Wed Jul 2 1998

     Interesting how one starts out to just copy stuff from a notebook and it ends up ressurectting random rememberances. Sort of like a chain reaction, one thought leads to another with no real relation to the previous thought or the one to follow. I've written down things I havent thought of in decades. I thought they were lost really, never to be remembered again.
     Started out as house cleaning back a few days, has it been a week already? Clean the dust and dirt out my house; brush off layers of accumulated dust in the mind. Weird. It's actually turned out for the good, I think. I've really been depressed and discouraged these past few years; like my life is headed no where, just dragging by day to day. I'm out of work again, so that's one reason why I'm doing this, I got the time now; and it's better than sitting around worrying and wondering what going happen to me.
     I've already fleetingly remembered things and think 'got to write about that one too.' Then *poof* the thought is gone again. I seem to be stuck back in the navy days and I'm not sure I like that. Damn I hated the those times. No, that's not right, I hated the navy and military, the other things were ok, some were even good or great.
     I've still got five more notebooks to go through. There's lots more words in them than the first two. I was thinking and writing more and more in those. Recording emotions, thoughts, impressions of the stuff that happened to me and around me. At least those will just be copying and typing, just as they are. Man I hope so; if I started remembering things in them, I'll never get them all done.
     Well, I suppose I need to get back to it. Oh yeah! Oh damn! The thought just slipped away again, maybe it will come back later.
     Oh great it did come back, the *wildness* thing, or lack of it. I've seen how my mind was back in college and even high school. The theme through out my journal has always been the same, *loneliness*, thirty some odd year of the same thing over and over and over again.

VaBeach 1971-74

Van Cruising
     Got my van in January 1973, a '72 Dodge, light metalic green, put 27,000 miles on it the first 12 months. I spent some time customizing it, put some vinyl padding on the inside, a rug, curtains, even put a flat top rack on top, a sheet of plywood covered with an outdoor type rug. {It's still parked out back of the house, by the way.} Put in a reel type tape player too, used a DC to AC convertor for power, so I had music, what's a van without a music machine of some kind?
     There were a few non-tourist places around VaBeach to go and park, walk the beach. Sometimes though I would just hang around the van, lay out in the sun on top.
     Of course while cruising the streets I'd pick up people, picked up most anyone if it was safe to stop in the road for a moment. Picked up a group of local teens one night, they had been out drinking or drugging or both. One of them was so out of it, he kept talking and asking, 'Is he a queer? Is he queer?' One of his friends kept trying to keep him quiet. I just ignored it all.
     On one of the trips up to DC I picked up a guy and two girls going into Richmond. They didnt talk much, just the usual talk talk. Got to Richmond and the guy asked if I wanted to go to a party. Thought about it for a moment, actual probably thought about the two girls in the back too, but told him I had to get on up the road. Another one of the adventures I missed out on cause I didnt have enough *wildness* in my free spirit. I thought about that the rest of the ride upto the District.
     On one of the trips back to VaBeach from home in South Carolina I had got onto I 85 where 153 connected to it and headed north. Where I-185 exits into Greenville there stood a group of girls, four of them, with a sign "VA BEACH". Oh great! What luck! Traffic didnt let me stop right away and had to drive up to the next exit and turn around. I was headed south and looked back across the interstate where I first saw them. They were getting into someone else's van. Damn! Turned back around at the next intersection and drove back to VaBeach, alone again.

AFTA Millington TN 1970

Barracks Watch Duty
     There's always duty of some kind or another in the navy, some kind of stupid duty to do. Walking around the barracks at night was one of them. Just walk around and around and around while everyone else slept. After midnight things got real quiet, all the drunks were in their bunks, they were the last to come back in. So there's not much of anything to do except wander around the bunks.
     Bored as hell, nothing exciting happening in my life, high school friends back at Clemson probably having a great time, guys laying out in the sun with their girls there too and here I am stuck walking around a barracks full of sleeping guys in the early morning hours. Damn, hell, damn, hell.
     Walked down along side the windows and passed one bunk where some dude was sleeping. I stopped and thought about what I had been thinking and feeling. 'You aint got the balls to do it.' Reached down and got the corner of the sheet that was hanging down. Unbuttoned my dungarees. Got out my dick and started stroking it with the sheet.
     Got away with it that night ... and a couple of other nights too ... then I quit doing it like that.

Bike Riding
     The base out there had a place you could rent bikes, some of the guys had their own bicycles, I thought about getting one, but never did. The base also had a horse stable and riding trails. I got a bike once and rode off past the stables and down the trails, ended up next to the Mississippi River. It was nice down there. Lay around on the grass, sit on the banks of the river, watch barrages and other riverboats move up and down, thought some about Mark Twain and Huck Finn, day dreaming about adventures I wish I could have. Every now and then some jet fighter would roar by, reminding me of what I had gotten into. But the navy experience was still just starting and it was suppose to get better. It never really did.

Summer 1965

     Late one evening after sitting around the house most of the time, tired of watching TV, I went to my room to sit some more. Must have been about 9:00 or so I guess. I got up put on my jacket and slipped out the front door all quiet like. Not that I had to sneak out, it just happened, I wanted to be alone and out for a while.
     Took off walking with no idea where to go, just walked. Walked down the circle where I lived to Fox Squirrel Ridge, looked both ways then turned right and walked down to the highway, looked to the right and saw where the old Two Mile Station use to be and the road in front of it, headed for it.
     Walked about seven miles through the country that night: Gravely Road down to the Twelve Mile river, back along North Homestead to Red Hill Church Road, crossed it and followed Homestead over toward Sangamo Plant, turned right there too and went down to Reese's Mill road, crossed the bridge over Town Creek there heading for Four Point Shell intersection at bottom of Ann Street, the highway I left a couple hours ago.
     Started walking up Ann Street into town. Just as I got near the top to where I could see rest of the way up Main Street I see a boy running, a teenager. He runs off of Main Street and down toward me on Ann Street but turns again onto the street back of the stores. Saw him for about 20 seconds or so, then *poof* he's gone again. Never seen a boy running around town like that before, of course I never got up town at night to see much of anything.
     I walked on: up to Main Street then down it toward Jewell Street, walked up by the high school and out the back way, on out Pumpkintown Hwy to Trotter Hill, up it by uncle DM's place, turned to go by Cresent Hill Church across a short open ridge. That's where Dad found me as he was out riding around looking for me. It was after midnight now, maybe one in the morning.
     I got in and sat there, dont remember anything about what was said, it wasnt much. I just felt bad that Dad had to come looking for me. Never did get punished or anything, least I dont think I did.
     Oh, the running teen I saw that night, that was Ralph the new kid in town. Met him that fall at school we had the same homeroom. Became good high school friends.

Off Season, VaBeach 1971

The Girl
     During the off season things get calm and quiet down on the beach front. The hotels and motels are empty, except for the military people who move off base then. There's only the locals living around there then. Oh yeah, the hippie street types are still around too.
     I was wandering around on the main drag one afternoon, just walking the streets and boardwalk. Got hungry and went looking for one of the few resturants still open. There were some of the young street people sitting out front on a bench. I went on in order and ate and then sat there reading a paper.
     In walks one of the young men who was sitting out front and sat down at my table. 'Hi, what's up?' he asked. 'Not much.' He sat there a moment then started to talk again. 'Hummm, dont know quite how to ask this, but one of the girls outside wants to know if she can do anything for you?' 'No, I dont think so,' I replied. He kept on, 'She's good, wont cost you much and we really need the money.' I sat and thought a moment, 'No thanks man, I not interested right now.' He said, 'ok,' then left.
     I left not long after that, I dont remember if they were still out front or not when I did. Such is what the off season is like at the World's Largest Resort City, maybe any beach resort town.

The Boy
     Another night in town, still doing the wandering and walking thing. Wandered into a pool room that was an open wall type, just walk in off the sidewalk. There was this military looking type playing and picked up a game with him. We shot pool and talked. After few games he mentions going upstairs to his room for some beer. I told him no thanks I had to be going anyway. I left.

Key West #2, 1974

Grassy Key
     This time I drove my own van down to Key West, 24 hours from VaBeach to Key West, one of the guys rode down with me. Having wheels made it a lot easier to get around down there, spent a lot of time driving up and down the keys.
     Discovered this one key, Grassy, somewhere along the way, or maybe I asked about that type of place and someone told me. Anyway, you turn off the main road onto some sand road and follow it till it ends. Ends at a nice place on the ocean, grass and shrubs and a few shade trees; had a great wide beach area, you could wade a long ways out into the ocean. Oh yeah, it had a whole bunch of naked people walking around too.
     I spent a lot of time there, every chance I had when I wasnt working. Drive up to that key and park the van under a shade tree, take my shorts off, walk around, wade around, lay around on the limbs of the tree. It was great. Had my paddle board with me too, took it out into the ocean and lay on it while floating around. Some lady walked by once and stopped for a moment we just said hi to each other then she walked on.
     There was this one dude with a camera and yeah he was taking pictures, he was nude too. Talked with him some, said he had had a few pictures published, also said it gave him an excuse to get close to the women.

The Other Nude Beach
     Driving up the keys is much one long bridge with a island every so often. Some of the island are small, but there is enough room to pull over and park and walk around. I crossed over on to one of those islands and caught a glimpse of two bodies sitting in the water. Stopped and parked where I could, got my camera, and walked off down to the waters edge.
     Went strolling around the beach and coral edge casually looking around for something to photograph. Yeah sure. Got around to where they were sitting and just stepped out from behind a bush. 'Oh wow! Sorry ladies.' They rolled over onto their stomachs and propped up on elbows. 'Hi.' Stood there and talked with them a few minutes, made a lame joke about the guys not going believe what I found on the beach. Asked if I could make a picture, they said 'Yeah.' I did. Stood around few more minutes then asked if I could join them. 'Yeah sure.' I unbuttoned and unzipped my shorts and stepped out of them, put the camera on top, waded out to where they were and sat down.
     They started their talking again. It was about their boy friends, I think one was having troubles with hers. I tried making a comment or two occassionally. Did notice that they glanced or looked at my dick more than once.
     After a short while, it seemed like nothing was going to happen, they already had their boys, so I made excuses about time to be leaving. We exchanged byes, I got up, put my shorts back on and left. That was the end of that encounter.

Barracks Shower
     Probably a different day, could have been that same day I saw the two girls on the beach, it does much matter I guess. Got back to the barracks where I was staying that time. Went to the room, took my clothes off, got my towel and soap and walked down the hall to the showers.
     I got wet, soaped up and washed and then I rinsed off. I just stood there and let the water hit on my skin, turning around sometimes to let it hit me all over. Held my head under the shower some too. (No one else ever comes in the showers at the same time it seemed.) I stood and thought and let the water sting and run down my body. After a while I reached for the soap again. Lathered up my pubic hair and started rolling my balls around, pulling on my cock. Did that a minute or so till it was over with.
     Rinsed again, dried off, wrapped my towel around me and went back to the room. Put my shorts on then went out side to lay in the sun some.

Flying
     One of the guys in the squadron had been taking flying lessons. He got his pilot license one day while we were down there, he could fly passengers now. We and two others flew up to Kissimmee and Disney World the next day.
     Somewhere along the way he lets me fly the plane some. There's not really that much to guiding one and I had been flying in small plane since high school. You just pick out a distant object on the ground and keep it headed that way.
     The flight over the keys was best, the islands and ocean and coral all look pretty with the different colors. Saw a group of monarays or stingrays swimming along the bottom, you can see a lot when looking straight down into the water. The Everglades and rest of Flordia was ok, just more land under the plane, flat though compared to the mountains back home.
     We land at Kissimmee airport, a grassing parking area mostly with just the runway paved, and rent a car for the drive to Disney World. Spent the day walking around and going in some of the fun houses and rides. I bought an eight day dome clock while there, rather on the way back out, didnt want to carry that around all day.
     On the flight back I'm sitting up front again. We're just cruising along, I do notice one of the gas needles for one of the wing tanks was getting low. Didnt say anything about it, still had half tank in the other wing. We just kept on flying. One of the guys in back was about half asleep. The engine started to spurtter and almost quit. That woke him up quick, he never had flown before, guess he thought he was about to die. We laughed. The pilot reached over and switched to the other tank. On we flew.

24 Hours
     The dude that rode down with me wanted to get back to his wife. He flew back with the other guys.
     I drove and drove and drove from Key West to Atlanta and almost to the South Carolina line, then I had to just stop. Pulled over on the side, crawled into the back and slept some. I did that a lot on my rode trips in the van.
     Made it back home that day, left some stuff there, the clock mostly. Then drove on back to VaBeach.

Lexington Kentucky, Fall 1972

     Chuck and I made the rest of the trip to Lexington ok, no more studden stops. We drove around looking for his girl's place, stopped to make a phone call, she came and got us. Nothing too exciting happened while we were there, just one major party, the rest was letting Chuck be with his girl.
     It was the typical college party I suppose, least what I imagined one to be. Beer, wine, liquor, drugs. I just stuck with my beer. I think Chuck and Rose just drank too. There's more than one trip between one of the partys and campus or maybe they were at the same place, I dont remember. Anyway, we'd pick up one girl for my date, stay somewhere a while, take her back and get another one. This happened about three times, I really wasnt sure what was going on. Didnt help my ego much for sure. After a while there was just one who could tolerant being with the quiet guy (me).
     One of the best lines that I remembered was an quick exchange between a guy and girl as he walked by our group. Girl, 'Bang you're dead.' Boy, 'Ping you're pregnant.'
     Back to the major party, probably the last one we went to before leaving. I remember leaving the party for a walk outside to clear my head. Walked around the streets somewhere in that town. I was leaning my arm and head up against a pole, throwing up, some car full of kids drove by, stopped then drove on. I walked on back to the party. Rose asked where Chuck was, he had been missing for a while, said they went looking for him but didnt find him. I told her I would look around, stepped back outside and saw his truck near by, walked over and looked inside, he was there. Went back into the apartment and told Rose he was ok, in his truck sleeping. While outside I saw one guy almost walking by the wall, actually just taking a step or two while dragging his shoulder along the wall. He was out of it headed for a crash.
     Oh yeah, the four of us crashed together on the floor of Rose's place the two nights we were there. That was all that happened, just sleeping together on the floor.

Coffee Houses, VaBeach 1972

     Chuck and I were in an upstairs coffee house, a place where you just sit around talk and listen to the band, if one happens to be there, and drink cola and hot chocolate. It was a Christain type hang out.
     There was a band that night, playing the contemporary christain music of the times. All of a sudden one of them just drops to the floor. One of the others kneels beside him. Never did know what that was all about. Chuck and I left soon after he got back on his feet. Some kind of spiritual thing I guess.

Med Cruise 1975

Bunks and Racks
     One of the first places on the big boat that I slept was right under the flight deck at the blunt end, where the planes crash landed, that's what it sounded like anyway. The tail hook slaps into the flight deck, KABOOOM, drags across it pulling out the landing cable, SCREEECH. You get use to it, after you're so tired you'd sleep through anything. It was hot in that space too, sun heat just seeped through the deck. But what was really bad was when they put in an airconditioning unit right next to my bunk. Had to put up with smoke when they were cutting through the bulkhead. Then they they turned it on, ran all the time, frigid cold air blowing across my bunk. Sheets and blankets and towels and clothes didnt help. Took me a while but I finally figured it out. Got some plastic trash bags and made a sheet out of them inbetween the realy sheet and blanket.
     The next bunk space was up at the pointed end of the big boat, next to the outside hull, down low too, heard the ocean outside. That was really cool.
     My last bunk was in the same compartment, just a different one, on the top at that. Sometime during the cruise, I dont remember when, I was laying there in my boxers under the sheet, reading. It was night time and we were in port I guess, not many guys around. I got tired of reading and just layed there for while. Then I slipped my boxers off and layed there some more, started feeling of myself through the sheets. After several minutes I got the boxers and stroked with that, trying to make it last a long time. When it happened I shook the whole bunk that time. Dont know what the dude on the bottom one felt or thought, it's sort of like an unspoken rule, *somethings you just ignore when on board a boat.*
     Oh one other thing about that particular compartment, it's above a jet fuel tank, the oxygen generators were next door on one side, and ammonition storage in another on the back side. A great place to sleep, especially when there's a general quarters and the fire is near some of those compartments. It happened once.

Tilt Meter
     The FD Rooselvelt use to be a straight deck, then they added an angle deck off one side, added weight to the tower side too over the years. Actually over the years a lot of weight got added, new wiring, tile decks, coats and coats of paint, plus the aircraft were heavier too, every shop had their own refrigirators.
     The big boat can tip over too, only took 22 1/2 degrees to the angle deck side, 21 degrees to the tower side. I made a pendulum type thing and marked off the angles on a piece of cardboard and stuck it to the wall. Stayed there most of the cruise.
     May have been when we were going into the Med through the Straits, it was really stormy that day, could have been some other storm, or even in the Atlantic. Anyway, the big boat was rocking and rolling, we were all in the shop even cause GQ was called because of the storm. Some even had the lifevests on. I laid up on top of some storage shelves, just enough room for someone to squeeze in below the overhead, and watched the pendulum swing back and forth.
     The big boat rolls one way then starts back. Rolls the other way stops then starts back. Refrigirator starts to tilt over someone sitting near catches it. Hear stuff fall in the other shops, crash, crash. Roll left, ride through the middle of the swing, roll right. That didnt really bother me all that much. I did wonder how far the jump would be to the water a few times and how cold it would be.
     Tilt meter was swinging out to the marks now but it always started back the other way. Then it happened, the big boat made a roll to the tower side and just hung there for a second to long. Everyone gets tense now and waits. It starts back the other way; but that sure was a long second.

Missing Person
     We have another General Quarters sometime during the cruise. I get out off my bunk, get my pants, pick up my shoes and shirt and get up on the hanger deck. If you dont hurry and they lock the hatches and doors, you have to go through a lot of stuff to get permission to open them again. I run on back to the shop. Nothing serious yet, only counting heads this time. Someone thought they saw somebody go over the side.
     We do the head count thing and report that in, all our shop people are here. We sit around waiting, have to do another head count. This goes on and on for a hour. Finally the PA comes on asking soandso to report in. Turns out it's one of our squadron's guys that's missing.
     We sit around and talk about who it is and wonder what happened to him and who may have pushed him overboard. After a while I get up and walk down to the hanger deck and over to the shop where he works, open the door and stick my head in, 'Soandso you in here?' Someone answers. 'You suppose to be someone else now?' 'Yeah, I had duty in the ready room.' 'It's you they're looking for.' I turned around and go back to my shop.
     A few minutes later, GQ is called off. 'Stupid dumb ass idiot college educated officers and chief lifers, cant put 2 and 2 together, and they're the one's driving this chunk of rust and flying the planes. Damn fucking navy.'

July 1975

Returning
     There wasnt much to do on the Atlantic crossing going back to the States. The squadron planes were all tied down, no flying. Just roam around the big boat, sit in the shop and talk. Stood up on the flight deck at the pointed end of the boat and looked westward. There was this safety net stuck out over the front edge of the deck, sat down on it once, nothing but ocean water a long ways below, the ocean and horizon far away in the distant, wind blowing in my face; that was cool. Stood down on the lowest overhang walkways too watching the boat knife its way through the ocean.
     A day or two before we got to Norfolk, the planes were launched and flown back to NAS Oceana, a sure sign the end was near. Started packing everything up then. Went around on the hanger deck counting pallets, 40 something with stero gear and other loot from the cruise.
     Most of the family was there waiting, they saw the boat coming up the bay from the Oceanview. Spent a lot of time waiting after we got all tied up at the dock. The Nimitz was tied up there too. Man that was a really big boat, stood on the flight deck of FDR and still had to look up to the Nimitz's flight deck. It started to rain about the time I was going to get my van and unload my own loot. Dad and Dan were on the boat then, showed them around, sat in the ready room some, the others had left for the motel.
     We left there and drove to Robert's place in Roanoke Va, spent a day or two there then drove on back to home to Pickens. Spent a week there, I guess, unloading my loot and visiting, maybe told a sea story or two. Then the drive back to VaBeach for the last few weeks of navy.

Van Living
     There was only four weeks left, or there abouts. You're suppose to have an address and phone to live off base. I wasn't going to go there all that stuff about finding a place to live. Spent the last weeks living out of my van.
     Drove around a lot, visiting friends and using their shower, sometimes did that at one of the barracks, slept in the barracks too sometimes, finding an empty bunk somewhere. No one ever asked what's he doing here or there. I guess it was mostly just show up at the shop every day and do the time.
     It was told about this one guy who got out, lots of stories about getting out. The day came and he drove out the base gate, got 100 yards down the road, stopped, dumped the stuff in his seabag out, poured gas on the pile of uniforms and burned them. The dudes in the gate building saw it, when out and hauled his ass back in, military still got jurisdicition over the first 24 hours after you get out.
     I thought some about what I would do. You have to wear your uniform when you check out. Decided I drive down to the boardwalk, find a trash can somewhere, stand there and strip down to my cutoffs and throw the uniform inside. The day came, I checked out, drove down to the beach area, .... I just kept on driving up to the road out of that place. Still wasnt and *wildness* in me.
     One thing I did do though, made two signs and tape them up to the back windows of the van, 'Going Home!' on one, 'Free from The Navy!' on the other. The second one stood for something else too, FTN really meant 'Fuck The Navy.' I was cruising on down interstate 85 somewhere along the way, started around a semi truck, up along side me pulls a dude in a car, blowing his horn, grinning and waving. I grinned and waved back. He had gotten close enough to read the signs. I thought he was going to crash into the back of the truck too he pulled up beside me so quick.
     That was August 29, 1975 when I got out. Got home late that evening. Got up the next morning early and drove down pass Pendleton to Tri County Tec. Back in school again.

Tri County Tec, Fall 1975

     I was standing around in the hallway waiting for class to start, talking with some new friends and classmates, one of which happened to be a neighbor, met him one day in class when he told were he lived.
     Anyway, up walks this dude and said to me, 'Aren't you Jerry?' I looked a moment then recognized him, 'KEN!!!'

Yuma AZ, 1973

Going out West
     Made a trip out to Yuma with the squadron once, Chuck had been on a couple of them already. We flew out of NAS Oceana and the first stop was at Millington TN, that's the base where AFTA was. Didnt get to get off the plane there to look around any, just sat there and thought a little about what I did there while they refueled the plane.
     The next stop was somewhere in Oklahoma, they let us get off the plane there. I got up to the door and stepped out, took a breath, 'Oh wow!', thought all the moisture in my lungs just evaporated away. Man that air was the driest I ever breathed.

Flying
     Not much of anything happened out there. I did rent a plane and flew some to make pictures and see what the land was like. The pilot said something about not being able to rent planes and that they only gave flying lessons. I said ok, 'How much for an introduction flight?'
     We flew around some, over a small canyon, I'm looking around and taking pictures. Finished one roll and started to change to another, while looking around inside the camera bag I realized I didnt have anymore. Darn. So I just flew around and looked the rest of the time. On the way back he did let me fly the plane. I take the wheel lightly like with just my fingers and steer it some. He was telling me about what to do and kept saying something about holding the wheel tightly, he had to repeat it a few times before I realized that was what he wanted me to do.
     We hit an airpocket or a little bit of turbilance, it made the plane bounce kinda hard. I just kept on steering like nothing happened. He mentioned that some of the first time fliers would have let go of the wheel they got so scared. He did scare me later.
     He was going let me land the plane. 'Oh shit.' We were making the approach and I was doing what he said to do as the ground kept getting closer and closer. 'Man I cant do this,' I thought but just kept on flying in. There was chatter on the radio and then he said he would land because we were suppose to let a jet take off first. 'Thank God!' After we got on the ground he let me taxi, you have to steer with the wheel brakes on the ground, push one or the other peddles, I was doing that but the plane still kept heading for the edge. 'Geesh.' He finally took over.

Drinking
     Spent a night or two or three or four at the enlisted men club on base, drinking of course, with my friends. I went to get the beers one round and came back carrying eight of them, four in each hand. That impressed Sam.
     Went outside and sat on a sandy hillside once, it was night, the air clear and dry, oh man was it dry. I think I could drink all night and not have to piss, it just evaporates out of you. I just sat there and thought western kind of thoughts.

Nothing Much
     Just a lot of sitting around the barracks, making a trip or two into Yuma. I was standing on the street side once and did think about renting a taxi, just to ride about 15 miles to the California state line. I didn't. The other time was spent looking at my naked roommate, he didnt wear anything when in the room.

San Luis, Mexico 1973
     Oh yeah, something did happen. A group of us rented a car and drove down into Mexico, first time I was ever out of the states in another country.
     Drove off south through the desert to the border, had to leave the car there and walk across. It was an American type town on one side and Mexican type town on the other. We wandered around some then rented a taxi and went to this place out in the real desert, BoysTown I think is what it was called. The ride out to that place was on the sand, the pavement ended somewhere along the way, there was street curbs for a while but just sand inbetween, then just the sand.
     BoysTown was a circle of buildings, wooden buildings with wooden walkboards in front. It was where the Americans came to get drunk, and other things.
     We spent most of the day sitting in one of them buildings, big open room with tables and a bar. I just sat and watched and listened. One of the bar girls came over once and started talking, she wanted me to go with her to one of the upper rooms, I kept telling her I wasnt interested, she finally got mad and left.
     One of the guys did go, the same one who sat around naked all the time. He made the deal and they left. About 15 minutes later he comes back, said it was the worst experience he ever had. Told us some old lady came in to look him over before the girl he was with did anything. She just jerked him and sucked him and that was it.

Med Cruise 1975

Train Rides
     Did another train ride on Palma, over and through the mountains to the resort city side. Saw some nice country, steep valley walls on which the train rode mostly. At the resort walked around, like everywhere it seemed like on the cruise. Sat at an outdoor cafe for a while that was nice. Saw to old train cars at a station house, made me think of the war days.
     Stayed in a hotel in Barcelona one weekend, with some of the guys, just to get off the boat for a change. We rode the underground there, least I think it was that city. We got into one of the compartments, some of the locals came in later. I noticed them looking at my shoes and talking among themselves and laughing. I did have weird clothes on, high top tennis shoes, some kind of orange color, plaid slacks, weird clothes cause the navy didnt like us wearing jeans. Don knew some Spanish and started talking to them, I could catch a word every now and then from the Latin I had in high school. Thought maybe I could make more of what was said then he could. One of the girls was going to college, studing chemistry and medicine. It turned out to be a pretty good train ride.
    

Disco's
     Disco's were the places to go, besides the bars, I went to a few on Palma and in Barcilona. Never did have any luck there either picking up girls, couldnt dance anyway.
     Marc had the right looks. He was nineteen, great shape, boyish face, worn the right cloths (overalls). He told about walking into one disco, he was already about half high from beer, that almost dazed kind of feeling. He had just walked in and was looking around when some girl saw him, came over and asked, 'You want to fuck?' He stood there a moment, took a few seconds for it to sink through the daze. 'Oh, ok sure.'
     He spent the rest of the night with her in her flat.
     Geesh, some guys really got it.

High School Fall 1965-66

Breaking and Entering
     Walked up town one evening, went down to the high school and walked around it. The back side is dark and hidden from view, it was nice sitting around there. Looked around some and saw the window to the girl's bathroom was opened a little. 'Hummmmm?' I opened it wider and crawled inside through it. Walked around the halls and auditorium and gym. Just looked and poked around some and left.
     One of the other times I did that, there must have been 3 or 4 I guess, was when the new, nogood badass principal started laying down the law for the seniors, taking away our senior privileges. One day the class had a meeting in the auditorium, the principal was there, talked a little, then left us to decide what to do about the changes. He didn't leave, when out by the stage door and then walked behind the curtain, I saw his shoes there. 'Bastard.'
     That night, maybe later, I went back up to the school and got inside again. Didnt know exactly what I was going to do. Found some copy paper stacked up in the auditorium, moved half dozen or so into the principal's office and put them on the floor against a wall. Oh yeah, I got hold of a master key somehow, must have been on the science teacher's key ring and I was the lab assistant all through high school, so that's how I got into the offices and rooms. Anyway, that's all I did, just a little something to make him wonder about what sneeking behind curtains caused. Oh yeah again, the locks got changed a few days later.

Paint and Acid
     Some of the kids went wild one night, painted Class of '67 all over the place on the high school and walkway out front. That caused a lot of trouble, they got suspended for a few days, the principal was probably going to expell them, but that didnt happen. If they cleaned the place up they could come back, I think that was the deal.
     It was a Friday night, football game night, but I didnt go, I stayed up at the high school and help clean up the concrete where they had painted, even though I didn't do it. One of the girls talked about using chemicals, I thought a moment then went inside to the lab and got some acid. We use it but it didnt help much and I was wondering if we were going mess around and get burnt. Kept trying to water it off, I think there was waterhose laying around there. Anyway I put the acid back, then helped scrub off the paint some more.
     Next morning I'm sitting out front on the steps with everyone else. I turn around for some reason and see the science teacher going into the offices, she's sees me outside, I see her inside. I see she aint happy either. 'Oh great, now I'm going get suspended.' That didn't happen either, didn't even get called into principal's office. She got to thinking, or maybe she heard what principal was going to do to me, I dont know, and went back to him and said she would take care of it.
     About mid week or so I guess, Dad heard about it, people he knew kept asking what kind of trouble I was because they saw me up there cleaning up the concrete that night. He thought it looked too much like I was condoning what the other boys did.

Bus Trips
     I hung out with the band a lot, some of my best friends were in the band, I wasn't. Got to ride the band bus with them sometimes. We made a trip down to Camden once for the marching competition. That was cool, got to sit in the bus a lot, walked around town some, and just hang out. The was one kid Lee, he was a freshmen, talked with him some on the bus. He got killed in a motorcycle accident in late 70's I think.
     Gary was a bus driver, he and I were best friends during elmentary school at Pickens Mill. One afternoon he had to drive over to the Junior High to pick up the kids there. I had free periods then in the lab so I left and rode over with him that day. He told me to get down when we drove by the front offices, only the drivers were allowed to leave school. We got together with the other drivers in one of the busses and talked. Junior high let out and we went back to the high school.
     Gary was hemophliac, he got the aides virus from one of the blood transfusions he had to have. That was in the '80s sometime. He's dead now.

Frank's Trailer 1973

     Frank rented a trailer, I ended up staying with him for a while that summer. Does it ever get hot in those things. I was working nights then, work from 6 in the evening till 6 the next morning. I had to sleep in that hot tin can during the day. Got to were I would sleep nude on top of the sheets with the windows and bed room door open.
     Frank's girlfriend came back later that summer and started staying there too. One day I got woke up, BAMM went the door being slammed closed. Guess Frank got tired of seeing me nude or else his girl seeing me or both.

Tec Reps 1973

     Civilian tec reps are the coolest people on a military base. They're the ones who are employed by the electronic equipment manufacturer and they come to the base sometimes for a few weeks, field work of somekind for some reason. They're cool because they're real people, not military types, suppose to be called Sir and Mister like the officers too, but usually we'd just use their first names.
     Two came into the shop to work for three weeks, I started to hang out with them. They were on expense accounts so they ate at the fancy places, I would change back into my regular clothes and go with them. Spend an hour or two for supper instead of 30 minutes that we were allowed. Kept thinking I get in trouble one day too.
     One of them loved lobster, ordered two or three times a week. Went to one place and I order fillet minion, heard people talk about that cut of meat for a long time, decided I would try it once. Had to wait a long time from supper that night, when it finally got brought out, I see a piece of meat like a thick hamburger patty. 'Damn, is that all there is?' I was expecting a big cut of steak.
     I spent about $113 for food those three weeks, that was a fortune for us E5's and compared to the hamburgers, chicken and pizzas I use to live on.