Subic Bay sure brings back alot of memories for me. That was the first real overseas port that I went to. I remember crossing that bridge for the first time. It was far better then anything I could ever have imagined. I was 18 years old and all that booze and all those ladies at my fingertips. Needles to say almost every trip to Olongapo was followed by a trip to sick bay to see Richard for those nasty shots.
How about the chicken on a stick (or monkey meat) that the street vendors used to sell. When you got drunk enough it was great. What was that green beer called? That was like drinking liquid ex-lax. How about the cattle car rides from the gate to the ship.
I went back to Hawaii about 6 years ago. There have been a lot of changes there. I went to the memorial which I never did the whole 2 1/2 years I was stationed there. I couldn't get into the base. Not really knowing where Cochrane was for sure I was hoping to get a glimpse of the old 21,but it wasn't to be. I went down to WaiKiKi and there among all the new high rise hotels was the apartment building where I shared an apartment with McCoy and Murphy. That really brought back some memories for me.

That beer was called San Miguel, and I think you can buy it here but not the same piss they sold us over there. Also, I remember eating that "monkey meat." I only hoped that they just called it that.

Nah---it really was monkey on a stick---or cat on a stick

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or was that dog on a stick or who knows. but if it hasn't gotten you yet

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watch out.

Yes, Richard Cooper, I remember you well. You racked in the OPS compartment. I also remember the chlorine in the water. It was so strong it burned your eyes before it got to your lips. Made the canned milk they served taste pretty good.

Regarding Subic and the "shots", my favorite memory was of an OE Division shipmate (no names, please, but he was from MS and drove a Harley when he could) who got a social infection his second trip there. He complained that on the first trip the lady in question was quite safe, and he just couldn't understand how the trouble arose on the second visit with her a year or so later. Some wag in the compartment noted that the lady had probably seen several miles of sailors' social appendages in the interim!

Re Sickbay and the corpsmen. I still have some less than happy memories of Navy life. I'm sure we all do. But one of the nearly unqualified positives was the medical and dental care. I remember one of the Chief Corpsmen (was it Estabrook?) going out of his way to make sure I didn't get a reaction to one (plague) of the many shots you guys gave when I thought I had had a mild reaction earlier. Still remember the good treatment in that area, from boot camp thruout active duty. Only glitch was at separation in TI when they whizzed me out the door despite a mild hearing loss which continues into older age. To this day, I believe the high speed blowers I slept very near to and the firing gunmmounts I slept under on my second DDG dunnit.

Paul, read the section about the chlorine in the water. Trust me, it isn't what you have been thinking it was for 35 years. There is another whole story that you guys don't know, and I'll tell you in Brownsville. I just don't want to accuse here. Just know, I didn't mess up the water. It was someone else.
I always liked Subic, but knew that when we left my work began. I remember that person with the Harley. He probably thought that she would be true to him forever, and that he was her #1 Joe.
Estabrook was really a good corpsman. The thought that they sent us out there to do the work of doctors sometimes. I spent a couple of years in the Air Force Reserves after I got out of the Navy. The Navy did a good job training us compared to the Air Force.

Richard, always thought quite highly of you guys. Only person that I had trouble with was a dentist that wanted to cut my jaw in four places. Never did go back to Him.