SUBIC BAY, P.I.

[RobertJ.]

Yeah, we were up north in the Gulf, covering the No-Fly Zone and this flyboy decided to give us Cruiser types a close-up of his mode of transportation. I swear his wing wasn't 10' off the deck. Crazy!! and yes..... L O U D !!

We had an A4 Skyhawk do a fly-by, and it was so close it looked like it went right between the stacks. And you couldn't NOT hold your ears!

Ah, sea stories! Brings back lots of fond memories!

What's the difference between a sea story and a fairy tale? A fairy tale starts out with, "Once upon a time...". A sea story starts out, "Now, this is no bullpoop..."

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

The monkey meat probably was pork, but who knows? Don't think I ever had any.

But, balut? Great! Particularly with the coarse-grained salt they usually provided. Miniature full-course meal. Soup first, then appetizer (the egg part), then chicken. And you can use the beak to pick your teeth (just kidding).

If you ever took the bus from Po City to Manila, there would be at least a couple of quick stops where vendors came aboard calling "Mais, mais, mais, mais (corn)" or "Balut, balut, pinoy (hard-boiled egg), balut."

 

[M E Morrison]

The monkey meat probably was pork, but who knows? Don't think I ever had any.

But, balut? Great! Particularly with the coarse-grained salt they usually provided. Miniature full-course meal. Soup first, then appetizer (the egg part), then chicken. And you can use the beak to pick your teeth (just kidding).

If you ever took the bus from Po City to Manila, there would be at least a couple of quick stops where vendors came aboard calling "Mais, mais, mais, mais (corn)" or "Balut, balut, pinoy (hard-boiled egg), balut."

the monkey I got was still in one piece, so it was pretty easy to tell.....

 

[DWalt]

I survived one brief but memorable visit to Po City many years ago. But I wasn't Navy. Regarding Navy divers, I had an uncle who was one for many years, retired as a Chief Warrant Officer after WWII. According to him, it was mainly underwater salvage and repair work. Nothing like being a SEAL.

 

[bgrafsr]

So, how many of you guys got drunk enough to eat a balut or monkey meat on a stick?

Stationed at Clark Air Base for 18 months, except for a short TDY stint to Viet Nam. Never ate a balut, or monkey meat that I know of. Had Carabao burgers in Angeles City, but often wondered if it was dog meat. The burgers were delicious.

How about fish heads and rice? Didn't eat that either.

 

[DWalt]

I've never heard of a Balut, had to look it up. Sounds yummy.

 

[Frank46]

They didn't have sewers in Olongapo city when I was there, just open trenches. One of my buddies got a little (ok a lot) drunk and did a brodie into one of those ditches. Man the screaming and yelling when he realized what he was standing in. Definitely walked back by himself as the smell was so bad. Believe parts of "Flight of the Intruder" were filmed there as some parts were very familiar. Some of the natives were very good with the butterfly knives. Watched a big lizard that was crawling around the roof fall to the floor. Out come the knives and they start chasing that sucker all over the place. That is until someone got lucky and got him. There was a Chief in main engine control who used to make and sell those butterfly knives and he was good with the one he had. Got one around here but have to tape up the blade as you could get some nasty cuts. Memories, memories. Frank

 

[M E Morrison]

I've never heard of a Balut, had to look it up. Sounds yummy.

once you see, and smell, one you won't forget...

 

[M E Morrison]

They didn't have sewers in Olongapo city when I was there, just open trenches. One of my buddies got a little (ok a lot) drunk and did a brodie into one of those ditches. Man the screaming and yelling when he realized what he was standing in. Definitely walked back by himself as the smell was so bad. Believe parts of "Flight of the Intruder" were filmed there as some parts were very familiar. Some of the natives were very good with the butterfly knives. Watched a big lizard that was crawling around the roof fall to the floor. Out come the knives and they start chasing that sucker all over the place. That is until someone got lucky and got him. There was a Chief in main engine control who used to make and sell those butterfly knives and he was good with the one he had. Got one around here but have to tape up the blade as you could get some nasty cuts. Memories, memories. Frank

the San Bernardino PD got mine - *******s!!!

 

[the ringo kid]

Navy Divers are not SEALS, they perform many underwater task not necessarily directly associated with combat such as inspection and underwater repair and salvage. Although there is some shared training, being a Diver is a different skill set.

Below is a photo of a crazy Filipino diver that I photographed in Manila. He was wearing a homemade wet suit made of old inner tubes.

Thank you for the clarification Chief---I didnt think he was but wasnt sure if he also did U.D.T. stuff.

Your correct--that guy does look like he is a sandwich short of a picknick--as my ol Major used to say.

 

[Fishslayer]

So, how many of you guys got drunk enough to eat a balut or monkey meat on a stick?

I chowed down on monkey meat every chance I got. When it was unavailable I was told it was because Marines had gotten into the jungle and... ummm... "scared" them all off! I was told the monkey meat was actually pork.

As for balut, I tried, honest I did. I ate a lot of pretty unusual stuff on WesPac but apparently there is not enough San Miguel in Olongapo to get me drunk enough to eat a balut!

 

[bgrafsr]

I chowed down on monkey meat every chance I got. When it was unavailable I was told it was because Marines had gotten into the jungle and... ummm... "scared" them all off! I was told the monkey meat was actually pork.

As for balut, I tried, honest I did. I ate a lot of pretty unusual stuff on WesPac but apparently there is not enough San Miguel in Olongapo to get me drunk enough to eat a balut!

I hear you Fishslayer. I could never get enough beers in me to want to eat a balut. They just looked gross as heck.

By the way, after drinking San Miguel for almost 18 months, I couldn't get a good buzz with Stateside beer for several months when I got back to the good ole U.S.

 

[Jeff423]

In Dec. 1972 I was driving a deuce and a half flat bed by 500 Man Camp. It was raining like mad and I picked up about 20 Marines who were hitch hiking. They still got wet but the trip was faster than walking!

 

[swsig]

Weekend liberty with an LBFM...then about Wednesday, the Corpsman, and six million units of penicillin in each cheek

Your comment reminded me of a friend who did a circuit of the Pacific in a reserve DE in 1962. By the time he got to Olongapo, he felt the need for some female companionship. However, once he surveyed the potential companions available in Olongapo, he decided to pass. They were such an unattractive lot, he wasn't sure that his little DE stocked enough penicillin to cure what might have ailed him.

 

[hostler]

I chowed down on monkey meat every chance I got. When it was unavailable I was told it was because Marines had gotten into the jungle and... ummm... "scared" them all off!

As for balut, I tried, honest I did. I ate a lot of pretty unusual stuff on WesPac but apparently there is not enough San Miguel in Olongapo to get me drunk enough to eat a balut!

We tried to scare them off because they had a nasty habit of throwing poop at anyone they didn't like in their jungle. It's nearly impossible to scare off monkeys and remain clandestine so your boonie hat became your best friend.

 

[M E Morrison]

Your comment reminded me of a friend who did a circuit of the Pacific in a reserve DE in 1962. By the time he got to Olongapo, he felt the need for some female companionship. However, once he surveyed the potential companions available in Olongapo, he decided to pass. They were such an unattractive lot, he wasn't sure that his little DE stocked enough penicillin to cure what might have ailed him.

all in all, that was a good decision.....

 

[Fishslayer]

all in all, that was a good decision.....

Good sea stories rarely begin with a good decision...

 

[M E Morrison]

Good sea stories rarely begin with a good decision...

Absolutely true, but if you don't want an un-named & un-curable STD......

 

[USN-RET]

USS Franklin D Roosevelt CVA 42 was there in 66-67 during our Westpac cruise.... I seem to remember there being about 260 various bars there in Olongapo City.

You only remember 260 bars? Man you were enjoying the brews eh! Heck there must have been that many on the right side of the street up to the traffic circle. LOL

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

Absolutely true, but if you don't want an un-named & un-curable STD......

There were 2 guys in our Squadron that went ashore at Cam Ranh Bay, each with 2 one gallon cans of peaches and traded them for some female companionship. They were both sent back to the States with an unknown STD...never saw them again.