Comments on: Liberty call, liberty call

By: Lee

Lee — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 10:04:53 +0000

Terror inducing bus ride to Stanley Market… Popeyes for tatoos… Pierside vs. Anchored out… Miles of Malls… McDonalds in Kowloon at Star Ferry… got me that tailor made suit too!

By: shreck

shreck — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:38:32 +0000

Ahh, Ned Kelly’s Last Stand, Dixieland jazz and cold beer.
Memories

By: Charles

Charles — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 05:27:22 +0000

Lex,

I just saw the post about a carrier pulling into Hong Kong.
My father’s best liberty call stories usually began with “So the boat had pulled in to Hong Kong…” of course he did it back at the hey day of the late 60′s and early 70′s when Hong Kong and Cubi were your home away from homes for a WestPac sailor. The best two that he shared was these. After a great time ashore they were ridng one of the USS America’s Liberty launches back to the ship. There was a storm coming through and kicking up waves, one of the fighter guys from VF-96 who just blew about three to five hundred dollars on a set of matched golf clubs in town and lusting on using them the next day against a set of RAF pilots at the brit garrison. Cause of the high wind and waves the boat had to use a Jacob’s ladder on the side of the ship near the pier side quarterdeck. This fighter pilot threw the clubs on his shoulder and tried to negoitate the ladder. the liberty boat pitched up and under orders of the coxswain, the pilot grabbed the ladder. Seconds afterwards the boat pitched away and the pilot was there struggling to put his other hand on the ladder. My dad told me it is kind of funny to watch how big a splash an expensive toy makes as it drops into the harbor. Rather how small a splash. My father still isn’t sure how well the golf game went with the stock clubs at the course.

By: RGT

RGT — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 02:23:49 +0000

Great memories Lex…..floated there with 31st MEU in 2000 after a miserable month in Korea. Banana Joe’s, Ned Kelly’s, Dusk til Dawn, and a number of them through Lan Kwai Fong that I can barely remember. By far, the only place I’ve been that beats Palma. 5 days and $2800 later, we were ready to get underway. It still makes me smile thinking about that week.

By: Byron Audler

Byron Audler — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 21:44:16 +0000

Buck, he’s a fine man, and a damn fine sailor, and good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, he’ll be an ADC this time next year. I plan to be there, and will gladly buy his “flat hat”…then tell him what to do in it

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:40:05 +0000

Hong Kong, baby! And a great pic of my first ride…The Kitty.

Shore Patrol, Bull & Bear (beat a couple of Brits at darts), China Fleet Club, Wan Chi, Star Ferry, Waltz’n Matilda’s, and some great pics from the top of Victoria Peak. Good times.