The first Christmas I didn’t spend at home was at Kunsan. I’d been there about 3 weeks, so mail hadn’t caught up yet.As I recall the O Club dining room was all decked out and dinner was a special menu. Then we retreated to the bar. Sq Cdr’s kept an eye on everyone and shut it down a bit early. Good camaraderie, but…Not quite as good as the next Christmas, when I was home with just family. May the Lord bless and protect any of you readers in similar circumstances this Holiday season. juvat
Aye Sarge that I'll do, that first photo could have been of my Dad in Keflavik during Christmas 1942.Thanks to all those serving and have served who spent holidays away from their loved ones.
Remember and think of those now, aye. The ETO photos predominate since that's the Christmas season most of us think of; but it's nice to have the Hellcat pilots in there. Christmas 41 on Wake and in Hong Kong were some of the least festive though Bastogne and environs three years later could compete. That song's been done to death on our radios this year; but this version is worthy. Also cued up the Piano Guys version of "O Come Emmanuel".. Merry Christmas to all... Boat Guy
One of the things Mom and Dad did at Kwajalein was collect strays for the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas. The temporary bachelors that Dad worked with were rounded up and brought to our table. Made for some very interesting dinners, as 'free range' married officers seemed to lose civility quickly and Mom and her barbeque fork was ready to make them keep their elbows off the table.
Rounded up a few others, too, like once a Bishop, that sort of thing.
Being away from family must have been rough, even in peaceful years.
Christmas '66 Following two months of “refitting” – replacements, new gear and training - in Okinawa, December ’66 found us in Subic Bay, PI. While there we spent several days on a nearby island for several days of “familiarization firing”. We also had to pay “reparations” for an unknown number of coconuts liberated from a local farmer. Same farmer may also have been a wannabe warlord as our misfired ordinance came up missing. Anyway, when liberty call sounded on Christmas Eve we beat feet to Olongapo City. After sizing up prospects, a small number of us settled in at a joint that offered the right combination of “accoutrements”. Somehow we ending up being chaperoned by our battalion chaplain. All in good spirit, he managed to keep us from abandoning the dance floor and repairing to upstairs entertainment. One of our replacements did have a problem with a dancer though. After promising her a drink if she danced with him, he blew her off. After a failed go at trimming his “essentials”, she spent the remainder of the evening trying to get next to him again. Finally, we had to leave before she was successful. On our way out, she promised that next visit “he would forget her while she remembered”. Next time didn’t occur though as within 2-3 days, out of the blue our wayward dancer came down with malaria. Best guess was he and another guy got skeeter’d while we were out on our island adventure. Both were medivac’d to parts unknown. Either a kick-ass strain of malaria or their anti-malarial pills hadn’t kicked in yet. We were there for New Year's but almost immediately after sailed south for an operation where at best the opposition failed to show up.
Christmas 1983, I was in San Diego for Boot Camp. Christmas 84 I was deployed on the USS Independence in the Indian Ocean. I was ashore for 85 & 86. I always volunteered for the second leave period. I also volunteered for Duty Christmas Eve and Day. I figured that I'd let the guys who had families spend it with them. We always had our celebration when I got home the end of December.
...more Christmas past; a skosh over a year later I was flanking post in guard platoon at a Navy commo station. One night’s mid-watch found our routine discombobulated by the Admiral’s arrival. Amid getting his pennant hoisted and informing our CO, we found out the USS Pueblo had captured by the loco NoKo’s.
SO, there I was, in December 1967 as a full fledged Enswine, on a destroyer at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refresher training after overhaul.
They did not schedule regular REFTRA stuff on 24-25 December (so the Fleet Training Group guys would spend time with their families, richly deserved!). But, we being there for training, our ship was assigned to be the ready ship to provide gunfire support in case Fidel Castro's guys tried anything. So, we steamed east and west about 2000 yards off the shore, the length of the naval base, with partially manned gun mounts and fire control teams for the entire two days. BORING. Especially boring and un-merry Christmas during the midwatch on 25 December when Santa was rewarding good little boys and girls.
Of course, on 26 December it was back to regular REFTRA workups. Some of the best training ever for USN ships, and you either had learned what you needed or you got extended until you did!. John Blackshoe
The first Christmas I didn’t spend at home was at Kunsan. I’d been there about 3 weeks, so mail hadn’t caught up yet.As I recall the O Club dining room was all decked out and dinner was a special menu. Then we retreated to the bar. Sq Cdr’s kept an eye on everyone and shut it down a bit early. Good camaraderie, but…Not quite as good as the next Christmas, when I was home with just family.
ReplyDeleteMay the Lord bless and protect any of you readers in similar circumstances this Holiday season.
juvat
My first was on the USS Carl Vinson after 9-11. Fortunately that was my only one as my time in CVW-5 in Japan kept us home each holiday season.
DeleteAye Sarge that I'll do, that first photo could have been of my Dad in Keflavik during Christmas 1942.Thanks to all those serving and have served who spent holidays away from their loved ones.
ReplyDeleteRemember and think of those now, aye. The ETO photos predominate since that's the Christmas season most of us think of; but it's nice to have the Hellcat pilots in there. Christmas 41 on Wake and in Hong Kong were some of the least festive though Bastogne and environs three years later could compete.
ReplyDeleteThat song's been done to death on our radios this year; but this version is worthy. Also cued up the Piano Guys version of "O Come Emmanuel"..
Merry Christmas to all...
Boat Guy
Indeed Sarge, indeed. Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things Mom and Dad did at Kwajalein was collect strays for the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas. The temporary bachelors that Dad worked with were rounded up and brought to our table. Made for some very interesting dinners, as 'free range' married officers seemed to lose civility quickly and Mom and her barbeque fork was ready to make them keep their elbows off the table.
ReplyDeleteRounded up a few others, too, like once a Bishop, that sort of thing.
Being away from family must have been rough, even in peaceful years.
I will make it a point to get on SIPR next week and check how many troops are deployed this Christmas, if only to add some weight to your request.
ReplyDeleteChristmas '66
ReplyDeleteFollowing two months of “refitting” – replacements, new gear and training - in Okinawa, December ’66 found us in Subic Bay, PI. While there we spent several days on a nearby island for several days of “familiarization firing”. We also had to pay “reparations” for an unknown number of coconuts liberated from a local farmer. Same farmer may also have been a wannabe warlord as our misfired ordinance came up missing.
Anyway, when liberty call sounded on Christmas Eve we beat feet to Olongapo City. After sizing up prospects, a small number of us settled in at a joint that offered the right combination of “accoutrements”. Somehow we ending up being chaperoned by our battalion chaplain. All in good spirit, he managed to keep us from abandoning the dance floor and repairing to upstairs entertainment.
One of our replacements did have a problem with a dancer though. After promising her a drink if she danced with him, he blew her off. After a failed go at trimming his “essentials”, she spent the remainder of the evening trying to get next to him again. Finally, we had to leave before she was successful. On our way out, she promised that next visit “he would forget her while she remembered”. Next time didn’t occur though as within 2-3 days, out of the blue our wayward dancer came down with malaria. Best guess was he and another guy got skeeter’d while we were out on our island adventure. Both were medivac’d to parts unknown. Either a kick-ass strain of malaria or their anti-malarial pills hadn’t kicked in yet. We were there for New Year's but almost immediately after sailed south for an operation where at best the opposition failed to show up.
Christmas 1983, I was in San Diego for Boot Camp. Christmas 84 I was deployed on the USS Independence in the Indian Ocean. I was ashore for 85 & 86. I always volunteered for the second leave period. I also volunteered for Duty Christmas Eve and Day. I figured that I'd let the guys who had families spend it with them. We always had our celebration when I got home the end of December.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your stories and your memories of Christmases past. Something to cherish.
ReplyDelete...more Christmas past; a skosh over a year later I was flanking post in guard platoon at a Navy commo station. One night’s mid-watch found our routine discombobulated by the Admiral’s arrival. Amid getting his pennant hoisted and informing our CO, we found out the USS Pueblo had captured by the loco NoKo’s.
ReplyDeleteSO, there I was, in December 1967 as a full fledged Enswine, on a destroyer at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refresher training after overhaul.
ReplyDeleteThey did not schedule regular REFTRA stuff on 24-25 December (so the Fleet Training Group guys would spend time with their families, richly deserved!). But, we being there for training, our ship was assigned to be the ready ship to provide gunfire support in case Fidel Castro's guys tried anything. So, we steamed east and west about 2000 yards off the shore, the length of the naval base, with partially manned gun mounts and fire control teams for the entire two days. BORING. Especially boring and un-merry Christmas during the midwatch on 25 December when Santa was rewarding good little boys and girls.
Of course, on 26 December it was back to regular REFTRA workups. Some of the best training ever for USN ships, and you either had learned what you needed or you got extended until you did!.
John Blackshoe
BTDT, definitely say prayers for them today!~
ReplyDelete