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Master and Commander
Posts: 2360
| Subject: Lovely weather you have here...
...shame there is no snow though! lol
How come you lucky East Coasters are having all the fun whilst I am here in Belvidere, 13f but no snow?
Life just ain't fair!
Blue *_* |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Welcome to sunny California Blue. We have been in a drought situation for three years but for some reason the forecast is rain for the next week.
I plan to be aboard the Pampanito on the 11th to finally meet you in person. I had to promise my wife lunch on the pier so hopefully Kathy will be with you.
T.Spoon, DBF |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 186
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Your right Blue! Conditions are so severe here in Ft. Pierce, Fl. that the snowplow has my driveway blocked. No! Wait! That's not the snowplow, it's the lawnmower.
Joe'the'Most |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2540
Location: Wappingers Falls, NY | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Dear Blue,
Thank you for bringing your lovely winter weather with you...it's about 19 degrees here in the foothills of the Catskills and the snow is
coming down...AGAIN...there was a little break...for all of about 30 seconds...and when they close the schools in NYC...you know
it's bad.
All I can hope for...is that you bring that lovely CA weather with you when you come East...and I don't mean the rain.
Oh, also...I want to also thank you for bringing the "entertainment"...let me elaborate...if anyone was just watching the "Today Show",
it's "Australia Day", and they flew in 3 of the dancers from the Chippendale's show in Las Vegas called "Thunder from Down Under"...so,
"Good Day, Mate"...
Have a great time out there...and safe trip East.
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Welcome Stateside, Mate. You just got here so standby the weather will change on your account. 
Sure would be nice if Patti would not post those indecent pictures.
Edited by Ralph Luther 2009-03-02 8:54 AM
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Master and Commander
Posts: 2360
| Subject: Yes, Kathy will be there on the 11th....
....and we are both looking forward to catching up with old and new shipmates alike.
My 3rd time visiting CA since I first came onto the BBS's so 3rd time lucky to meet you!
We haven't made any plans as yet with SOB wrt to wat time we are meeting up a Fisherman's Wharf on the 11th. Do you have any idea what time?....and I am assuming we are meeting at the PAMPANITO.
Cheers, looking forward to it.
Blue *_* |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 2360
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
lol...I am sure those knee deep in snow can see the funny side of that comment!
Blue *_* |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 2360
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
miss lumpy bumps - 2009-03-02 9:41 PM
Oh, also...I want to also thank you for bringing the "entertainment"...let me elaborate...if anyone was just watching the "Today Show",
it's "Australia Day", and they flew in 3 of the dancers from the Chippendale's show in Las Vegas called "Thunder from Down Under"...so,
"Good Day, Mate"...
Have a great time out there...and safe trip East.
Must have been a replay as Australia Day is the 26th of January!
Blue *_* |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 2360
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Yes Ralph, I believe the weather is warming up, here in Belvidere at least.
Blue *_*  |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2693
Location: New Jersey | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Patti,
While we have snow here in Lower, Slower, your photo reminds me why we moved from Rockland County to Delaware. Sun is peeking in and out here and hopefully the snow will begin to melt tomorrow...too cold today for that....25 and holding. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1263
Location: Va.Beach,Va. | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Blue, I hope you get all this foolishness out of your system by St Patty's Day.
Don't bring any of it to DC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Blue,
The best place to meet is at the Pampanito. We should get there mid-morning depending on the traffic.
I think SOB gets there about that time also. They open the pier about 0900 or earlier if you can yell loud enough to get their attention. Be good to finally get to meet you in person.
I have tried to explain your and Kathy's courtship to my wife and she is anxious to see if I am really telling her the truth.LOL She did make a dependents cruise aboard the Ronquil in 1967 so understands us enough to not question that which seems strange.LOL
See you then,
T.Spoon, DBF |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
Location: Belleview, Fl | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Ah my friend Blue must be headed EAST because for the first time in a couple of years we had snow last night on post and it snowed on and off all day, the surrounding areas had 4 inches of snow last night and we only had 2 on post.. Welcome back Blue, wish that I could buy you that beverage of choice but I won't be able to attend Ron's celebration of life due to being in school and I cannot get out of it.
Darrin |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2540
Location: Wappingers Falls, NY | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
And here I thought you might have brought them to "appease" the old lady over here...
oh well!!!
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1835
Location: Boydton, Virginia | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Blue and Tim Spoon in San Francisco at the same time. Oh My God! Now that just ain't safe. Two of the worst rascles that ever ventured into the oceans depths. The Pamp will never be the same. It is my duty to inform you Blue that that TSpoon guy will fill your ear about the "days of yesteryear" on the old boats, and Tim, Blue will charm your wife right outta your hands. LOL Wish I could be there to keep Ya'll straight.
Steamboat sends |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 2360
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Darrin - 2009-03-03 3:24 AM
...Welcome back Blue, wish that I could buy you that beverage of choice but I won't be able to attend Ron's celebration of life due to being in school and I cannot get out of it.
Darrin
Yes that's a shame Darrin, but, I have no doubt there will be another time......"I'lll be baaaaack" - especially when there's an offer of a drink involved! lol
Blue *_* |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 186
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Hey Blue! I'm going to be in Disney World in Florida next week. Wanna meet me there?
Joe'the'Most |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Blue, As Steamboat and I both sailed aboard the Balao on her last sojourn to Gitmo in 1963 I think we both have some yarns that would make a scullery maid blush. Perhaps said scullerymaid participated in some of the yarns.
And Steamboat you know Marvins brother went to the Catholic Seminary across the street from my high school on the post WWII GI Bill and is a priest in SF, that will be our first, second, and last stop on a day of wanton revilery. But as Kathy and my young bride will be with us perhaps we will skip the fun and attend a few museums.
There is the beer museum and the topless dancers 'show and review' daily over in Polk Gulch.
The mind wanders but the wife corrects all deviations.
T.Spoon, DBF |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
Location: Belleview, Fl | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Maybe the next time right Blue?? am looking forwards to it shipmate |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2561
Location: Rapid City, SD | Subject: Now, Mr. Fulton -
I think youse boys are makin' stuff up about Blue. When he visited Elmer & me in Rapid City, he was a perfect gentleman!!
And, Blue...I know Slim isn't with us any more, but when you comin' back to the 'Outback?'
Cora |
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Old Salt
Posts: 489
Location: San Freakcisco CA area | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
>>>She did make a dependents cruise aboard the Ronquil in 1967 so understands us enough to not question that which seems strange.LOL
"UNDERSTANDS .... STRANGE???" What is there to understand -- after all, she married you, didn't she?
I'll be there by 0700 and have a key to the door and gate, so come in anytime - just call the watch office 775-1943 if you don't spot one of us face-down out on the pier somewhere!  |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Actually SOB I dazzled her with West Pac trinkets, you know the $45 sets of Nortake Chine (service for 12), a set of shiny stainless flat ware, a string of Pearls from the vendor topside in that large exchange building, a set of crystal stem ware (which I broke most of by sitting on the box), a couple of genuine ruby and sapphire rings from Hong Kong, a couple of those Japanese dolls in a glass box, and one of those Japanese black lacquer jewelry boxes.
The Ronquil returned on 22 Feb, 1967 and we married on 4 March 1967.
That is 42 yers ago today.
Still have the Nortake, the jewlery box, the string of pearls, and the wife.
See you all on the 11th.
T.Spoon, DBF |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1107
Location: Tucson AZ | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
TSpoon - 2009-03-04 11:47 AMActually SOB I dazzled her with West Pac trinkets, you know the $45 sets of Nortake Chine (service for 12), a set of shiny stainless flat ware, a string of Pearls from the vendor topside in that large exchange building, a set of crystal stem ware (which I broke most of by sitting on the box), a couple of genuine ruby and sapphire rings from Hong Kong, a couple of those Japanese dolls in a glass box, and one of those Japanese black lacquer jewelry boxes.The Ronquil returned on 22 Feb, 1967 and we married on 4 March 1967.That is 42 yers ago today.Still have the Nortake, the jewlery box, the string of pearls, and the wife.See you all on the 11th.T.Spoon, DBF
She (my ex) got the Noritake, the flatware, and the pearls; I got my clothes, and the oldest vehicle. LOL.
'Large exchange building'? The one outside the gate? Yokosuka? You must be talking about the Alliance Club. 
$10 (in MPC, of course) would get you ~3,600 yen and a sailor could get a pretty good liberty out of that: dinner at the Alliance, the 'special' at one of the local hotsi bath places, then get a heat on at the Starlight and/or the Whitehat clubs. But keep your eye on the clock - Cinderella liberty, you know! If you didn't make it back to the base before midnight, the gate guards would make life difficult, to say the least.
Them were the daze oops - days.
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Plankowner
Posts: 9175
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
She (my ex ) got the Noritake, the flatware, and the pearls; I got my clothes, and the oldest vehicle. LOL. 'Large exchange building'? The one outside the gate? Yokosuka? You must be talking about the Alliance Club. $10 (in MPC, of course ) would get you ~3,600 yen and a sailor could get a pretty good liberty out of that: dinner at the Alliance, the 'special' at one of the local hotsi bath places, then get a heat on at the Starlight and/or the Whitehat clubs. But keep your eye on the clock - Cinderella liberty, you know! If you didn't make it back to the base before midnight, the gate guards would make life difficult, to say the least. Them were the daze oops - days.
I remember that place. Had like 3 or 4 different clubs inside depending on what kind of music you liked. Had really great food. Ate there as long as my money held out.... Ahhh, ..the Starlight... Got drunk there until the money ran out.... finally fixed the money bit. Had a mess crank on board who was dink. He wanted pictures of Japan. He gave me money and his camera to record the country... :-) Sadly I the spent the money on booze and his camera ate his film.
Club Alliance had a liquor store. $1.25 bought a bottle of anything you wanted.
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1107
Location: Tucson AZ | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Ric - 2009-03-04 6:26 PM Club Alliance had a liquor store. $1.25 bought a bottle of anything you wanted. Ah yes! Cheap booze, cheap ciggie-butts, free coffee ... the Navy certainly started me down a path resembling a health-nut's nightmare. At least I've kicked the butts. You'd take the bottle you bought and head for your boat's hangout, and hand the bottle over to the barkeep. S/he'd label it with your ID, and keep it back-bar for you until it was a dead soldier. All you did was pay for 'set-ups' (glass, bowl of ice, and your choice of mixer ), and you 'poured your own' out of your private bottle. I was amazed when we stopped there 6 months later and my half-bottle was still there! Oh yeah! The bowl of ice cubes came with chop sticks; picking up ice cubes and transferring them to my glass was how I acquired some deftness with those implements. Look at the Alliance Club photo, and you'll see two small open windows just right of the tower ... those windows were in a head located above the 3rd floor. How do I know? A bunch of us were trapped in the Alliance Club when a massive protest demonstration was put one by people protesting a nuke boat that came in; it came down the boulevard that separated the A Club from the base main gate, so the SPs wouldn't let us attempt to make it back on base until the marchers were clear. I watched from one of those windows, looking down as tens of thousands angry chanting Nipponese, carrying torches and big indecipherable banners marched by. I was impressed! |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9175
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
A bunch of us were trapped in the Alliance Club when a massive protest demonstration was put one by people protesting a nuke boat that came in;
That wasn't late March or early April of 1968 was it? Could have been us. |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 217
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Flapper, I was there. And, it wasn’t a nuke boat that caused the uproar. It was the Pickerel, which came in on batteries. I was a lookout as we came in, and a news helicopter overflew us. It mistook us for a nuke because we had no exhaust. Later that night, while at the Club Alliance, I saw us on TV.
I remember being on the roof of the Club Alliance, and watching the riot. Don’t ask me how we got up there, or why. I remember seeing overturned police cars burning. I also remember taking a cab back to the base, and just outside the main gate getting caught in the demonstrators, who beat on the windows until the riot police laid into them with those long batons they had.
The riot police were very good at what they did. I recall that for several days after the riot they exercised and drilled just inside the main gate of the base.
Who knows? Maybe we bumped into each other that night.
This was in late 66 or early 67. |
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Old Salt
Posts: 489
Location: San Freakcisco CA area | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
BONEFISH damn near caused me to miss Christmas leave in 60 when she came into Yokosuka in early December. I'm not sure that this was the first B-Girl visit to Japan but with that advanced hull design, the JNs thought she was a nuke and the whole base was locked down for several days. I don't remember for sure but I seem to recall that they were dumping their exhaust thru the snorkle exhaust mast and that really got the locals' skivvies all knotted up because the lack of exhaust and cooling water overboard "confirmed" that they were a nuke boat.
I swear, Sun Laundry had a better intelligence network than CIA. Maneuvering watch coming up Sagami Wan was several hours long but even with hull numbers painted out, the greeting at the sub pier in Yoko was always spectacular, complete with WELCOME USS WHATEVERFISH banners and at least 4 of those 3-wheeled delivery vans ready to pick up your laundry - or deliver whatever you left behind from the last time in port. Despite the fact the town was going nuts with anti-nuke boat demonstrations and the gates were barricaded shut, Tony Shima and his laundry girls were pierside when BONEFISH pulled in.
Whoever organized those protests could pull off a 5-star production in the bat of an eyelash. If you were in Tokyo or Yokohama and saw thousands of school kids headed towards the train, you knew damn well Yokosuka was just about to start boiling. I was there for the USS TOM GREEN COUNTY incident if anyone recalls that one - a drunken sailor murdered a Japanese policeman and those demonstrations were real, I do mean REAL. Yokosuka Sasebo, and even Iwakuni were nailed shut, trucks parked inside against the gates, high pressure fire hoses rigged, and Marines being brought in from Okinawa to reinforce the base companies. The Japanese riot police [omarisan] were poetry in motion with those nightsticks they used.
Really rough life, but someone had to do it, right?
Edited by SOB490 2009-03-05 6:12 AM
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Senior Crew
Posts: 228
Location: San Diego, CA | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
The Barbel pulled into Yokosuka in '67 and we had to make lots of smoke so the population wouldn't think we were a nuke. We had tours come through so they could see that we had diesel engines.
Of course when we were re-fueling, we pumped some fuel into the harbor which made them very mad. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1645
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
I got on the Pickerel in mid 67, and I missed this event. Was it in Hong Kong or Yoko? Scrivener, is this where you and your '45 defended the Pickerel in Hong Kong Harbor as top side watch? Where was the Club Alliance? I thought I hit every bar in Pearl, Yokosuka, and all the bars in the Wanchi district of Hong Kong - I was looking for Suzie Wong. |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9175
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
We were there in the spring of 1968 and were a nuc. The Japanese kept "patrol" on us with a small boat dragging what looked like a Clorox bottle behind them hoping to find nuclear contamination. The day a bunch of us hopped the train to Tokyo was the day of our "riot". We could see them forming up in the side streets.
I remember learning you had to walk down the center of the street in Thieves Alley or you risked getting yanked to the the shops. The guys standing in the doorways had to keep one foot inside their shops by law and if they could reach you you were fair game to be a "customer". When you got loaded and were staggering down the street you could end up buying almost anything. |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 217
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Gil,
The best I can recall, it was in late 66. We left Yokosuka for Pearl in January, 67. I don't think it happened in January, because on the night in question I ran an errand for a shipmate who was restricted because he was behind in his quals. By January we had all qualified.
Club Alliance was in Yokosuka, real close to Thieves Ally. |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 561
| Subject: RE: Lovely weather you have here...
Hey, The Ronquil was there from about Aug 1966 until we hit San Diego on 22 Feb, 1967. We were in that big dry dock having our bottom painted right after we got to Yokosuka. Due to the rain our 7 day dry docking turned into about a 13 day one. They would sand blast, it would rain, they would sand blast, it would rain, wait to dry, sand bast, and over and over for almost two weeks. Hard on a guy who had budgeted his funds for a week and then having to stretch them into two weeks.
One night , right after moving to the dry dock, the SP's offered us a ride back from the White Hat and as we rode we sang bawdy sailor songs about the parentage or lack of, of the SP's. They were not real happy with us. We got to the Sub nest and they escorted us across to our boat. When we reached the last boat, about 4 out, there was no Ronquil which mystified us and pissed off the SP's. Suddenly I remembered, we had moved that afternoon so back in the wagon we went. Talk about some pissed off SP's getting more pissed off when we asked them why they didn't know where to take us.LOL It was fun but did start a cruise long feud with them. I think I received in total about 4 free SP rides that cruise.
Club Alliance was on the main road in front of the base, to the right, and Submarine Alley, a spur of Thieves Alley, was right behind it. Stop in either the Acey/Ducy for a bottle or Club Alliance for a bottle. Or get one at each. Something about a ration card. If I remember a fifth of Bacardi was about .95 or a quart about $1.15 and a bottle of Coke for mix was twenty five cents. You could stretch a quart of Coke for about three quarts of rum. Being able to check your bottle was a real gift. One night I checked a quart of BAcardi, about two inches left in it, and the next night I handed them my claim check and they gave ma one about two thirds full. Sort of magical and I thought I woudl try again the next night. Unfortunately it didn't always work that way and I only got a half bottle of Ten High which sold for about 45 cents a fifth. Bad trade.LOL
The walk back to the base at the witcihng hour was an obstacle course of lighted yo-yo's, magic boxes that would snatch a coin off it, and other Japanese treasures for the foks back home.
The exchange rate at Club Alliance was around 365/370y to a dollar.
T.Spoon, DBF and thinking about a Nikka Mezou, skosh lemon(sp) |
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Lovely weather you have here...
