Subic/Olongapo 1990-91
I'm doing some research and would appreciate feedback from those who were station dito at Cubi or SRF in 1990-91. Personally, I was there in the early 80's so much of my recollection is irrelevant for what I am looking for. 1. Bars and hotelsWhat memorable bars and hotels were around at that time? I remember a few from my time, but I'm sure they were long gone. 2. The JungleWas this still a thing in 90-91? Anyone remember bars from there? 3. SR FenceWhen did the fencing go up on the bridge…
Read more…
Comments
Tied up in Subic Bay a couple of times in 1960. I still remember the rainy
season. Liberty at 1600 and rain at 1630 every day...Good times there
in those days...
Wow nice story Jackie!! I added you as a friend,when you get around to it check out my pictures here.
Actually, I spent more time at NAS cubi Pt., but Olongapo was still the "ville" where I donated lots of Peso's to the economy. In 61 and 62, I was aboard the USS Midway as part of the Helo crew, we always tied up to the pier at Cubi Pt. I have lots of fond memories of Po City, somewhere I've got pix taken in one or two of the bars. There was just one rule I remember, any street that wasn't paved, was off limits, we fudged on this when we could dodge the SP's, the only paved st. was the mai drag. Someone mentioned that bar that had the aligator in it and the jerk that had the baby ducks a person could buy to toss into the water with the Gator but, one night someone dropped a hand grenade in the pond,when it went off the gator lost interest in the ducks for awhile, but soon got well. One time One our crewmembers (VR-21) bought all the ducks, we were going to Danang the next day so we took the ducks there and gave them to someone on the line crew at Danang, he took them home to his hooch maid.. Another thing, I asked some bar girl if that reaLLY WAS "Monkey meat" the old woman was cooking on the bridge, she replied, very seriously, No, it was pork, the monkeys were too hard to catch! Everybody had to use the main gate at Subic Bay, one time there was two attack carriers and one of those small carriers that the Marines used, but when they came into port the Marine Amphibious Brigade, would download and move to a staging point between Subic and Cubi, where they would do heavy maintenance on thier equipment. One night I was coming back to Cubi Pt. there was one of the biggest fights I've ever seen just inside the gate, seems the amphib Marines had a feud with the station Marines, but it wasn't long before the USS Coral Sea sailors and the sailors off the other attack carrier ( I can't remember what that ships name was) and the marines were going at it big time. I snuck by and got on a bus that was going to Cubi Pt., I didn't feel safe till we took off for Danang the next morning. The Coral Sea had been on Yankee station for 52 days, they went ashore with 3 paydays worth of money and were determined to let her rip. I heard that one of the attack pilots off the Coral Sea, made a bet that he could ride a motorcycle down the bar in the "O" club at Cubi and get it up to 60 mph. He did it too, just one problem, there wasn't enough room to stop, so he took out a big ol picture window that looked out over the bay. This trick sort of ticked off the CO's involved and the club manager. Yeah good times!
Doug. KC5YIL
A couple of the ships I was on also had this free telephone service and it was as far as I and know is still called HAM radio.
When I was stationed in Subic, 1969-70, we were able to utilize a ham operated system on a regular phone that enabled us to call home for a few minutes at a time. We would have to observe radio protocol by saying "over" after speaking. And the receiving party would do the same. During a time of no cell phones or email, this was a free service to call home and talk to loved ones. It was a wonderful thing. Anybody ever use this? What was that system?
-
9
-
10
-
11
-
12
-
13
of 25 Next