FISKE TIME 2
Previously, a few months after reporting aboard it was off we go on an 'Around The World' cruise. Another chance to widen my horizons, to see the Panama Canal and Central America, return to the Pacific and revisit San Diego, get a little tan and watch the monkies at Pearl City Tavern, Hawaii, and sail to the Philippines.
 |
| work, work, work |
I finished Part 1 having crossed the International Date Line (IDL). The only indication that the IDL was now behind us was the need for us to relive a day, in other words all clocks were reset 'back' 24 hours. I would not have complainted if we crossed on a Saturday of Sunday, that would give me a 3 day weekend. But didn't happen. We had a longer work week.
The sea at night is, well, it is dark. On a cloudy night, really dark. At least, being with other ships - DesRon 12 - there were running lights so you knew where you were and, during the day, those ships provided us with something to see.
To breakup routine there was always the tropical cyclones, or typhoons as they are called in the Pacific. These were/are like the Atlantic Ocean's hurricanes. Time to break-out the Saltines, the crackers that quelled many a stomach. Not a lot of eating during typhoon times, at least not greasy foods. Walking would present a challenge and was never, ever, straight. Balance... that was the key. One hand touching something solid as you moved along and to hold you steady. Ever seen a dog with a rag toy? Try being in that toy and you might have some idea how it is was to ride out a typhoon. Going out on deck was a no, no. Being outside could be hazardous to your health. I remember one guy who simply laid on the deck in our head (restroom) during this time, saved him trying to hurry on a rolling ship.
After almost two weeks we finally rounded the northern island of the Philippine Archipelago and the next day made port at Subic Bay, a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines. It has since been transformed into the Subic Bay Freeport Zone by the Philippine government but then, for us, it was home of the Naval Base Subic Bay, a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility, with emphasis on the 'rest and recreation' part, and it's liberty city Olongapo. Olongapo, our first foreign port in the Orient. Olongapo; dirty river, door-to-door bars, and all ours. Our home port and home away from home.
We didn't come all this way just to visit the honeys or go for a swim at the bay's Grande Island. Vietnam awaited. Besides, don't forget Hostile Fire Pay. All it took to qualify was a short stay inside the war zone. The extra pay wasn't much but it paid for all that Olongapo beer or gave us a little extra when we visited Hong Kong and Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
A few days into our first War Patrol we were told that not only would we get qualify for a tax exemption but also the Vietnam Service Medal, which was okay but that Hostile Fire Pay was more important. When we weren't offering gun fire support they had us escort and plane guard the carrier USS Ranger (CVA-61) or sometimes other carriers that were on 'Yankee Station'.
Seems I remember that it was during this time thy had us breakoff and accompany a USS Enterprise helo for a pilot pickup. This was considered Search and Rescue (SAR) duty even though our assistance wasn't all that much and the pilot rode back on the helo.
It was during that SAR duty we came under fire from a North Vietnam heavy shore battery masked behind coastal hills. Told not to engage, we just turned away and resumed our SAR patrol. OK, back to Subic Bay!
Still only line handlers to greet us but this time most knew where to go. Dumb Navy, it was common practice before we'd enter port for someone to read off all the places Shore Patrol outlawed. If we didn't know where the action was this sure told us. Now, Olongapo would only do something with that brownish (beep) River and those young divers, but they didn't. Thank goodness there was Grande Island.
Grande Island, located at the entrance of Subic Bay and included Fort Wint with its' WW2 gun emplacements that the Army provided as part of the harbor defenses of Manila and Subic Bays, became a popular place for us 'war torn' sailors to have a ship's party. The ship would provide the small boat transportation, liquid refreshments and food to barbeque while the island was ours to roam and the ocean to swim. Today it is named "Grande Island Resort" but we just knew it as Grande.
The significant event of our Subic Bay visit was the ship's Change of Command ceremony. When we left Newport Cdr. Ewing was our CO but now Cdr. McKinley was to relieve him. It was a spit and polish period of time and a chance for us to eyeball our new captain. Thinking back on it today, it doesn't make a lot of sense for everything and everyone to look so great knowing that within a few days all will change. I'm sure the new guy knews this but, hey, everyone did it.
I'm not going to bore you with details about other war patrols we went on, they were all pretty much the same. Oh, the ships may have changed but the details don't. But I do remember that after leaving and doing our Vietnam thing it was time to rejoin the Ranger and escort her to the Naval Station at Yokouska, or Yoko, in Japan.
Yoko would have made a better homeport than Subic Bay, at least in my opinion. I'd been here when I was stationed on USS Coontz (DLG-9) and little had changed... where sailors go, anyway. The was a small bar area called 'Submarine Alley' that was frequented by many of us. Never saw any submarines, tho. Saw lots of stands selling just about anything you'd want, lots of hostesses, but no submarines. After two weeks it was time to head back and qualify for Hostile Fire pay.
Another war patrol, our fourth, and more shoot'um ups and NGFS, Naval Gunfire Support, like before. Word quickly got around - scuttlebutt, you got to love it - that we would go to Hong Kong next. Suddenly time slowed down. It seemed like we were on the line forever. It wasn't, of course, but seemed like it.
At that time Hong Kong was a British Crown Colony. Later, the first of July, 1997 I believe, Hong Kong became the first Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. A short ferry ride away was Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, place we were warned to stay clear of... didn't work tho.
Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar was almost $8HK to the dollar which made shopping a popular activity. The one objection I had was the lack of a pier. We always had to anchor. Probably made Marry Soo and her side painters happy but having to catch a liberty boat wasn't convenient. Speaking of liberty boats, many a drunken sailor would ride back on the wrong one only to wakeup the next morning on a strange ship. Lol, that was probably worked faster than strong coffee. But, after a short stay it was time to return the Vietnam.
This war patrol proved to be a little more interesting than others. We got a unique chance to witness nighttime 'Arclight' raids, B-52 Stratofortress that did close air support, and what was called 'Puff' firing of AC-47 gatling guns in the area of the Mekong River delta. Impressive. But not as impressive as the long-legged girls of Kaohsuing, Taiwan, our next port of call.
I think the best liberty ports, for me, had to be Hong Kong and Kaohsiung. Why were all the good places so brief? But then R&R (Rest & Recuperation but we called it 'Rest and Recreation') had to be taken where ever it was offered. Kaohsiung eventually become the second largest city of Taiwan in the late 1970s but in 1966 all we cared about was how much it cost to take a hostess out of the bar, eh... not much. After about eight days we left for Subic Bay.
Subic was, well, Subic. The monsoon season had started so we often got pretty wet, but sailors won't melt. People must have gotten tired of the place because we didn't stay long but instead departed for our last war patrol, also a shot period, before heading home. Not Subic but our real home, Newport. Of course it wasn't back the way we came but "Westward Ho" but we had to cross the equator to do that.
As we transited the Singapore Strait it was announced we would soon cross the equator and enter the domain of King Neptune. The day before we crossed the 'Pollywogs' took over the ship, as was custom, but the 'Shellbacks' got their revenge the next day. This time I was a proud Shellback, having been initiated aboard USS Coontz. For those not in the know, Pollywogs (sailors of all ranks who have never crossed) only become Shellbacks after an initiation. In other words, they must suffer the pain and torment required when entering the realm of King Neptune, accompanied by Davy Jones. Most will recall this period as a fun time... humiliating, yes, and yucky, yes, but fun.
With short stops in less than memorable places like Penang, Malaysia and Cochin, India we joined the fifth fleet for the transit through the Red Sea then took our turn through the Suez Canal before entering the Mediterranean Sea. At this point we said hello to the six fleet who had us anchor off Piraeus, Greece - port of Athens - before heading for the "Pillars of Hercules", Gibraltar. Next up... the wondrous Atlantic Ocean and home.
Many of us wondered if we would EVER see to this ocean again. A few were sorry we did. Those of us who had family or friends waiting in Newport couldn't wait long enough, 'channel fever' was rampant. We had been around the world.
To breakup routine there was always the tropical cyclones, or typhoons as they are called in the Pacific. These were/are like the Atlantic Ocean's hurricanes. Time to break-out the Saltines, the crackers that quelled many a stomach. Not a lot of eating during typhoon times, at least not greasy foods. Walking would present a challenge and was never, ever, straight. Balance... that was the key. One hand touching something solid as you moved along and to hold you steady. Ever seen a dog with a rag toy? Try being in that toy and you might have some idea how it is was to ride out a typhoon. Going out on deck was a no, no. Being outside could be hazardous to your health. I remember one guy who simply laid on the deck in our head (restroom) during this time, saved him trying to hurry on a rolling ship. After almost two weeks we finally rounded the northern island of the Philippine Archipelago and the next day made port at Subic Bay, a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines. It has since been transformed into the Subic Bay Freeport Zone by the Philippine government but then, for us, it was home of the Naval Base Subic Bay, a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility, with emphasis on the 'rest and recreation' part, and it's liberty city Olongapo. Olongapo, our first foreign port in the Orient. Olongapo; dirty river, door-to-door bars, and all ours. Our home port and home away from home.We didn't come all this way just to visit the honeys or go for a swim at the bay's Grande Island. Vietnam awaited. Besides, don't forget Hostile Fire Pay. All it took to qualify was a short stay inside the war zone. The extra pay wasn't much but it paid for all that Olongapo beer or gave us a little extra when we visited Hong Kong and Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
A few days into our first War Patrol we were told that not only would we get qualify for a tax exemption but also the Vietnam Service Medal, which was okay but that Hostile Fire Pay was more important. When we weren't offering gun fire support they had us escort and plane guard the carrier USS Ranger (CVA-61) or sometimes other carriers that were on 'Yankee Station'.Seems I remember that it was during this time thy had us breakoff and accompany a USS Enterprise helo for a pilot pickup. This was considered Search and Rescue (SAR) duty even though our assistance wasn't all that much and the pilot rode back on the helo.
It was during that SAR duty we came under fire from a North Vietnam heavy shore battery masked behind coastal hills. Told not to engage, we just turned away and resumed our SAR patrol. OK, back to Subic Bay!
Still only line handlers to greet us but this time most knew where to go. Dumb Navy, it was common practice before we'd enter port for someone to read off all the places Shore Patrol outlawed. If we didn't know where the action was this sure told us. Now, Olongapo would only do something with that brownish (beep) River and those young divers, but they didn't. Thank goodness there was Grande Island.
Grande Island, located at the entrance of Subic Bay and included Fort Wint with its' WW2 gun emplacements that the Army provided as part of the harbor defenses of Manila and Subic Bays, became a popular place for us 'war torn' sailors to have a ship's party. The ship would provide the small boat transportation, liquid refreshments and food to barbeque while the island was ours to roam and the ocean to swim. Today it is named "Grande Island Resort" but we just knew it as Grande.The significant event of our Subic Bay visit was the ship's Change of Command ceremony. When we left Newport Cdr. Ewing was our CO but now Cdr. McKinley was to relieve him. It was a spit and polish period of time and a chance for us to eyeball our new captain. Thinking back on it today, it doesn't make a lot of sense for everything and everyone to look so great knowing that within a few days all will change. I'm sure the new guy knews this but, hey, everyone did it.
I'm not going to bore you with details about other war patrols we went on, they were all pretty much the same. Oh, the ships may have changed but the details don't. But I do remember that after leaving and doing our Vietnam thing it was time to rejoin the Ranger and escort her to the Naval Station at Yokouska, or Yoko, in Japan.
Yoko would have made a better homeport than Subic Bay, at least in my opinion. I'd been here when I was stationed on USS Coontz (DLG-9) and little had changed... where sailors go, anyway. The was a small bar area called 'Submarine Alley' that was frequented by many of us. Never saw any submarines, tho. Saw lots of stands selling just about anything you'd want, lots of hostesses, but no submarines. After two weeks it was time to head back and qualify for Hostile Fire pay.
Another war patrol, our fourth, and more shoot'um ups and NGFS, Naval Gunfire Support, like before. Word quickly got around - scuttlebutt, you got to love it - that we would go to Hong Kong next. Suddenly time slowed down. It seemed like we were on the line forever. It wasn't, of course, but seemed like it.
At that time Hong Kong was a British Crown Colony. Later, the first of July, 1997 I believe, Hong Kong became the first Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. A short ferry ride away was Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, place we were warned to stay clear of... didn't work tho.Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar was almost $8HK to the dollar which made shopping a popular activity. The one objection I had was the lack of a pier. We always had to anchor. Probably made Marry Soo and her side painters happy but having to catch a liberty boat wasn't convenient. Speaking of liberty boats, many a drunken sailor would ride back on the wrong one only to wakeup the next morning on a strange ship. Lol, that was probably worked faster than strong coffee. But, after a short stay it was time to return the Vietnam.
This war patrol proved to be a little more interesting than others. We got a unique chance to witness nighttime 'Arclight' raids, B-52 Stratofortress that did close air support, and what was called 'Puff' firing of AC-47 gatling guns in the area of the Mekong River delta. Impressive. But not as impressive as the long-legged girls of Kaohsuing, Taiwan, our next port of call.I think the best liberty ports, for me, had to be Hong Kong and Kaohsiung. Why were all the good places so brief? But then R&R (Rest & Recuperation but we called it 'Rest and Recreation') had to be taken where ever it was offered. Kaohsiung eventually become the second largest city of Taiwan in the late 1970s but in 1966 all we cared about was how much it cost to take a hostess out of the bar, eh... not much. After about eight days we left for Subic Bay.
Subic was, well, Subic. The monsoon season had started so we often got pretty wet, but sailors won't melt. People must have gotten tired of the place because we didn't stay long but instead departed for our last war patrol, also a shot period, before heading home. Not Subic but our real home, Newport. Of course it wasn't back the way we came but "Westward Ho" but we had to cross the equator to do that.
As we transited the Singapore Strait it was announced we would soon cross the equator and enter the domain of King Neptune. The day before we crossed the 'Pollywogs' took over the ship, as was custom, but the 'Shellbacks' got their revenge the next day. This time I was a proud Shellback, having been initiated aboard USS Coontz. For those not in the know, Pollywogs (sailors of all ranks who have never crossed) only become Shellbacks after an initiation. In other words, they must suffer the pain and torment required when entering the realm of King Neptune, accompanied by Davy Jones. Most will recall this period as a fun time... humiliating, yes, and yucky, yes, but fun.With short stops in less than memorable places like Penang, Malaysia and Cochin, India we joined the fifth fleet for the transit through the Red Sea then took our turn through the Suez Canal before entering the Mediterranean Sea. At this point we said hello to the six fleet who had us anchor off Piraeus, Greece - port of Athens - before heading for the "Pillars of Hercules", Gibraltar. Next up... the wondrous Atlantic Ocean and home.
Many of us wondered if we would EVER see to this ocean again. A few were sorry we did. Those of us who had family or friends waiting in Newport couldn't wait long enough, 'channel fever' was rampant. We had been around the world.
 |
| Welcome Home |
No comments:
Post a Comment