We Had A Party...In Todays Navy I'd Be Arrested!

[John Rogers]

A tad over 40 years ago I was stationed on the USS Bainbridge, CGN25 also called the Grey Ghost. Well that was near the end of my drinking and hard party days and as far as I know most of the guys that were on there with me are dead now or at least not on Pelican.

So anyways I was watching a Korean electric violin player and she reminded me of one night in Pusan or Busan Korea. We had been doing a bunch of at sea stuff and the guys who worked for me in #2 engine room were burnt out nearly so we finally got a week in Korea at the above mentioned port. My senior 1st class said to me......"hey chief, you know we have NEVER used our welfare and rec fund money in at least 6 or 8 years"! So I checked and it was enough to buy our own nuc cruiser, so on the first day at anchor I said see what sort of bar we can find and "rent" for the night, drinks included and maybe some girls too! He found one and the owner was very happy to rent to us, everything and even use his limo to pick us all up at the pier! So I put in the request, the division officer okayed it as did the chief engineer and away to the supply officer the request went! I got a huge check the next day and the following day the #1 plant chief covered for me as did his guys covered mine. We got there about 4PM or so as my memory is hazy any more. Gave him the check and he went to the bank so fast it was deposited in 15 minutes! One of my guys way late and I worried something had happened and in he walks with a huge couple trays of cold cuts, bread and salads and such? He said since it was a sanctioned division party we were allowed to have dinner!!!!

Well all went well as you can imagine and there were more bar girls than guys and lots of Korean beer and we had to hit the hotel (above the bat, free) before midnight as there was (might still be?) a midnight curfew and anyone on the street was considered a North Korean and shot on sight!!!! I managed to get back to the ship by noon the next day and I found out the engineer was so mad he tried to stop payment on the check.......but was tooooooo late. The morale in #2 hole went through the roof and the CO, T.A. thought it was pretty funny. If anyone has pulled a fast one feel free to add it here, make sure your better half knows about it though.
John

[Zeke]

That will be hard to top.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Zeke

That will be hard to top.

Hold my beer.

I spent over $3k of shared helo detachment funding in the Philippines in 1987.

Not what you think. I remember I posted it here before so let me do a search. I spent a look of time in many different asian countries.

Mr. Rogers, well done...good on your CO as well. There are only so many days between fun a man can comfortably stand.

BTW, I started my first squadron tour in 1984. The Navy was a drinking man's game in those days. I can remember Friday afternoons at Pacers in San Diego with my CO/XO, Department Heads and my guys, then driving home...the culture needed to change and it did.

Thank god.

[quicksix]

I can neither confirm nor deny this happened.

[fireant911]

29 years ago the Engineering Department off of the USS-Hewitt DD-966 had a similar party while we were in the Philippines. We each paid, as my memory serves me, $10 each. In return, the bar prepared this HUGE buffet of food and all of our drinks were free for the day. There was also names drawn from a hat for... well, you Navy guys know... No 'fast ones' were pulled here but a GREAT time was had by all!!! I am the guy on the far right in the red shirt. And no, this picture is not rotated, this is how we were in that part of the world!

Speaking about being arrested now... how about the way the 'crossing the equator' ceremonies used to be!!!

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I can remember Friday afternoons at Pacers in San Diego

I remember Pacers. I think I was there in 1987, Bachelor party for my future brother-in-law.

Why does every bachelor party end up at Pacers?

[Rikao4]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

The Navy was a drinking man's game in those days. I can remember Friday afternoons at Pacers in San Diego with my CO/XO, Department Heads and my guys, then driving home...the culture needed to change and it did.

Thank god.

Army was no different..
except it was the NCO clubs..
MP's brought TOP to the ER around midnight for BA..
blood sample going for eval to Lab in AM 'accidently broke' ..
per PA guidance....
sadly..the dumb smug didn't go to sleep..
he went back out..
and was nabbed again..
he was gone by Monday morning formation..

Rika

[ted]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I remember Pacers. I think I was there in 1987, Bachelor party for my future brother-in-law.

Why does every bachelor party end up at Pacers?

Pacers "Just a kiss away"
We were going there for lunch during the 90s, unfortunately it closed down a few years ago.
Still it was mild compared to Thailand and the PI.
A Navy party on the Grande Island was winding down and we were each given a case a beer as the party broke up.
The military was the best thing that happened to me.

[matthewb0051]

I remember the days of "what goes on (during) TDY stays on TDY".

The Army is zero defect now. One false move as an officer or senior NCO will likely end up in a reprimand that is a career ender. I've written hundreds of those and defended a bunch more.

Seahawk is right, times needed to change for safety sake. But the pendulum swung just a bit too far.

In addition, the rules of the morale fund probably wouldn't allow such an expenditure these days.

Except for the drinking and driving, I prefer the old days. In the later years of my career people were just too uptight

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by fireant911

Speaking about being arrested now... how about the way the 'crossing the equator' ceremonies used to be!!!

Even though I am not not in any of the pics, I know I am going to regret the below.

First cruise, on an FFG. I actually went and found the pics and scanned them in. Yikes!

My OinC is the Wizard:



There is also a beauty contest either the day of or the day before. We may have been at sea too long. The CO is to the left in the first pic. Great dude.:





Yep, definitely underway for too many days:

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Even though I am not not in any of the pics, I know I am going to regret the below.

First cruise, on an FFG. I actually went and found the pics and scanned them in. Yikes!

My OinC is the Wizard:

Jeez, that is crazy.

After my dad died I found his certificates for Equator crossing. That was the 1950's. I shudder to think what went on then.

[John Rogers]

I crossed the equator the first time on the Enterprise when we moved from VA to CA after the refueling. The Marine detachment went first then any guests and one was a WW2 retired admiral with a wooden leg who had never crossed! Then alphabetical order and fortunately Reactor department was down the list aways BUT we still had to crawl from our berth compartment to the hanger bat then up an elevator then all around the flight deck! Too about a week for my hands to heal up (I had insulation under the knees of my dungarees) so my knees weren't too bad! The grease we had in our hair turned out to be water based so it washed right out with a fire hose!

On the USS Truxtun CGN35 we stopped dead in the water at the date line and equator so we could go swimming and also the whole crew be Golden Shellbacks, 99.9% already were shellbacks.
John

[Arizona_928]

Well now that would get you a sharp flag and chapter.

The pendulum did swing and it's more lock down than fun. Still have great memories of lower enlisted shamming,
the barracks bunnies, barracks brawls, lock downs when it came to inventory, monthly pt tests, mass punishment **** **** games. Great fun, great friends, class vs class hunger games style chess...