies out in town. to drink on base with them was another story but roaming the streets of koza, goya, kin and henoko i decided to try to make friends with the locals. don't get me wrong i wasn't accepted immediately and i dropped a number of paychecks in the bars before the locals figured i wasn't the "same-same" as most servicemen, that like you i was truly interested in learning about this fascinating island. and what a beautiful place it is. i was ushered from place of interest,to historical site to simple homes of friends for a beer and noodle soup. hey,my base of operations was up at the top of BC st. in a bar called Club Lucky,and there is where all my luck started indeed! i will continue later if you want to hear more, but let me tell you that sometimes it hurts. i returned to oki as a civillian in 1979,2002,2004,2006 and the love for that place has only intesified, that i've tried unsuccessfully to relocate as a retired american. if you wish to speak about the past more privately use my email, otherwise let's continue this open form of therapy!
God Bless,
Jimbob

[Oxmix]

jimbob,
I would love to hear more about your Okinawa experiences.

I can only hope to visit Okinawa before I die. My wife isn't too hip about going to Okinawa. I think she thinks I have a bunch of girlfriends form the 60's stashed there. :D Old white haired ladies. :D When I do go back I suppose I will have to drag her kicking and screaming all the way.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

More Snap Shots

The base EM club was called the Ebb Tide. The Ebb Tide was a very nice and popular place. It had an auditorium with a stage where guest bands would play. There were chairs along the right wall where hostesses that you could dance with would sit. There was a dance floor in front of the stage. The rest of the space was occupied with tables and chairs. For a very reasonable price you could eat drink and dance. The was a room lined with slot machines. Penny, Nickel, Dime and Quarter machines. Another room had a Television. There was also a bottle shop. As nice as the Ebb Tide was it couldn't, as far as I was concerned, compete with B.C. St. or Gate 2 Street.

There was a Filipino band called The Library that frequently played at the Ebb Tide. This was an excellent band. They mostly took requests. This band could play anything you wanted to hear and play it very well. I never saw them fail to honor a request.

At one point the Blacks decided that on the weekends they were going to take over the Ebb Tide and make their Black only club and they succeeded in doing just that. Weekend nights at the Ebb Tide became really bad. There were lots of fights and nasty things going on. Things got so bad that the Army built a hut next door and filled it with MP's on the weekends just to deal with the problems at the Ebb Tide.

One day my sections NCO's asked me to go out with them after work for dinner and drinks. I told them I was a little short on cash and wouldn't be able to go. They said, no problem, it was our SFC's treat. Cool. We went to a club in Machinato that was known to them but not to me. It was a nice club, looked expensive. There was a patio on one side of the club with tables and chairs that looked out over the ocean. It was very nice. When we sat down some nesans came over and sat down with us. I started to tell the young lady no, but my Sgt. interrupted me and said she was mine, drinks and all. So things were good. We ate and drank and had a good time. My Sgt. made a comment that he thought that I didn't drink, because I always walked into the Section every day looking fresh as a daisy. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself over that. I said that I have a drink now and then, again chuckling to myself. And the Oscar for best actor goes to Oxmix. :D
When the club closed one of the Spec 6's gave me a ride back to the Company.

Regards

Ox

[jimbob17755]

oxmix
here we go
although i was traveling to the 3rd marine div.,via Flying Tigers airlines,and riding with a plane load of other servicemen,i was traveling alone.i was in the usmc for two years and this trip was the result of just one too many stateside bar fights,and my first sgt. had grown tired of covering for me and my cronnies,although we were good men, just bored and frustrated. first sgt. brown guaranteed me and the other marine that we would not be bored for long! he said that for the next 13 months we would be living out of a pack! i was never in all fours years cut orders, driven to the airport(wash.d.c.),put on a plane to calif.(usaf base-i don't recall) then put on flying tigers and then anchorage ,then naha( kadena ab ) hustled onto "cattle cars" with everything in the world i owned in a seabag,and rode up to camp schwab (henoko). i'll stop now and rest my two index fingers! this web site doesn't notfied of any new posts, so if i don't answer you right away it's because i forget to check onto this site! by for now.
P.S. don't bring mrs. oxmix to oki, she won't be able to relate to your past as a single guy- no disrespect but my budy's wife seems to think bad about him going

back with me! later-jimbob

[eacooper]

jimbob,
I appreciate your kind words.

I got my copy of B.C. St on Amazon.com.

I experienced the same feeling when reading B. C. St. that you had reading Okinawa Memories. I felt like a fly on the wall watching everything happening. It was kinda like watching a movie only the pictures were in my head and not on a movie screen. The scenes in my mind were more detailed. It was all of the little things going on in the background that were based on my own personal experiences.

I can only hope that sales will be good so that E.A.Cooper can continue the story.

Regards

Ox

Haisai Oxmix, tak'san appreciate you pluggin' the book. Would you consider e-mailing some pics of BCST to me that I could post on okinawa-bcstreet.com? I'd naturally credit the photos to you by whatever name you prefer me to list or an anonymous post if you prefer. Your's with much appreciation . . . E. A.

[jimbob17755]

oxmix
continuation of last-jimbob
being we were up north at schwab(we being my two partners,danny and frank,two chicanos,one from calif. the other from tex.)we like everyone else had explored the bars in henoko,a short cab ride or a sobering walk from base,but we were limited in henoko and we had heard "big things" about koza,bc street,gate 2 street etc. etc. the only snag was MONEY! From schwab to bc was about a 45-50 min. cab ride aboard a modern version of okinawa's answer to the Kamikaze pilots,boy ,once you jumped in a cab and said "HUBBA-HUBBA HONCHO that cab was lanched at mac 20(if there is such a speed?) also the price had to be negotiated with your "pilot". the ride from scwab to bc seemed to be set by all drivers at $20.00,but with 5 guys jammed into a cab $5.00 a head seemed o.k. the next hurtle was how,if,and when to get back to base? do we shoot down south for a couple hours and be conservative and comeback early? or do we ride down to koza blow all our money(ecept cab fare) and "FLY" back up north in time to make A.M. formation? or on weekend "LIBBO" do we splurge and find a "place" to spend the night, get up next day and start drinking again? of course the last option need longer liberty pass and CONSIDERABLE more money! naturally like any other fun lovin boys we ALWAYS opted to stay the weedend! this got very expensive so i decided to do what i would at home-make frends!
oxmix-see you again -jimbob

[Oxmix]

Jim,
You should have rode the bus. I use to ride the bus all the time to save money. Instead of spending dollars I spent pennies, that left more money for Orion and other things like dining.

Regards

Ox

[jimbob17755]

oxmix
continuing-jim
everyone in our company recieved a lecture,en mass,from our C.O. before our first liberty.the 1st sgt also had something to say and so did the base chaplain,on how to conduct ourselves,where to go,"who" to avoid and when to get back.(oxmix,if all this sounds corny,i know you went through the same things,just maybe remenise with me) being we were grunts and really didn't get out that much from base,because we were always training or getting ready for some manuveur or some exercise with other units, we cherished every second of free time! also, being we were up in no-mans land,camp schwab,located about 3-4 miles more north than Henoko, most of everyone went to Henoko or stayed and drank beer at the E club. another thing was that our liberty wasn't sounded until 1600 sat. and we had to be back in uniform,in formation at 0530 mon. (P.T.gear) and then 0730 company formation.Also somebody had to pull guard duty at the armory and then there was fire watch in each individual squad bay. with all this,and the long ride back and forth to koza-bc most guys opted to get drunk on base or down the road in henoko! i could remember about henoko,but this thread is about BC. street,but all this is a preliminary build up of my memories on the island and time spent in koza.actually i learned that the town of Koza was futher south down rt.330 or where 330 turns into 329. it was a place called koza-4 corners. the bc street koza that i hung at was i believe in the town of Goya? wasn't that rt. 330 at the end of gate 2 st. and goya st at the end of BC street? LATER-jimbob

[dustymars]

I have some old Naminoue bar match boxes salted away somewhere and will dig the out to scan and post here. I posted some photos over on KumeJimaOkinawa@yahoogroups.com and will reference or link them if anyone wants to see them. Since I was at Naha AB most of my memories are of that area of the Rock, so bear with me.

Jeff

[SGT_OKINAWA]

:cursing: I wish I could get some more memories on Okinawa, but nope, no one wants to tell the US goverment to open all GS jobs to world wide. :(

Peace!:army:

[jimbob17755]

:thumbup:It wasn't long before ,second libbo, to b.c that me, cabrera and camacho had made friends with the ownwrs of our watering hole,Club Lucky,at the top of b.c. In 1979 when i returned it was still in business, but when i went back in 2002 ALL of b.c. had changed!(i was there 1976-1978 usmc,then 1979,2002,2004,2006 as civillian) I think club lucky was in the same building as the present Woods Bar or the Irish bar next door.
We were three happy marines,traveling with our girl friends and not being ripped off. believe it or not they DID LOOK OUT FOR US!
I wanted to make the most of my free time with my karate studies,so i quickly located a dojo of my style.
The first year was hard for me, being in the grunts and always in the field or deployed on float,but whenever i got libbo i was off and running to my apartment off b.c. about four blocks. My place overlooked the small playground and police box not too far from the entrance to the enclosed "mall",which by the way has only changed on the stree level, the above stores or rooms or whatever are still the same as in 1976! If i am not mistaking down the street from the police box and my apt. was a hotel,maybe 5-6 stories tall, i think in 1979 it was converted into a hospital/clinic and still was as of 2006. we had no desire to go to any other place other than club lucky,and we passed the word to our buds that this was a good place to hang! Nice girls,food,juke box,dancing,WHY go anywhere else? And we didn't!
Later,jimbob:thumbup:

[Oxmix]

Here is a picture of B.C. St in it's hey day.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/BCStreet0001.jpg

Any of you remember the Piccadilly Theater on Moromi Street? It was about half way between Gate 2 Street and Sukiran.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/Picca-DillyTheaterKozaOkinawa.jpg

Regards

Ox

[jimbob17755]

ox,
what direction am i looking? up the hill to the end of bc. or down toward goya st?

[jimbob17755]

ox,
if that's ny rest on the left than i must be looking up the hill,no? yes?

[jimbob17755]

club lucky was all way at end of bc. on left,same side as ny rest.
the front was cement, painted pink,do you recall?

[Oxmix]

Yes, That's the NY Restaurant on the left, across the street from the Cannon Club. Yes, I remember the Lucky. There is a picture of a match box from the Luck if you scroll back aways.

I might have a picture of the Lucky at home. I'll check and post it if I do.

The picture of the Piccadilly has you going towards B.C. Street.

Regards

Ox

[jimbob17755]

Yes, That's the NY Restaurant on the left, across the street from the Cannon Club. Yes, I remember the Lucky. There is a picture of a match box from the Luck if you scroll back aways.

I might have a picture of the Lucky at home. I'll check and post it if I do.

The picture of the Piccadilly has you going towards B.C. Street.

Regards

Ox
Ox,
Man I you or anybody out there has a pic of the old Club Lucky, that would be SUPER!!!!!!
JIM

[jimbob17755]

Here is a picture of B.C. St in it's hey day.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/BCStreet0001.jpg

Any of you remember the Piccadilly Theater on Moromi Street? It was about half way between Gate 2 Street and Sukiran.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/Picca-DillyTheaterKozaOkinawa.jpg

Regards

Ox
Ox
what years would the pics of bc and the piccadilly be?
Jimbob

[jimbob17755]

Yes, That's the NY Restaurant on the left, across the street from the Cannon Club. Yes, I remember the Lucky. There is a picture of a match box from the Luck if you scroll back aways.

I might have a picture of the Lucky at home. I'll check and post it if I do.

The picture of the Piccadilly has you going towards B.C. Street.

Regards

Ox
Ox,
the match box is from a club lucky i KIN,my club lucky was on bc st.
JIMBob

[Oxmix]

Stars & Stripes news July 9, 1969, the day I left Okinawa.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/IMG_0089.jpg

Record Rainfall

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/OkinawaJuly1969.jpg

What's at the movies

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/OkinawaJuly19690004.jpg

First troops to be pulled out of Vietnam. 9th Infantry Division.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/IMG_0090.jpg

1969 Okinawa road map.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/IMG_0088.jpg

Machinato Service Area and Housing Area

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/IMG_0087-1.jpg

Regards

Ox

[mikersoft]

Cool stuff Oxmix.

Coincidentally, I also have a newspaper from the day I left Okinawa.

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/mikersoft/NYTnaga_su_manchuria.jpg

Strangely, the article never specified if those millions were Americans or Japanese. :confused:

;)

-Mike

[socalheart]

Strangely, the article never specified if those millions were Americans or Japanese. :confused:

LOL! good one mike :D

[outenranch]

I am new here. I spent the best part of my youth at Torii Station from Nov 61 to about Nov 63. Loved the island, the 10 cent mixed drinks in KC, the 50 cent Huge Kobe beef sandwiches, the 10 cent bottles of Sake, the throwing of beer bottles from the roof of a bar at the RASP at midnight. would love to chat about those times if you remember. dont know when you were there exactly. Name is Jim,.If you want to reminese holler to me at joutenreathsr@yahoo.com... I hear you have old stories about the island..

[outenranch]

Damn... The Lucky Club, Brown Derby, House of Blue Lights, NY Steak house, all the strippers going from club to club by the back door....lol
Jim outenranch@yahoo.com

[chiefk]

Ox, I can't believe you saved that newspaper all these years. It really brought back memories, how about all those movie theaters listed for Okinawa! Do you also have the original road map?

[Oxmix]

Ox, I can't believe you saved that newspaper all these years. It really brought back memories, how about all those movie theaters listed for Okinawa! Do you also have the original road map?

That's my road map. It wouldn't fit in the scanner so I took a picture of it. I picked the map up before I left Okinawa. Looks like there are a few more roads now than then. It was pretty hard to get lost back then.

I've said it before, If I had known then what I know know I would have sent a hold baggage box of souvenirs and pictures home.

Regards

Ox

[badkitty]

wow that is really cool.

[Oxmix]

I am new here. I spent the best part of my youth at Torii Station from Nov 61 to about Nov 63. Loved the island, the 10 cent mixed drinks in KC, the 50 cent Huge Kobe beef sandwiches, the 10 cent bottles of Sake, the throwing of beer bottles from the roof of a bar at the RASP at midnight. would love to chat about those times if you remember. dont know when you were there exactly. Name is Jim,.If you want to reminese holler to me at joutenreathsr@yahoo.com... I hear you have old stories about the island..

Jim,
I was there 68-69. I think mixed drinks were 50 cents for a short shot, but I'm not sure. The bartenders would fill the glass with soda then dribble a little booze on the top to make you think you were actually getting a mixed drink. I pretty much stuck to my Orion. No shot shots there. I drank the large bottle Orion Beer, $1.00.

Ya, lots of strippers, but lots of good bands also. The Cannon had a good house band. I use to make the rounds to catch the different bands.

The New York Restaurant was where I would go when I got hungry. They knew me well enough that I could go into the kitchen if I wanted something that wasn't on the menu.

A wonderful bunch of people there, including my favorite waitress "Stuck Up".

There was no lack of watering holes, Okinawan bar girls and prostitites while I was there. I hit bars in Machinato, Futema, Moromi Street, Mig Alley, Koza BC & Gate 2 Street, New Koza, bars along the way to Kin Village and Kin Village. I just had to check them out and see what they had to offer. So many places to go, so many people to meet and talk to and so little time. Never a dull moment.

Oh how I loved it.

Regards

Ox

[Sex Wax]

I just like the name of that satellite: :Astromonk". Sci-Fi Zen. "Zen and the Art of Spaceship Mechanics?". Cool.

:thumbup1:

[Oxmix]

This Week On Okinawa March 25, 1966

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ThisWeekOnOkinawa.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/LetterToTheEditor.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/CommentsByHelen.jpg

Regards

Ox

[Tshiro]

The story is very excellent, thank you for sharing.

[Oxmix]

Continued.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/Theaters.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/MovieSchedule.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/WhosOnFirstAtTheMovies.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/TelephoneNumbers.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/HoneyBeeSweetSourPork.jpg

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Continued.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/OkinawaCultureLanguageCours.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/NightCityBabylon.jpg

Regards

Ox

[Fire4Effect]

I guess my "Good Ole Days" were spent in Cold War Europe.That's where all my photos and memories come from.

[soundman]

Ox,
Thank you SO much for scanning/photographing all these items!! I can't believe you kept all those matchbooks... and then to scan them for us?? Incredible, you're too nice! Really, really appreciated.

[dustymars]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2487638612433437293

[Sex Wax]

Hey Oxmix, I made a page on the Fuji site, check it out: http://www.clubfuji.com/Gate%202%20Koza%20Yesteryear/Okinawan%20Memories%20Main%20Page.html

Need more pics. If you know anyone that has any old pics, ask them to scan them.

:thumbup1:

[jwood]

I've just spent a couple of hours absorbing this unbelievable website and this thread in particular. Overwhelming memories. I'm too beat to contribute much of a post now, but when I get some time I will. I was stationed on the island from 1968-70, Navy at Torii Station.

[Oxmix]

jwood,
I hope you took lots of pictures of B.C.St. And Gate #2 St.

Regards

Ox

[jwood]

Ox -

I'm sorry to say that I took absolutely no pictures when on Okinawa. I've seen quite a few photos of Torii Station, where I was located, on the web. Also of NSGA, Hanza, where many of the Navy guys stationed at Torii worked. A couple of years ago I ran across a guy's webpage that had photos of downtown Koza in the late sixties but they were of very poor quality so I didn't save them. Now I wish that I had.

[jwood]

At some point in my final year on Okinawa, 1970, I bought a car from a gold-toothed Marine co-worker named Willie Smith. It was a monster-sized 1955 Oldsmobile, green, that had probably been on the rock for years. The price was right, $100.

On only the second or third day that I had it, I was driving up B.C. Street, towards the Kadena base. Daytime. I had a friend with me; don't remember who. We were completely sober.

There was a fair amount of traffic, so I was probably not even going ten mph when my friend suddenly said "Whoa, look at THAT!", and pointed to the door of a club off to our right where a girl was standing, topless, in the doorway. She definitely got our attention, but unfortunately she also got the attention of the taxi driver in front of us who stopped his cab, cold, right in front of us. I smacked right into him.

The next thing I knew, this cabbie is out of his cab, coming back to us, holding his neck. Eventually, the whole incident landed on the desk of a sympathetic Navy JAG officer who got me off with just a half-hearted warning to not be distracted by topless bargirls.

One night a week or so later, my girlfriend Sumiko and I were parked somewhere near Koza fooling around in the front seat of the Olds. In the heat of the action, one of us kicked the accelerator pedal off. I couldn't get it back on, and had to leave the car. When I went back the next day, the vehicle was gone. None of the authorities were able to locate it, so my run with a vehicle was short-lived; I was back to taking cabs or the bus like everybody else.

[jwood]

One afternoon, on a day off, I was heading from Sobe (Torii Station) into Koza, on the bus. I had a date with a girl at 6 PM, and was to meet her at the China Night club. I usually didn't take the bus, but was probably short on cash, so on this day I chose to save cabfare.

The bus route went through the Four Corners area, and was making progress at a turtle's pace, seemingly stopping at every corner. I was going to be late, so I hopped off and began to walk, looking for a taxi as I did. Up ahead of me, two black guys were standing just in the street on my side of the road.

I stayed on the sidewalk as I began to pass them. Suddenly one of them turned and took a swing at me. Luckily, I was able to dodge it, but at nearly the same time another punch came from behind me, from a third guy that had emerged from nowhere. Again, I was very lucky, as this shot kind of grazed my ear going forward. Still, it got my attention quick.

I turned around and was looking at a guy much bigger than me, and I'm 6'2". The odds, which were already not good, had turned much worse. I took off running up the street, figuring I was in real trouble.

They didn't follow, but just started laughing. I guess they'd had their fun, scaring the hell out of a white boy. I was scared all right, but also really pissed. I'd done nothing, nothing at all, but that was the racial climate on Okinawa, and in the U.S., in the late sixties. I finally flagged down a cab and made it to see my date, where the first few minutes were used to care for the cut I had behind my ear.

Needless to say, I never travelled through the Four Corners area again.

[jwood]

I spent the vast majority of my time in Koza on Gate 2 Street. Still, I don't remember many of the bars outside of the China Night. Was the Rendevous about halfway up road and on the same side as the China Night? A small upstairs bar with no working girls, with the bar towards the street and parallel to it?

Was the Roaring Twenties down towards Moromi and on the opposite side of Gate 2 Street? Another upstairs bar, with lots of potted palm trees and couches? If so, I saw a quick fight in there between some guy acting as if he knew karate and another guy who proved very adept at using his environment, swinging one of those palm trees like a baseball bat and KO'ing the supposed martial arts master.

[Oxmix]

I liked the Roaring 20's. They use to let me sleep in a booth. All I had to do was order an Orion and curl up. They had a band that played music by the Doors. I love the Doors. Here's a link for you.
http://www.madracki.com/usarmyhawk/story.html

Did you ever go to the GoGo bar? It was down the alley across the street from the Roaring 20's. Not to far down. Do you remember the name of the upstairs bar across the street from the Roaring 20's? I think the Gate 2 Garage may be there now. I was the second building from the alley. Did you ever make it up to Kin Village?

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Was the Roaring Twenties down towards Moromi and on the opposite side of Gate 2 Street?

It was almost to Moromi St. on the South side of the street. I remember when you walked in the bar was on the right and you actually walked down a couple of stairs to get to the booths. Nice friendly bar. I don't remember the name of the bar next door, but I remember a lot of Raytheon employees went there.

Regards

Ox

[jwood]

Did you ever go to the GoGo bar? It was down the alley across the street from the Roaring 20's. Not to far down. Do you remember the name of the upstairs bar across the street from the Roaring 20's? I think the Gate 2 Garage may be there now. I was the second building from the alley. Did you ever make it up to Kin Village?

Regards

Ox

I suspect that I probably went to the GoGo, but I can't say that I remember it. Early on I checked out lots of the bars, and even after I was on the island I did that every once in a while. So I was probably in almost all of them at least once.

I never did get up to Kin Village, either. We were close to Kadena Circle, and when we didn't want to spend much money, or maybe time, we went to some of the places there. Otherwise, it was only Naha and White Beach, once or twice each.

I must be misremembering about the Roaring Twenties, confusing it with some upstairs bar in the same general location. Not hard to do. :)

[jwood]

Ox -

I checked out that last link you put up; great story and lots of good pictures. Unbelievably, there is a picture there of a small apartment complex across from Torii Station. Two of my co-workers, and their wives, lived there: Jack Crlnjack and Dan Isham. A little while ago I googled Crlnjack, found his number in California, and talked to his wife! Jack wasn't home, but I'll be calling him this evening to speak with him for the first time in almost forty years, to reminisce about Okinawa! Unbelievable.

I didn't like the other guy, Dan Isham, who thought that as an E-5 he was some sort of Admiral.

[Oxmix]

One afternoon, on a day off, I was heading from Sobe (Torii Station) into Koza, on the bus. I had a date with a girl at 6 PM, and was to meet her at the China Night club. I usually didn't take the bus, but was probably short on cash, so on this day I chose to save cab fare.

The bus route went through the Four Corners area, and was making progress at a turtle's pace, seemingly stopping at every corner. I was going to be late, so I hopped off and began to walk, looking for a taxi as I did. Up ahead of me, two black guys were standing just in the street on my side of the road.

I stayed on the sidewalk as I began to pass them. Suddenly one of them turned and took a swing at me. Luckily, I was able to dodge it, but at nearly the same time another punch came from behind me, from a third guy that had emerged from nowhere. Again, I was very lucky, as this shot kind of grazed my ear going forward. Still, it got my attention quick.

I turned around and was looking at a guy much bigger than me, and I'm 6'2". The odds, which were already not good, had turned much worse. I took off running up the street, figuring I was in real trouble.

They didn't follow, but just started laughing. I guess they'd had their fun, scaring the hell out of a white boy. I was scared all right, but also really pissed. I'd done nothing, nothing at all, but that was the racial climate on Okinawa, and in the U.S., in the late sixties. I finally flagged down a cab and made it to see my date, where the first few minutes were used to care for the cut I had behind my ear.

Needless to say, I never traveled through the Four Corners area again.

I'm surprised you got off the bus at 4 Corners. You were taking your life in your hands with that move. No cab driver wanted to pick up a white guy down there. They were afraid the Blacks would trash their cab.

I use to slide in and out of Koza 4 Corners. I had a friend Kyoko who lived down there. Cab drivers were reluctant to take me there. When I wanted to get a return cab I had Kyoko get one for me. Kyoko's neighbors though that I was crazy

I heard that there was only 1 white MP that the Blacks would allow on their turf. I'm sure you remember when the MP's Jeep was rolled over and set on fire by the Blacks at 4 Corners. White MP's in the wrong part of town.

I heard that they tore that area down a couple of years ago.

The story of 4 Corners as told to me.

The business owners on B.C. and Gate 2 Streets felt that the Blacks were bad for their business and pushed them down to 4 Corners and wouldn't let them onto B.C. and Gate 2 Streets. I took one Black friend with me to the Cannon one night. They weren't to happy about it but being that it was me that brought him there and that I would be responsible for him they let him in. He was curious about what went on on B.C. Street. He referred to B.C. Street as "Whities WonderLand".

The air was thick with racial tension back then. I remember overhearing Blacks talking about the big revolution that was coming and how they were going to kill all of the whites. Heavy stuff. On of the Blacks fire bombed the barracks to make it look like a racial attack against him.
The military had it's hands full trying to control both sides. The 44th got so bad at one time there was talk of mutiny brought about by what was perceived as the Blacks receiving special treatment. At one assembly, whites only, our CO started preaching racial tolerance. He was actually the source of the racial tensions. During his speech everyone got up and charged the CO and I think if they could have caught him they would have killed him.

And to think I got to be apart of all of that. Lucky me.

Happiness was a cold Orion and $4.00 dollars in my pocket. Get the drift?


Regards

Ox

[jwood]

Torii Station, a smaller facility, had virtually none of the racial tension that existed on much of the rest of the island and back home. Not that we were any more enlightened; there were just very few blacks. I wouldn't be surprised if there were only about a dozen on the whole base, among a population that might have been 1,500 to 2,000.

As I was coming out of the China Night Club one evening, before dark, I looked to my right and well down the road on Gate 2, by Moromi, there were hundreds of black guys moving in my direction, towards the gate at Kadena. I don't know exactly what they had on their minds, but it didn't look peaceful. I was VERY lucky, and was able to snag a cab and make a safe getaway. My memory is often faulty, but I'm pretty sure there was an altercation at the gate when they got there; something about it in the paper the next day.

Prior to going to Okinawa, I spent nearly a year in Monterey, California at the DLIWC, the language school, studying Chinese. Near Monterey is a smaller town named Seaside that hosts the Naval Postgraduate School.

At some point during my stay there was a major riot at the enlisted man's club at the NPGS, when a bunch of black guys, mostly non-military, came in and wreaked havoc. They were led by non other than Stokely Carmichael himself, one of the noted black power guys of the time.

Not a good period in our history for racial harmony, and it dragged on well into the seventies. Even in 1979, when I moved to San Francisco, I remember getting into stareing contests with black guys on the bus. They'd try to intimidate you, and I just got damned tired of it and would glare right back at them. Those were difficult times in some ways.

[myungheek]

I'm surprised you got off the bus at 4 Corners. You were taking your life in your hands with that move. No cab driver wanted to pick up a white guy down there. They were afraid the Blacks would trash their cab.

I use to slide in and out of Koza 4 Corners. I had a friend Kyoko who lived down there. Cab drivers were reluctant to take me there. When I wanted to get a return cab I had Kyoko get one for me. Kyoko's neighbors though that I was crazy

I heard that there was only 1 white MP that the Blacks would allow on their turf. I'm sure you remember when the MP's Jeep was rolled over and set on fire by the Blacks at 4 Corners. White MP's in the wrong part of town.

I heard that they tore that area down a couple of years ago.

The story of 4 Corners as told to me.

The business owners on B.C. and Gate 2 Streets felt that the Blacks were bad for their business and pushed them down to 4 Corners and wouldn't let them onto B.C. and Gate 2 Streets. I took one Black friend with me to the Cannon one night. They weren't to happy about it but being that it was me that brought him there and that I would be responsible for him they let him in. He was curious about what went on on B.C. Street. He referred to B.C. Street as "Whities WonderLand".

The air was thick with racial tension back then. I remember overhearing Blacks talking about the big revolution that was coming and how they were going to kill all of the whites. Heavy stuff. On of the Blacks fire bombed the barracks to make it look like a racial attack against him.
The military had it's hands full trying to control both sides. The 44th got so bad at one time there was talk of mutiny brought about by what was perceived as the Blacks receiving special treatment. At one assembly, whites only, our CO started preaching racial tolerance. He was actually the source of the racial tensions. During his speech everyone got up and charged the CO and I think if they could have caught him they would have killed him.

And to think I got to be apart of all of that. Lucky me.

Happiness was a cold Orion and $4.00 dollars in my pocket. Get the drift?


Regards

Ox
If I'm not mistaken,wasn't 4 corners called "the bush"?

[Oxmix]

If I'm not mistaken,wasn't 4 corners called "the bush"?

Yes.

Regards

Ox

[chiefk]

Yes.

Regards

Ox
Let me jump in on this 4 corners/bush story. One night when I was dating my present wife (1969) she told me they had a good shopping market in that area. Not knowing anything about the bush I drove down there and parked on the main drag. We got out of the car and hadn't walked 50 feet when all of sudden we were surrounded by about 7 or 8 blacks. I knew this was not good and only had a moment to think about it when the first punches started flying my way. I tried to fight back but at 125 pounds I wasn't getting anywhere. My wife jumped on the back of one of them and was trying to put his eyes out or something. Well we broke free and ran into a little store for safety. They didn't follow us but the owner sure didn't want me in there. The gang was waiting outside to finish me off I guess. The store owner called the RAFP and about 4 RAFP MPs came down the street to rescue us and escort me back to the car. Of course nothing ever happened to the blacks. I went to the hospital with several bruises but nothing serious. If I would have had access to an M60 I probably would have gone back down there that night I was so pissed!

[Oxmix]

Chief,
What a story. Glad you and your wife weren't seriously hurt. I learned about 4 Corners early on. Because my job required me to travel to the various missile sites to make repairs the guys in my section pointed out Koza 4 Corners and told me what to expect if I should ever visit there. As you found out it wasn't good.

You mentioned that nothing happened to the Blacks. I don't know if it was a general policy at the time or not to give the Blacks a pass on most things short of murder. That was one of the reasons that the whites in the 44th Ordnance almost mutinied. I think a lot of guys who weren't prejudice when they got to the 44th were by the time they left.

I think I mentioned that I had a Spec 6 in my section who was in a Company in Germany that mutinied. The Army came down real hard on all of the soldiers in that Company except one who did not participate in the mutiny. He was that soldier and he was very quick to pick up on what was going down in the Company and because he liked me told me his experience and not to get sucked into this no win situation. I took his advice. I didn't have time for that crap anyway. I was to busy with my Orion and the ladies and just plain having a good time.

Regards

Ox

[jwood]

During my 25-month stay, I noticed a large change in the culture on the island, as regards the GIs, the clubs, music, and drugs.

When I got there, in October of '68, country music ruled on the jukeboxes. Not just country, but old country. Having recently been in California for a year, I felt like I'd gone a decade back in time and moved to Tennessee (wasn't there a Club Tennessee?).

Things changed, though. By 1970, newer Beatles songs were on the jukeboxes. I particularly remember "Hey, Jude" being played almost continually in one of the Kadena Circle clubs that I frequented. The live bands had caught up with the acid-rock music of The Doors, Procol Harum, Deep Purple, etc. It seemed to me like the world had changed.

I never did any drugs while on Okinawa, nor on Taiwan where I was stationed next. Didn't enjoy my first joint until I was at Ft. Meade (NSA) in 1972. But by 1970 on Okie, I had the feeling that a lot more people were getting high than just a couple of years before.

[InDuhUSA]

When I was in the Air Force I was told by a friend who had been in since the Viet Nam era that he got caught smoking marijuana and was given a "letter of Counseling" and was told not to get caught doing it again.

After I joined in the early 80s, smoking marijuana was the end of one's career (smoking it on Okinawa landed you in Japanese jail. They kept telling us the ol' Paul McCartney story).

[Oxmix]

We had one guy in the barracks that got caught selling marijuana. He was literally chained to his bunk until his court martial. He actually figured out a way to get the Army to let him go into town each day. He claimed that he had become a Buddhist and needed to attend prayer services each day. I also think that he was bucking for a section 8. He would sit on his bunk in a lotus position and chant for long periods of time. I have no idea what happened to him. I left Okinawa before his court martial.

Another thing guys got into was loan sharking. One guy got in really deep to these guys because of a gambling habit. As soon as he got paid he headed for the slot machines and in a little while he was broke. His loan shark was not a happy camper. To make a long story short, he reenlisted, took a burst of 6, and got a $10,000 reenlistment bonus, paid off his loan shark then blew most of it on the slots then took a 30 day leave and went home. I was was gone before he got back from leave. I can only imagine what happened to him.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

on Taiwan where I was stationed next.

There was a Japanese fellow in my bay at the 44th that I knew from Redstone Arsenal. He took a leave and went to Taiwan and came back with the details of the whore houses on Taiwan. I guess when he got to his hotel he was given a broacher with pictures of prostitutes and their specialties and rates. He said it was great.

Now, why didn't the Okinawans do the same? Oh well I guess I can't complain, the Okinawan prostitutes did get the job done. :D

Regards

Ox

[jwood]

In lots of ways I had a good time on Okinawa, but Taiwan was incomparable. I was only there for fifteen months, but it was a great run.

First of all, I had an incredible job. Not so much what I did, which was the same thing that I did on Okinawa, but on Taiwan I really hardly worked at all. We had two Navy guys for a job that only required one person. And although it required a person to be there seven days a week, they only needed to be there from 8 AM to 1:15 PM. So, I worked 4 days on, 3 days off, 3 days on, 4 days off, all half-days, for fifteen months. In civilian clothes. With no officers within miles, the office was civilian run. Yet, we got to eat lunch at the officer's club, which was right next door, since there were no other nearby military chow facilities. Plus, all really good people, maybe about 15 in all.

I had a nice two bedroom apartment for $65 a month. Air-conditioned, tv, tatami mats wall to wall.

Taiwan had two different types of drinking facilities for Americans. There were Bars, and there were Clubs. The bars were essentially whorehouses where you could drink. You actually signed a contract with the management if you wanted a girl. The price was $15, and it was for all night. Now, they didn't have rooms, so you just took the girl with you to your place, wherever that may be. Mostly short-time guys on TDY or TAD used the bars; I only did twice. There was no need to, because there were also Clubs.

Clubs were also bars, in that they served drinks. Same sort of setup as Okinawa, except that they were all smaller, the typical club might have 8-10 girls. There were probably about 25-30 or so clubs in the city of Taipei, which was plenty, because there were not many American military personnel at all.

The club girls were really friendly, probably because the odds were in our favor; they outnumbered us. It was easy to get to know them, most were really nice, and many were really good looking. You couldn't buy them, they were just girls that worked there. If they wanted to go out with you, they would. If not, they didn't. But most of them were looking to meet an American, that was why they were working there.

I lived with a girl that I met in a club for most of my stay on Taiwan. Almost married her, and probably should have. Her name was Nancy, she was cute, smart, and sarcastically funny. I loved her a lot, but being young and stupid, I never pulled the trigger to make it permanent.

[jwood]

Does anyone remember a band from the Philippines that played on Okinawa that featured the "Padilla Sisters"? They were on tour, I think, and appeared once in a while. I remember seeing them once, and they were really good.

[jwood]

I went to Koza on my very first night on the island. It took a lot of convincing, but I dragged along a language school classmate, Pat O'Connor, to go with me. Pat and I had arrived on Okinawa together, on the same flight. He was older, 27, and had a fiance back home in Minnesota. Pat was a very intelligent but conservative laid-back character with three years of college under his belt at the U of M. He had no desire whatsoever to sample the debauchery that he was sure existed in the Koza bars. But he went, this one time, just to get me off his back.

Our cab dropped us off near the Kadena Gate on Gate 2 Street, pretty much right outside the China Night Club. Who knows, had he set us out on BC Street, my two years on the rock might have been very different, maybe that would have been my street of choice. But it wasn't, and Pat and I climbed the steps into the China Night, me looking for adventure, he the reluctant companion.

We sat on a couch and ordered drinks. A couple of girls were immediately on us. Mine was named Yumiko, and as it turned out, she would be a friend for over two years. Yumiko was sexy, loud, obnoxious, completely uninhibited, often unreliable, and always drank too much, but she was always fun and I lusted for her unsuccessfully during my whole tour.

Yumiko could out-drink anybody, and woe to the new guy that wandered into the bar when she was looking to make money. His stash would shortly be hers, especially if he was at all condescending to her or the other girls. But she was never like that with me; I don’t know why. Maybe because I was almost completely naive as far as girls went, and so treated her well.

Yumiko (Sometimes she called herself Yuriko; one was her real name, one was her bar name. I was a bit confused about it, and sometimes I think she was, too) taught me everything I know about French kissing. On quiet nights at the club, we'd often sit at the bar and make-out, me nursing drinks and she usually already half-lit when I got there.

But that was as far as it went for two years. She was totally in love with an army guy who was in Vietnam, and was determined to wait for him to come back. So, we fooled around at the bar, sometimes went drinking at other clubs, occasionally hit Moon Beach or somewhere during the day, and that was it. She got no communication from this guy, yet I couldn’t convince her that he probably wouldn’t be back. She had complete faith that one night he’d again walk into the China Night Club.

And almost two years later, one night he did. With a couple of buddies, Yumiko’s almost mythical boyfriend from the ‘Nam returned to the China Night, and I was there when it happened. The combat soldiers' prescence filled the room. You could tell that these guys were different, that they had been where the rest of us hadn’t. But they were cool, happy, and only interested in having a good time.

Yumiko was ecstatic, and all over this guy. He wore a big smile, but to me it was evident that he wasn’t in love, that she was just another girl that he knew and liked. I don’t think she perceived that, though, and maybe that was good. I never saw him again after that night, and in a few days he was off the island, back to the states. I doubt that Yumiko ever saw him again after that. For all her attributes, she really wasn’t the kind of girl that most guys would want to marry.

[Oxmix]

I went to Koza on my very first night on the island. It took a lot of convincing, but I dragged along a language school classmate, Pat O'Connor, to go with me. Pat and I had arrived on Okinawa together, on the same flight. He was older, 27, and had a fiance back home in Minnesota. Pat was a very intelligent but conservative laid-back character with three years of college under his belt at the U of M. He had no desire whatsoever to sample the debauchery that he was sure existed in the Koza bars. But he went, this one time, just to get me off his back.

Our cab dropped us off near the Kadena Gate on Gate 2 Street, pretty much right outside the China Night Club. Who knows, had he set us out on BC Street, my two years on the rock might have been very different, maybe that would have been my street of choice. But it wasn't, and Pat and I climbed the steps into the China Night, me looking for adventure, he the reluctant companion.

We sat on a couch and ordered drinks. A couple of girls were immediately on us. Mine was named Yumiko, and as it turned out, she would be a friend for over two years. Yumiko was sexy, loud, obnoxious, completely uninhibited, often unreliable, and always drank too much, but she was always fun and I lusted for her unsuccessfully during my whole tour.

Yumiko could out-drink anybody, and woe to the new guy that wandered into the bar when she was looking to make money. His stash would shortly be hers, especially if he was at all condescending to her or the other girls. But she was never like that with me; I don’t know why. Maybe because I was almost completely naive as far as girls went, and so treated her well.

Yumiko (Sometimes she called herself Yuriko; one was her real name, one was her bar name. I was a bit confused about it, and sometimes I think she was, too) taught me everything I know about French kissing. On quiet nights at the club, we'd often sit at the bar and make-out, me nursing drinks and she usually already half-lit when I got there.

But that was as far as it went for two years. She was totally in love with an army guy who was in Vietnam, and was determined to wait for him to come back. So, we fooled around at the bar, sometimes went drinking at other clubs, occasionally hit Moon Beach or somewhere during the day, and that was it. She got no communication from this guy, yet I couldn’t convince her that he probably wouldn’t be back. She had complete faith that one night he’d again walk into the China Night Club.

And almost two years later, one night he did. With a couple of buddies, Yumiko’s almost mythical boyfriend from the ‘Nam returned to the China Night, and I was there when it happened. The combat soldiers' prescence filled the room. You could tell that these guys were different, that they had been where the rest of us hadn’t. But they were cool, happy, and only interested in having a good time.

Yumiko was ecstatic, and all over this guy. He wore a big smile, but to me it was evident that he wasn’t in love, that she was just another girl that he knew and liked. I don’t think she perceived that, though, and maybe that was good. I never saw him again after that night, and in a few days he was off the island, back to the states. I doubt that Yumiko ever saw him again after that. For all her attributes, she really wasn’t the kind of girl that most guys would want to marry.

Do you have a pic of Pat Occonor. Was he from the Twin Cities.

If you had gone to the Cannon the first night, who knows, we might have met.

Yumiko sounds like one of my wifes friends. She worked in a bar in Korea and married a GI. They had 3 kids. He was killed in a traffic accident in the 70's.

I met a girl named Junko at the GoGo my first time out. Like Yumiko she never wanted anything from me. She wouldn't let me buy her a drink. She only wanted my company. I didn't go to the GoGo very often, but when I did she would come over and sit with me at the bar and we would talk. She wanted me to take her with me when I left Okinawa. I told her I couldn't. I liked her but I was never romantically involved with her, maybe I should have been. She was my date my last night on Okinawa. She was a peach.

Regards

Ox

[jwood]

Ox -

I don't have any pictures of Pat O'Connor. I'm pretty sure he was from Minneapolis. Slight of build, sandy brown hair, not too tall, maybe five-eight or nine. A really nice guy, but not at all a partier, at least back then. One of the first things he did on Okie was to buy an easy chair for his room so he could relax and read.

[Oxmix]

We had one guy who I would say was much like Pat O'connor. He was a nice guy, from St.Paul, Minnesota like me, but he never went anywhere. He just stayed in the barracks and read. He was married and evidently felt that he wouldn't be honoring his marriage vows if he went into town. I tried talking him into going into Koza with me several times, but he wouldn't go. I told him we could just go and have some drinks and I would show him some of the places with good bands and not to worry about any girls, that there was more to B.C.Street and Gate 2 Street than just girls.

I would have gone crazy if I had just stayed in the barracks and read books the whole time.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

The only Filipino band that I remember was called "The Library". They played at the Ebb Tide. The Ebb Tide was an Army EM club on the base at Sukiran. They were really good and lived up to their name. You could request any song and they would play it. I never saw them turn down a request.

The Ebb Tide had good bands cheap beer and good food and girls to dance with, but lacked the atmosphere in town.

Regards

Ox

[Asshat]

Hey all you old farts! :D I have thoroughly enjoyed all of your posts about the old days in Okinawa! My first tour was in 77- (and I am still here) so I recognize many of the places you speak about.

That was the hay day of the Rock and Roll movement, and much of the war-flavor still existed. You wouldn't recognize any of it now.

Anyway, thank you for your service, and thank you for posting your experiences. :thumbup1:

[Oxmix]

Hey all you old farts! :D I have thoroughly enjoyed all of your posts about the old days in Okinawa! My first tour was in 77- (and I am still here) so I recognize many of the places you speak about.

That was the hay day of the Rock and Roll movement, and much of the war-flavor still existed. You wouldn't recognize any of it now.

Anyway, thank you for your service, and thank you for posting your experiences. :thumbup1:

From talking with my friend who was on Okinawa in 1957, things had changed quite a bit between then and 1968.

Asshat, jump in with some of your memories from the 70's.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Yumiko (Sometimes she called herself Yuriko; one was her real name, one was her bar name. I was a bit confused about it, and sometimes I think she was, too) taught me everything I know about French kissing. On quiet nights at the club, we'd often sit at the bar and make-out, me nursing drinks and she usually already half-lit when I got there.

Not long after arriving on Okinawa I stepped into a bar and was immediately snapped up by a girl named Mimi. She made it known to the other girls it was hands off with regards to me. She selected a booth back in the corner of the bar. It was dark and there was a large potted plant there to block the view of others who might look in our direction, yet I could still see people come and go. It all started with talk and graduated to touching all of the fun places. After a week of this she wanted me to bring all of my clothes to her so she could wash them for me. She then asked me to move in with her. Things were moving pretty fast and I didn't expect any of this. During one of our make out sessions something caught my attention and I looked a way from Mimi. There just happened to be another bar girl there, but I thought I had seen someone I knew from the Company. Mimi got a mad look on her face and said, "why are you looking at her?" I explained I wasn't looking at the girl, that I thought I had seen someone I knew. Again in an angry and threatening voice she said to me, " If I ever see you looking at another girl I will get a knife and cut your pee nut off". Man was I taken aback by that. This lady suddenly scared the hell out of me. No way was i going to move in with her. I left the bar that night I never went back.

Regards

Ox

[jwood]

Every few weeks I'd spring for an all-nighter. Two of the girls stick out in my mind, and they could not have been any more different. I can't remember either of their names.

One was a really cute young-looking girl. I don't know where I found her, if it was on the street or at a bar. She had a large one-room apartment somewhere on the outskirts of town. It was fixed up beautifully, although more like a teen-aged girl's place than an adult's. Probably a couple of dozen stuffed animals, maybe that many dolls also. She wasn't all that sexy, just a sweet cutey, and we probably spent more time cuddling and talking than anything else. I think I stayed with her three or four times. I ran into a few girls like her, who were maybe subconsciously suppressing the fact that they were hookers by surrounding themselves with childhood things.

The other girl was no girl. She was a real professional hooker, one who looked like she had had a hard life even though she was probably still only around 20-21. I thought she was very sexy, in a slutty sort of way.

I stayed with her twice. The first time, I was annoyed when I woke up early in the morning and she was gone. I'd paid my ten or fifteen (can't remember which) bucks for an all-nighter and was looking for more sex in the morning when I was sober and could actually see. Despite the fact that it was her apartment (again just one room, but this one spartan and small), she was nowhere to be found.

I saw her again, months later, very late at night on Gate 2 Street. I was horny, and she was available. Before we made the deal, I told her what had happened last time, that she had cut out on me, and she promised it wouldn't happen again. Fine, it was all good, and I went for it.

Damned if she didn't leave again! About six in the morning, I rolled over, and no girl. I was ticked-off and determined to somehow get some of my money back. She had a radio sitting on a shelf and I took it. Somewhere, later on, I sold it at a pawn shop and to my surprise got ten bucks.

Not quite the end of the story. More time went by, probably a couple of months. Once again, I'm on Gate 2 Street in the wee hours of the morning, and there's this same girl. She came up to me, recognized me, and all I'm thinking was that a dozen karate-expert Okinawans were going to be called out of the woodwork to kick my Navy ass.

Nope. She asked me if I took her radio and I said yes, because she left. That cracked her up, she actually appreciated my somewhat underhanded solution, and she laughed her ass off. I ended up taking her home again. I can't remember if she stayed all night that time.

[Sex Wax]

Hey all you old farts! :D I have thoroughly enjoyed all of your posts about the old days in Okinawa! My first tour was in 77- (and I am still here) so I recognize many of the places you speak about.

That was the hay day of the Rock and Roll movement, and much of the war-flavor still existed. You wouldn't recognize any of it now.

Anyway, thank you for your service, and thank you for posting your experiences. :thumbup1:

NO, you would not have the same "flavor as back in the day". But some of the old peeps stiil play, and some of the offspring from the old bands have new bands. And sound real good. But for those of us who have respect for the old bands, and party with the new bands, we still have fun. I will have my own "Okinawa Memories" to post one day. I am sure that there will be more T-Backs and twins involved in my stories.

( at least i thought they were twins...my drunken eyesight made them look about the same) [but there was this Mom and Daughter freaky girls that liked long-haired Round -eyes]---->another XXX rated post one day

[okisteve]

Damned if she didn't leave again! About six in the morning, I rolled over, and no girl. I was ticked-off and determined to somehow get some of my money back. She had a radio sitting on a shelf and I took it. Somewhere, later on, I sold it at a pawn shop and to my surprise got ten bucks.

Not quite the end of the story. More time went by, probably a couple of months. Once again, I'm on Gate 2 Street in the wee hours of the morning, and there's this same girl. She came up to me, recognized me, and all I'm thinking was that a dozen karate-expert Okinawans were going to be called out of the woodwork to kick my Navy ass.

Nope. She asked me if I took her radio and I said yes, because she left. That cracked her up, she actually appreciated my somewhat underhanded solution, and she laughed her ass off. I ended up taking her home again. I can't remember if she stayed all night that time.

It sounds like she had a day job.....
:cool:

[Oxmix]

My hat is off to the powers that be at the time I was on Okinawa. Think about it. There is a war going on. Thousands of GI's were a million miles from home in a foreign land and the powers that be made you forget about all of that by basically giving you what every red blooded young man could imagine in his wildest dreams. Cheap booze and great bands. Lots of young beautiful and willing girls and a place to blow off steam and live the dream. It was all there for the taking and all perfectly legal. What more could we have asked for. Is it any wonder why our minds drift back to those wonderful times. Thank you Okinawa.

Regards

Ox

[jwood]

For us older guys, our days on Okinawa were almost forty years ago. So, sometimes I find myself wondering, was Okinawa such a great place to be at twenty-one and twenty-two, or was it just great to be twenty-one or twenty-two? And although the island was definitely one of the more interesting places that I've been to in my life, I think I have to lean towards the latter; life was fun over there moreso because I was young than anything else.

Ever see the movie Biloxi Blues? It's the story of an American G.I. reminiscing about his infantry training days during WWII. Pretty good flick, with Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken. The conclusion drawn at the end was similar to mine; that the reason those times seemed so wonderful and were so nostalgic was that they were then young.

[jwood]

There was also the story of John Causey and Leiko.

South Carolinian John Causey, southern handsome, smart and witty, was a new guy on the island, as I was, in October of ’68. For a couple of months, we had adjacent bunks in the corner of the transient barracks as the regular Navy barracks was chock full. We played bridge together at the special services club, sometimes hitting the road afterwards.

One day, after we’d been on the rock for about a month, the usually controlled Causey was beside himself. He’d been to a massage parlor the night before (something I never did). The mamasan that was working on him told him she’d be right back, but that turned out to not be true. Instead, he said, the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen walked into his room. Her name was Leiko, she was half-American, had hair down to her waist, and the most incredible eyes you’ve ever seen. Anyway, Causey said he’d had the most amazing experience of his life (he described it in detail at the time), and that he was in love.

I met Leiko shortly afterwards. Causey may have been an occasional bullshitter, as we all were, but in describing this girl he was not exagerrating. To that point in my life, I’d only seen one girl that I thought could compare. To this day I’ve only seen a handful.. She was that awesome-looking. Her English was perfect and she had a friendly, warm personality. At first sight, you wanted sex with her immediately. After five minutes, you were in love.

Causey got an apartment within a couple of weeks and they lived together for about a year and a half. John and I didn’t see as much of each other anymore, as he was a watch-worker and I worked days, and we were in different departments. Still, every once in a while, I’d run into them somewhere, and we’d have drinks or grab a bite. Leiko and I weren’t really friends, but almost.

Sometime in the late summer of 1970, John Causey took an early-out from the Navy. Back to South Carolina he went. What he expected to find there, I don’t know. I do know that he left behind a girl that nearly any man would have died for. I know I would have, had I been anywhere near being in her league.

A couple of weeks before I was to leave Okinawa, in early November of ’70, I ran into Leiko for the last time at a bar on Moromi near the top of Gate 2 Street. It was a quiet place, no girls worked there. Leiko was sitting alone at the bar, nearly crying, when I saw her. We sat and talked for a while; about John, about her. She had been completely in love, and missed him terribly.

She was pretty boozed up, and began to cry. She told me that later on she would be going down to Four Corners. If John was here, she said, she would never do that, but without him, she needed to go there. I didn’t know what to say. After a while I left and just walked around the streets for a long time, trying to figure out people, life, and stuff. I don’t recall having much luck doing so.

[Oxmix]

I think that was one of the tragedies of Okinawa. I sure that there were many like Leiko who fell in love with Americans and in the end, were heart broken when their love left.

There were happy endings though.

My friend Bill stopped by the Cannon one night to have a few with me. He hadn't been there long when Reiko the bartender asked me if I would introduce Bill to one of the girls. That was different. Evidentially when Bill waked into the bar, Sachiko took one look at him and fell in love with him. She didn't want their first introduction to be "Buy me a drinky GI", but more formal as in the form of an introduction. I made the introduction and the two of them started getting to know each other. Bill asked her if she would like to go out for dinner some evening. She said she would like that but would not go unless they were chaperoned. So who was the Chaperone to be? She suggested me and another girl should go with them. My question was who was the girl? Sach talked to a couple of girls and one agreed to be my date so the she and Bill could go on their date. That started a relationship between Teri and me.

On our first date we went to a restaurant of their choosing. Because we did not have an overnight pass we had to be back by 12:00. About 11:45 we announced that we had to leave and offer taxi money so the girls could get home. You should have seen the look on the girls face when we left. They must have thought that they had spinach on their front teeth or something.

The next double date went better. We had overnight passes and after dinner Bill and Sach went off by themselves and Teri and I went off by ourselves.

Every night that I went to the Cannon, Sach would ask me about Bill and if he was coming or not. I became more and more apparent that she was miserable when he wasn't around. I became her sounding board. She trusted me and confided in me her fear that my friend Bill would leave Okinawa without her and break her heart. I knew that Bill loved her and told her so and not to worry. The day before I left Okinawa I told her that I would see her again, that she would be married to Bill an I would tell her I told her so.

In early February 1970 Bill wrote and told me he would be going home on leave and asked me If I would come to visit. I told him when he got home to call me and I would drop everything and jump on a plane which is what I did. The reason Bill went home was to get his parents permission to marry Sach. His parents had no idea what type of girl she was. I explained to them that her love for Bill was real and that she was a wonderful girl that any parent would be proud to have their son marry. On my last day at Bill's parents house Bill came to me and told me his parents had signed the papers so he and Sach could marry. I was so happy for them.

Bill and Sach were married and when Bill and Sach left Okinawa and the Army, Bill again asked me to come and see him and Sach which I did. We spent the day together and later that evening we went out to eat. When we left the restaurant I turned to Sach and said, "Do you remember the last conversation we had on Okinawa and how bad you felt that I was leaving and that Bill would leave and not take you with him? Do you remember I told you that I would see you again and that you would be married to Bill and that I would tell you I told you so? Yes she said. Well I told you so."

I am here to tell you Bill and Sach are still married. I am also happy to say that we have stayed in touch all of these years. Bill and his wife are probably two of the nicest people I have ever known in my life.

In writing this piece I decided not to use Sachiko's real name..

Regards

Ox

[okisteve]

I've just finished reading Steve Rabson's translation of Tatsuhiro Oshiro's story The Cocktail Party


I found the translation online somewhere a few years ago. I think it was in a link from a great website that a guy up in Kin maintains.

Well worth reading, and also another one that can be found in translation, "An Okinawan Boy".

I'm posting this in Okinawa Memories thread too since they were written during the Occupation.

[Oxmix]

What's the book about?

Regards

Ox

[okisteve]

Ox, The Cocktail Party is a short story, about how an Okinawan is betrayed by a US officer he thought was his friend. I can't recall what An Okinawan Boy is about.

[Oxmix]

Ox, The Cocktail Party is a short story, about how an Okinawan is betrayed by a US officer he thought was his friend. I can't recall what An Okinawan Boy is about.

I searched Amazon.com and could not find the book. Do you have the authors name and the ISBN number?

Regards

Ox

[okisteve]

Ox - just Google it by the name The Cocktail Party. I think you will be able to find it that way.

[jwood]

No one has posted here in quite a while, including me. That's the way these things go sometimes, ebbs and flows, or threads just dying as they run out of steam.

In the interim, while I was waiting to see if this nostalgic thread would get going again, I had been playing solitaire on this website. However, I'm no longer able to do that, as I've run out of "credits".

I'm 60 years old and I still like to play games, but not the silly kind. Earning credits for posting, credits that are necessary to play the arcade games, is, in my opinion, silly. So, thank you for the very interesting posts, but it's time for me to go.

[uriel]

Yes it is.

[Oxmix]

but it's time for me to go.

Where are you going? Are you leaving the forum? I'm sure there will be more posts. I've been busy with other things as of late. I'm still waiting on some pictures my friend promised me. When I get them I will be posting pictures.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Our 30th Artillery unit crest.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/30thArtyPin.jpg


The 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade

The 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade has roots dating from World War 1, specifically with the formation of the First Expeditionary Brigade, Coast Artillery Corps, Regular Army, at Fort Adams, Rhode Island, July 24, 1917.

Originally, it was known as the First Separate Brigade, Coast Artillery Corps, receiving its numerical designation as the 30th Artillery Brigade (Coast Artillery Corps-Railway), March 25, 1918. In that year the brigade took its heavy railway guns to France where it earned campaign streamers for the Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives.

After the war the brigade returned from Europe and was inactivated at Camp Eustis, Virginia, in August 1921. Save for a four-year period 1926-1930, the 30th Artillery Brigade did not reappear on rolls of the active Army until 1960.

In 1949 the Army activated on Okinawa the 97th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group composed of elements of the 61st and the 65th Artilleries. Armed with 78mm Skysweepers, 120mm and 90mm guns, the units of the 97th AAA served through a trouble-ridden decade that saw the Korean War, the Indo-China War and successive crises.

In 1959 the Army’s 97th Group converted to the highly capable Nike-Hercules air defense missiles and on June 24, 1960 was redesignated the 30th Artillery Brigade (Air Defense).

As then constituted, the brigade was formed in part from the former subordinate units of the inactivated 97th, to include the brigade headquarters, the 2nd Missile Battalion, 61st Artillery and the 1st Missile Battalion, 65th Artillery.

In 1961 the 30th Brigade was brought to four-battalion strength with the arrival of battalions of the 1st and 3rd Artilleries armed with the deadly Hawk air defense missile to provide protection against low altitude aircraft. On June 6, 1961 the 30th Artillery Brigade (AD) became the first Allied unit to fire a Nike-Hercules missile outside CONUS.

The year 1968 saw the 44th Ordinance Company (Guided Missile) (General Support) (Direct Support) formed from four direct support platoons and two engineer detachments attached to the missile battalions.

The 30th Artillery Brigade (AD) emerged as a mission-oriented Army team of more than one arm or branch, for it included its own supporting Engineer, Ordinance and Signal elements. In turn, the air defense elements of the brigade, working under the operational control of the 313th Air Division, worked closely with the U.S. Air Force as part of a highly effective multi-service air defense team, protecting Okinawa from possible hostile air attack.

In October of 1969 the brigade was reorganized with the four battalions being reduced in strength and combined into two- one Hawk (8th Battalion, 1st Artillery) and one Nike-Hercules (8th Battalion, 3rd Artillery). The battalions of the 61st and the 65th Artillery were returned to inactive status.

On September 14, 1971, both the 1st and 3rd Artilleries were redesignated as Air Defense Artillery, as a result of the realignment of the Army Artillery Regiments, and on 13 March, 1972, the brigade was redesignated from the 30th Artillery Brigade (Air Defense) to the 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

On November 21, 1969, in a joint communiqué, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato announced that the Government of Japan and the Government of the United States of America should enter immediately into negotiations for the reversion of the Ryukyu Islands to Japan. After extensive planning, the reversion of the Ryukyu Islands took place on March 15, 1972, terminating over 25 years of United States administration.

Included in the reversion agreements was an arrangement that Japan would assume the responsibility for the air, ground and maritime defense of the Islands not later than July 1, 1973. The Government of Japan agreed to deploy A Nike group (3 batteries), a Hawk group (4batteries) and appropriate supporting troops to Okinawa to carry on the surface-to-air missile role in the Air Defense Mission. Additionally the Government of Japan agreed to buy the U.S. equipment presently located on site.

A Surface-to-Air Missile Transfer Plan was jointly prepared by U.S. Army, Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) and Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) planners. The Nike missile systems were transferred to the JASDF and the Hawk missile system to the JGSDF.

In accordance with the Transfer Plan, on-site orientation and familiarization took place on Nike sites, with 30th ADA Brigade and JASDF advance party personnel working and living together on site. Brigade personnel manned the sites until transfer was complete.

When all facets of the transfer are complete, one of the significant phases of Okinawa Reversion will be finalized. The Brigade is proud to have been a part of such an historic event.

By the end of this month, the 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade will officially cease to exist as an active unit. Throughout its tenure on Okinawa the Brigade exemplified the highest spirit and tradition of the Air Defense Artillery. It is this spirit and tradition that saw the Brigade through 13 years of unceasing, 24 hour-a-day vigilance in the Ryukyus-13 years of duty best described by the Brigade’s motto: "Always on Target".

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

I still have my Japaneses playing cards. The only problem is that I have forgotten how to play the various games that I once knew. I guess I should have kept up on my skills.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/IMG_0282.jpg

My girl friend Junko taught me how to play a few games including solitaire. Is there a place on the web that has instructions on how to play games with these cards?

Regards

Ox

[ryukyuboi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanafuda

[Oxmix]

Okinawa 1968

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHvbtDz3bJI

Regards

Ox

[chiefk]

That must have come from an old 8mm, remember those!
It was interesting though and I haven't heard the Naminoue song for about 40 years. Naminoue was a very good party place!!!

[Oxmix]

That must have come from an old 8mm, remember those!
It was interesting though and I haven't heard the Naminoue song for about 40 years. Naminoue was a very good party place!!!

I have some reals of the B29 bomber FiFi starting it's engines, taxiing, taking off and doing a fly over as well as some other war birds.
All on 8mm.

I never went to Naminoue. I thought about from time to time but never did go. B.C., Gate 2 and Kin had all I needed.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

I found this on Ed Thelend's site. http://www.ed-thelen.org/history.html#Okinawa

Those of you who have read my posts here may recall that one of my jobs as Ordnance was to make sure that all of the cables were in good working order. This was a job that no one wanted to do. My agreement with my section chief was that I would do all of the dirty rotten jobs that no one else wanted to do for a guaranteed weekend overnight pass of which there were only 13 in my Company of over 300.

I never considered this a hazardous job, just boring. It was a simple matter of disconnecting a cable, installing the appropriate adapter on the on one end of the cable and connecting it to the machine. The machine would test the cable and make note if the cable had a problem. After the cable was tested we would reconnect the cable.

As I wrote before, one of my guys hooked one end of a cable up to the machine and was about to push the button to start the test when I noticed that the other end of the cable was still connected to the missile. I yelled as loud as I could to stop as he was about to push the button. Fortunately he did not push the button. If he had and the Bird launched, the result would have been more devastating than the article below. You see, we were underground in the magazine where the Nike missiles were stored. If one ignited all would have ignited. The resulting blast would have been spectacular and I would have had a front row seat.


Okinawa
There were persistent rumors about a horizontal accidental Nike launch in Okinawa -

From: Charles Rudicil. November 6, 1998
Ed, Doyle Piland asked me to send you what information I have on the accident that took place with a booster at Site 8 on Okinawa. I don't like to admit it, but my memory is not as good as it once was. I don't remember when it happened. And I didn't witness the actual accident. But I will relate to you what I can remember of the event, and maybe someone else can fill in the blank spots.

As you know, Site 8 was located at Naha Air Base and the Missile Support Shop was in Machinato. I worked in the support shop and can remember to this day the sound we heard when the accident took place. Having heard many launches before, we thought that was what it was, but we didn't see anything take to the sky so we all thought it must have been an explosion. It didn't take long for the facts to start coming in at the shop.

A sergeant and 2 others were doing 'stray voltage checks' using the Squib Tester. The tests were done above ground with the launcher in the down position. I don't know how many tests had been donebefore this one, but when the tester was applied to this one the booster ignited, sending booster and missile off the rail horizontally, travelling through the security fence, across the beach, and landing in the water off shore. Upon impact with the water, the missile broke up and the warhead skipped across the water like a flat rock before finally sinking.

The three launcher crewmen were killed instantly by the backblast of the booster, as I recall. Later I remember seeing the imprints of the Sgt's boots in the hardstand where he was standing directly at the rear of the booster. I was told that the boots had to be pried out of the hardstand.

Needless to say, it was extremely difficult to get anyone to do Stray Voltage Checks for a long time after that.

My recollection of the cause of the accident was that there had been a lot of water that had recently fallen and some of the cables were soaked and lying in water in their conduits throughout the launcher area. MICOM immediately did an investigation of the Squib Tester and fielded an urgent MWO to prevent such a thing from happening again. I know that for months, we support folks had a job of modifying Squib Testers and drying out cables. The cable DX program was never in greater demand!

I wish I could remember more of the details, Ed, but time has taken its toll on my mental facilities. Hope this will be of some use to you.

You are doing a great job with the Web Site. Keep up the good work.

Regards,

Charles Rudicil

From: Doyle Piland. Sun, 23 May 1999
Ed and Don[Bender]:

Attached is an account of the Accident with the Nike Hercules missile on Okinawa in 1959. This is the recollections of Timothy Ryan, who was there, on-site, at the time the accident happened. I suspect this is the most credible account we have seen. Later correspondence from Tim says the doesn't know if the missile had a Nuke warhead or not. Based upon that, I suspect it was a HE warhead. If it had been a Nuke, anyone that was there would have been interviewed and debriefed for hours and hours. I'm sure they would have known that there was something special about that missile.

Regards.
Doyle Piland

OKINAWA 1959
Nike Hercules Accident at Site 8 (Naha Air Base)

The 207th Ordnance Platoon arrived in Okinawa in January of 1959. We were stationed at the Machinato Army Post. Because of a backlog of work, we were temporarily assigned to assist the 96th Ordnance Detachment in performing direct support instead of our original mission as a heavy maintenance platoon. This temporary assignment lasted several months, if I recall accurately.

The accident occurred on a Friday, the very Friday that was our last day on direct support. As of the next Monday we were finally going to work as a heavy maintenance platoon which meant no more traveling to the sites. We arrived at site 8 which was at Naha Air Base and proceeded to start work, probably installing modifications, inside the launcher area, on one of the underground launchers just past the first launcher. I went back upstairs for something and was told by one of the battery officers to get my men out of the area, they were going into "blue-alert." I called downstairs for everyone to get out, we got into our truck and drove past the first launcher again.

We stood by the guards shack watching the preparations, this was interesting stuff for us Ordnance guys, because we never saw a missile battery go into action before. We were asked to move away from the launcher area because they were going to raise that missile. As we were walking away there was a tremendous explosion, I thought we were bombed by whatever plane caused this "blue-alert." We dove behind a building with dirt and stones raining down on us. When things stopped falling we got up and walked towards the launcher area. I heard people moaning and could see 2 or 3 men laying on the ground. I then realized that the launcher was still in the lowered position and that the missile was not there!

We ran inside the fence and tried to do whatever we could for those who were injured. One man, apparently the one who was attempting to connect the first cable to the back of the first booster, was dead with his leg blown off and a terrible head injury. I went over to another man who was badly injured but conscious with his fatigue jacket and undershirt completely blown off his body and his skin peeled and burned from the blast. I put my fatigue jacket over his upper body and my undershirt on his leg which was also injured. Other people were also busy helping all the other injured men.

Later I noticed that the cyclone fence, behind where the missile was positioned, was distorted from the blast and the guard shack, where we were standing earlier had the windows blown out. I walked up to the front of the launcher and saw a hole ripped in the fence where the missile had gone through it. The missile was several hundred feet away, down on what I think was a beach-like area. It was mangled pretty badly but still in one piece, I think.

We found out later that the suspected cause of the accident was a short in the launcher that was not detected by the squib tester which several people said they saw the man use before he attempted to connect the cable to the booster.

That is pretty much all I can recall about that awful experience. It is quite a bit considering it was 40 years ago. We were very fortunate that we were not among the injured or dead, we came that close.

I don't remember ever hearing about how many died or how the injured made out.

Tim Ryan

From: Carl Durling. February 7, 1999
Ed:
I arrived at the Naha site 18 January 1960. The incident was still very much under discussion, and as I recall it occurred around June or July 1959.

They had finished assembling the missile (Nuke) and were getting it ready to raise for electronic testing with the MTR. In the story previously given it is mentioned that the missile went across the runway. This was not the case. The Launcher Area was on the other side of the runways from the IFC area, and the launchers faced the open sea. A horizontal firing would have carried it through a fence, over a beach (patrolled by on-site MPs) and into the sea.

I know of only two people killed and one injured. Never heard about an MP being killed. The guard shack was not behind the missile launchers. As the replacement MTR operator, I was given a tour of the Launcher Area and was instructed about the preventative measures instituted because of the incident. There was debate as to whether the lock-on by the MTR may have caused the stray voltage.

Our radars were high enough to be able to lock-on while the missile was in the horizontal position. So, testing was sometimes done before the missile was raised in order to save time. This procedure changed, and no lock was allowed until the missile was vertical.
Carl Durling

Regards

Ox

[dustymars]

I remember then some idiot launched a Nike from Naha AB when I was there. We chalked it up to some draftee :)

[dustymars]

Does any of you nimrods know where this places in in Koza?

[Oxmix]

Does any of you nimrods know where this places in in Koza?

Looks like Gate 2 Street down by Moromi Street. I think It would be across the street from where the Gate 2 Garage is now.

Regards

Ox

[SGT_OKINAWA]

I found this on Ed Thelend's site. Ox

Good find, thanks for share.
Peace!:army:

[kombu_kid]

Does any of you nimrods know where this places in in Koza?

I was guessing Gate 2, on.....what is that, the north-side?......getting close to Kadena? That's my guess. If I'm wrong, I'll eat the banana.

[Old Timer]

I was guessing Gate 2, on.....what is that, the north-side?......getting close to Kadena? That's my guess. If I'm wrong, I'll eat the banana.


It should go down easy if lubricated properly. :first::cool:

[bobnsons]

Does anyone remember a band from the Philippines that played on Okinawa that featured the "Padilla Sisters"? They were on tour, I think, and appeared once in a while. I remember seeing them once, and they were really good.


Looks like I'm late getting here but we were on the Rock at the same time. If you come back you can correct me if I'm wrong but from what I can remember the band you're refering to had a singer that did an unbelivable Areatha Franklin Baby baby sweet baby, there' someting about you I gotta say.

One time I got lucky at the Ebb Tide and hit the big payout on a penny machine, won 5 bucks.

They also had a big hambuger, not really that good but sure beat what they served in the chow hall.

I was a jarhead and we had Camp Foster on the South end of Buckner. Like you our chow halls were the pits to start with and the cooks were selling our food to the houseboys. Just like you we stocked up on things to keep in the barracks to eat. I do remember there was a liquor store with a small store next to it. At the small store we would stock up on canned stuff and get a cherry pie.

I guess I must be the only one that remembers being so broke we drank at the bowling alley. The beer there was only a dime and served in a plastic cup. The idea was to see how many plastic cups you could stack up and if they would fall over.

Did you make the James Brown show? Best 25 cent concert I ever went to even if it was in a high school gym with no AC.

[Oxmix]

bobnsons.
What years were you on OKINAWA? If you were there in 1969, did you know a Marine supply Sgt. named John Para?

Regards

Ox

[bobnsons]

Funny you should ask, the Army tours were 12 months and our were 13 months.

I got on the Rock 2 weeks prior to Xmas 68 which meant I had the honor of spending 2 Xmas's there.

I didn't know the Sgt. you mentioned but I do remember both Xmas on the Rock. The first one I was the FNG and just amazed at what the salts did to celebrate the holiday.

When the 2nd one (69) came around I was the salt and did justice to my fellow jarheads before me. We had a Master Sargent who was going to make sure our tradition of excellence would not be continuted.

Xmas eve of 69 was a mission that will go down in the books. We took a cab and went to your side of the base as the Army had decorations and lights and we didn't. My apologies but we stole a bunch of your lights and decorations and took them back to our barracks.

We strung the lights and set up the decorations and got some radio guys to hardwire the lights into the squad bay light switch.

Right on schedule at 5:30 the MSgt came in and flipped the switch to ruin or Xmas. You had to be there when the Xmas lights came on and he knew he had been had.

Bob

[Oxmix]

Actually the Army tour was 18 months. The AF had a 3 year tour.

You're probably lucky that you didn't know Crazy John Para. He lived up to his name.

Regards

Ox

[bobnsons]

My apolgies for the intursion.

For some reason I thought I was responding to a question about a Philippine Band that played at the Ebb Tide.

I'll mossy on now.

Bob

[GarryK]

Up at 5:30am today, fired up the coffee pot, turned on the PC, then take care of mother nature’s urges. Open my email security program and find 3; deleted one as it was junk mail. Opened up email and read a joke. The next one was from JU stating that I hadn’t been there for awhile and that I should log on. Logged on and went to the Okinawa Forum.

Found Oxmix’s input on Okinawan Memories. WOW!!!! Spent the next 2 1/2 hours reading each and every input. Again WOW!!! Nearly every time I read an entry I would recall some of my happenings.

Ox was lucky he got to fly in. In January 1960 I reported to Oakland Army Terminal for movement to Okinawa. A few soldiers were fortunate and got to fly; not me. One morning me and 45 other Army guys were bussed over to the pier and boarded the Breckenridge, a troop transport ship. We sailed around 9am and went across the bay to Fort Mason and loaded up a gaggle (herd, covey, etc.) of dependents.

At around 4pm we set sail; what a gorgous sight sailing under the Golden Gate. Was told that we were heading for San Diego to pick up a Marine aviation unit (minus equipment) and we would have to pull duty that night then the Marines would take over. I got to be “Starboard Life Buoy” on the 2-4am shift and armed with a headset and mike was to announce ff someone went overboard. Otherwise don’t say anything. At around 3am I’m on an overhead attached to a mast near the aft of the ship and hear a faint voice over the headset announce “Prepare to blow the stacks.” What the hell? Stupid Navy term! A few minutes later “Blow the stacks.” Within moments I am showered with ash and soot particles. I found out on my own what “Blow the stacks” meant; dump in a vast amount of fuel oil into the boilers and the sudden intense heat will blow out the soot lodged in the chimney (stacks). The next morning the Marines took over all the duties except mess (KP) duty in the dependent dining facility. I volunteered; worked every other day but got to eat every meal there, sitting in a chair, at a table with cloth, eating off of dishes; drinking milk and getting plenty of fruit = we did have to go through the food line on our own but who’s complaining.

Twenty-one days later; with a only a 12 hour layover in Yokohama (another story) the Breckenridge arrives at the Army Port in Naha at around 9am, 17 Feb 1960. We 46 Army guys had been told to debark along with the dependents and go into the far left end of the warehouse and await instructions. Standing in ranks, “Folks going to the USA Transportation Group fall out to the right with Sgt Jones” (and he’s standing there waiving his arm). “Those going to the USA Quartermaster Group fall out to the rear with Sgt Smith.” Me --- all I have is orders saying I’m being assigned to Okinawa. They call out another group. Then - “PFC Koons, you are wanted by those 2 MP’s over to your right.” Damn, I haven’t done anything wrong; should I run? Where would I run to? I didn’t get into any trouble in Yokohama. Damn.

One of the MP’s told me to throw my duffle bag, and me, into the back seat of the jeep; I’m being assigned to the U.S. Army Military Police Group in Sukiran. WHAT A RELIEF. From the moment that Jeep exited the gate and made a left turn onto HWY 1, I fell in love with Okinawa. I’m surprised, even to this day, why I didn’t get whip lash from bouncing my head from side to side taking in all the views enroute to Sukiran.

As we are pulling into the barracks parking lot I noticed an MP sedan there unloading another soldier; SP5 Bob Schaffer who was on the same ship. Bob did not have to form up on the warehouse; he had a direct assignment and was met by an MP as soon as he got onto the pier.

More to follow as I try and put all the memories of Okinawa to paper (or in this case, in my PC document file).

Garry

PS - Looks as if I need to log on to JU more often.

[Oxmix]

My apolgies for the intursion.

For some reason I thought I was responding to a question about a Philippine Band that played at the Ebb Tide.

I'll mossy on now.

Bob

You aren't intruding. Without contributions these threads die.

The P band I remember at the Ebb Tide was called the Library. They seem to know every tune that was corrected and did a decent job playing them.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Ox was lucky he got to fly in..

I'm not sure when they started flying troops to Okinawa. A couple of my friends were sent to Korea by ship in 1965 and came back by plane in 1966.

Regards

Ox

[GarryK]

I forgot to include a picture of the Breckenridge in my posting.
Garry
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv32/GarryKoons/Miscellaneous/USSBreckenridge.jpg

[Spec4]

Thanks for the neat shot of the Breckenridge. I took it home 7/63. Most of the guys in my unit who departed before me were flying home. Found out just before I left that the military thought the troop transports shouldn't go back empty, so..... Was on board with about 50 GI's and several hundred Marines. Seeing the chicken shit the Marines had to go thru on the way home made me glad I was a GI. Got off the "boat" in Oakland 8/3/63 and was a civilian within 20 minutes. One would have to be on a troop transport to appreciate how miserable it was. Got to Okinawa on the USS Mitchell 11/61. I thought I was reliving scenes from Victory at Sea the way the ship rolled and pitched. I swear, at least one guy didn't eat for the 3 weeks it took us to get there. It was about 200 GI's and 1200 Marines roughly. The Marines seemed to barf in the head more than the GI's. Using the head was an adventure. Remember holding my feet of the deck so they wouldn't be in the barf.

[GarryK]

Thanks for the neat shot of the Breckenridge. I took it home 7/63. Most of the guys in my unit who departed before me were flying home. Found out just before I left that the military thought the troop transports shouldn't go back empty, so..... Was on board with about 50 GI's and several hundred Marines. Seeing the chicken shit the Marines had to go thru on the way home made me glad I was a GI. Got off the "boat" in Oakland 8/3/63 and was a civilian within 20 minutes. One would have to be on a troop transport to appreciate how miserable it was. Got to Okinawa on the USS Mitchell 11/61. I thought I was reliving scenes from Victory at Sea the way the ship rolled and pitched. I swear, at least one guy didn't eat for the 3 weeks it took us to get there. It was about 200 GI's and 1200 Marines roughly. The Marines seemed to barf in the head more than the GI's. Using the head was an adventure. Remember holding my feet of the deck so they wouldn't be in the barf.

The worst part of my venture on the Breckenridge was going through the ground swells as we glided close to and under the Golden Gate - had a momentary spell of wanting to barf but was able to get in grove with the pitching of the ship. Had one Army guy get sicker than hell and stayed that way all the way to Yokohama. Don't know what he did during out 12 hours ashore but he didn't have the same problem going to Okinawa.

We had one bad day at sea; had to be diverted from our original course to go around a typhoon that was still out there. Standing midship you could see the troughs between swells and you would swear that if there was another ship on the horizon you could see right under it. Going down the swell the stern would lift out of the water and the screws (propellers) would make the ship shudder like mad. Being on KP we would carry the 32-gal garbage can to the stern & dump it into the chute. Turn around facing forward and wait for the screws to come out of the water - the vibration was such that we would move forward 4 to 6 feet each time. Now the Marines had to have a formation on the deck adjacent to the dependent dinning hall; weapons and all. I'm looking out the port hole and could hear the Pltn Sgt call for shoulder arms. One poor marine in the rear rank (but about 3 feet from the rail) got his weapon going up and the ship plowed into a huge swell - over board went his M-1 and straight to the brig for him for not controlling his weapon. Who ever thought that KP would be a life saver and so much fun.

Respectfully, Garry

[TWSEditor]

Introducing myself to the audio radiance...I was on Okinawa twice...

First was as an Army brat from 1973-1976. My dad was XO of US Army Medical Materiel Command Pacific (USAMMAPAC) on Warehouse Row in the Machinato (Makiminato) Service Area.

Our family lived in upper Rycom Plaza (4272 Plaza -- or 4272 Easley Drive, since we never used an actual street address for mail), otherwise referred to as "Snob Hill", as it was where unit CGs, COs, XOs and senior DoD civilians lived (except those in the USAF). The Army CG's residence (Quarters 1) was just down the road from my house, as were the quarters for the commanders of other Army, Navy and Marine Corps units on the island.

When I was the there, the Top Of The Rock (TOTR) Officers Open Mess was still operating, as was the annex, The Ponderosa -- which also had the pool for all Plaza residents.

I attended Kubasaki HS from my sophomore through senior years, graduating from the campus in 1976. My younger siblings attended Sukiran (Zukeran) ES and Pacific Middle School (PMS). My mom was a member of the Okinawa Army Officers Wives Club and worked as a volunteer purchasing agent at their gift shop at Fort Buckner (now MCB Camp Foster). I spent all of my summers working as a paid Summer Hire employee -- doing everything from mowing lawns, painting transient quarters, moving furniture, issuing & inventorying warehouse stock, to moving cargo pallets. I did the standard teen stuff -- hung out with friends and classmates.

I was also a work-study at AFRT- (later FEN-) Okinawa, and also a member of the station's Explorer Post 190. Our home was just 3 homes down from the FEN studios...which made an easy "commute" for me after my work-study (and occasional staff fill-in) time.

[GarryK]

Please hurry - I am very anxious to read more chapters of this exciting story.
Respectfully, Garry

[chiefk]

When I was the there, the Top Of The Rock (TOTR) Officers Open Mess was still operating, as was the annex, The Ponderosa -- which also had the pool for all Plaza residents.

When I left in 1972 we had the mass squadron going away party/dinner at the Top of the Rock. I remember it as a very nice club. My wife (girlfriend then) came in a Kimono for the big party! I don't have any pictures of that but I wish I did.

[TWSEditor]

One thing TOTR had was a commanding view of the East China Sea side of the island, as it was built on a bluff overlooking the Chatan/Hamby AAF area...

[GarryK]

During my first tour (60-63) I transferred to the U.S. Army Signal Group in order to get a promotion. It was a very enjoyable assignment; I also met a guy there, James Porcelli, that became a life-long friend. Unfortunately cancer took Jimmy away a couple of years ago. James was a "Cable Dog" and did extensive travels working on the underground telephone and communications cables on Okinawa. He enjoyed passing on his knowledge of the communication system and one day while we were standing in front of the Fort Buckner Telephone Exchange he pointed to the radio relay comm tower that was on the bluff close by to the Top Of The Rock club. All the while we were standing on a man hole cover; just below us was the junction where telephone calls routed from North to South and vice versa entered and left the telephone exchange. That evening while enjoying some original San Miguel's from the PIs; with sausage and cheese his mom had sent from Staten Island, NY, we discussed how one hand gernade dropped down that man hole would disrupt North/South telephone communcations. We also discussed putting explosive charges on 2 of the legs of the relay tower so it would topple over the cliff. Comm that normally went from the HQ at Buckner to the relay tower to the tropospheric transmitting site on Mt Yei Daki would be disrupted and for a long time. (This was the days before satellite communications.) From that day on every time I drove in an area where I could see the TOTR club and relay tower I would visualize it falling over the bluff. Good thing that I worked for our Army.
Respectfully, Garry (First Sergeant (E-8), U.S. Army (Retired)

[MaryAnn]

Like TWSEditor, I was an Army brat in Okinawa, from 73-77. I went to Mercy Elementary, Zukeran, and PMS. We lived off base in Kitamae, then in Kishaba Terrace in Zukeran. I really loved Okinawa; I think it was an idyllic place to grow up. I'm glad my family got off base alot and made friends with the Okinawans my Dad worked with.

I am back here again now, but not associated with the military. It's weird to be back. I'm totally immersed in the Japanese world here now (work, living, etc.), so it's very different from the first time.

It's interesting to read about people's experiences here.

[Oxmix]

Like TWSEditor, I was an Army brat in Okinawa, from 73-77. I went to Mercy Elementary, Zukeran, and PMS. We lived off base in Kitamae, then in Kishaba Terrace in Zukeran. I really loved Okinawa; I think it was an idyllic place to grow up. I'm glad my family got off base alot and made friends with the Okinawans my Dad worked with.

I am back here again now, but not associated with the military. It's weird to be back. I'm totally immersed in the Japanese world here now (work, living, etc.), so it's very different from the first time.

It's interesting to read about people's experiences here.

Hope you have pictures from the 70's to share with us.

Regards

Ox

[MaryAnn]

Unfortunately, I don't have any with me, but my mother has plenty, so I'll scan them next time I'm in the US.

If I can figure out how to post a picture, I'll post the one I took today of what I think was our first house in Okinawa, in Kitamae. It was not quite so shabby when we lived in it.

[P_chan]

Unfortunately, I don't have any with me, but my mother has plenty, so I'll scan them next time I'm in the US.

If I can figure out how to post a picture, I'll post the one I took today of what I think was our first house in Okinawa, in Kitamae. It was not quite so shabby when we lived in it.

Too post a picture is wrap the direct url address of the picture in IMG tags like this.

{IMG}http://www.picturehostingwebsite.com/yourpicture.jpg{/IMG}

Just remove the {} symbols with [] symbols and you should be good:thumbup:

[MaryAnn]

hmm... what if it's just a picture from my computer?

[AIMHIGH]

During my first tour (60-63) I transferred to the U.S. Army Signal Group in order to get a promotion. It was a very enjoyable assignment; I also met a guy there, James Porcelli, that became a life-long friend. Unfortunately cancer took Jimmy away a couple of years ago. James was a "Cable Dog" and did extensive travels working on the underground telephone and communications cables on Okinawa. He enjoyed passing on his knowledge of the communication system and one day while we were standing in front of the Fort Buckner Telephone Exchange he pointed to the radio relay comm tower that was on the bluff close by to the Top Of The Rock club. All the while we were standing on a man hole cover; just below us was the junction where telephone calls routed from North to South and vice versa entered and left the telephone exchange. That evening while enjoying some original San Miguel's from the PIs; with sausage and cheese his mom had sent from Staten Island, NY, we discussed how one hand gernade dropped down that man hole would disrupt North/South telephone communcations. We also discussed putting explosive charges on 2 of the legs of the relay tower so it would topple over the cliff. Comm that normally went from the HQ at Buckner to the relay tower to the tropospheric transmitting site on Mt Yei Daki would be disrupted and for a long time. (This was the days before satellite communications.) From that day on every time I drove in an area where I could see the TOTR club and relay tower I would visualize it falling over the bluff. Good thing that I worked for our Army.
Respectfully, Garry (First Sergeant (E-8), U.S. Army (Retired)




good oh San Miguel beer from the PI...gotta love it man, brings back a lot of memories. Now the hot thing over there is Red Horse, stronger than San Miguel. They still have San Miguel beer over in the PI but everytime I go back to the PI with the wife all her family drinks the Red Horse. And Clark AB is still up but is now occupied by Filipino Forces...get the chills every time me and the family land Space-A there to do a visit with her family.

[P_chan]

hmm... what if it's just a picture from my computer?

If you have it on your PC you can either attach it or put it on an image hosting site.

I use image shack

http://imageshack.us/

[MaryAnn]

I thought I did attach it? can no one see it? Using the {img} {/img} trick, can I link to it on facebook? Sorry for the dumb questions. I'm not very good with computers...

[Oxmix]

good oh San Miguel beer from the PI...gotta love it man, brings back a lot of memories. Now the hot thing over there is Red Horse, stronger than San Miguel. They still have San Miguel beer over in the PI but everytime I go back to the PI with the wife all her family drinks the Red Horse. And Clark AB is still up but is now occupied by Filipino Forces...get the chills every time me and the family land Space-A there to do a visit with her family.

I like San Miguel. Unfortunately I can't get it here any more. No one in the state carries it. Next time I go to Wisconsin I'll see if they carry it in any of the liquor stores.

I had a case in the basement frig. One of my kids friends drank it, all except for 1 bottle. That was about 4 years ago.

Regards

Ox

[P_chan]

I thought I did attach it? can no one see it? Using the {img} {/img} trick, can I link to it on facebook? Sorry for the dumb questions. I'm not very good with computers...

Yes you attached it originally and it is there. You can also use facebook as your host just make sure you get the direct link to the image. For instance, I want to post this picture of my dog from my facebook. So I go to the picture, right click on it, and then select view image. Then I take the address in the url box (which is the direct link to the image) and wrap it in IMG tags and poof.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs018.snc3/12559_173846919470_613619470_2984409_197366_n.jpg

[MaryAnn]

Thanks, P_chan. I'll give it a try:

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs023.snc3/11060_1300582231955_1152417106_941256_3641332_n.jp g

[MaryAnn]

maybe this one will interest you more. Remember this place?

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs023.snc3/11060_1300583831995_1152417106_941295_2758176_n.jp g

[daveh5o]

maybe this one will interest you more. Remember this place?

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs023.snc3/11060_1300583831995_1152417106_941295_2758176_n.jp g

Thank you, Mary Ann. Frank's toys was my favorite store as a kid.