The Monster COD thread (homage to the C-2A Greyhound)

[A4sForever]

.....One of the great advantages (was to be in) the PI when no ships were in port. ...

Most definitely. When I COD'ed ashore for a couple of weeks to wave 2 Marine squadrons -- I thought I'd died and gone to Philippine heaven. No hassles, nice & quiet, no "HeyJoe", just livin' the Olongapo "good life" only interrupted by having to spend some time at the end of the runway ....

It's amazing how a 6000-7000 man Task Force can screw up a liberty port.

 

[A4sForever]

True story. PanAm flight #01, Haneda to HK leg. After twice dumping fuel/aborting, the pilot announced that MX's could not find out why the #3 engine Fire kept coming on so he was going to fly on to Hong Kong with a the defective sensor, because he KNEW there was no fire and the MX's had given him the "OK". "Position and hold" with engines roaring and wings flapping, Haneda officials refused permission to TO......

Amazing. PanAm guys were usually smarter than that .... after the first dump/inflight abort, I'd be sorely tempted to call it a day, depending on the circumstances -- after the SECOND -- I'm definitely goin' to the hotel.

Been in a similar situation before -- NOT specifically with "fire lights" .... we taxied back in after RTB and brought the mechs up into the cockpit after our T/O, dump/land-ex and explained what was going on -- felt like engine #3 was coming "off" -- vibrating badly -- at climb power. He looked at us like we were crazy -- I deplaned the PAX at the gate -- went to high-power turn area w/ mechanic -- ran 'em up and he frantically came up on the intercom scrrrrreaming "SHUT IT DOWN!! SHUT IT DOWN!! IT'S GOING TO COME OFF !!!

Off to the hotel for me & my boys ....

[/COD .. Olongapo .. Magsaysay threadjack]

 

[WheelsUpHeelsUp]

I loved the 'PO and the 'PO loved me. Jolo's?? New Jolo's?? Old Jolo's?? Marmont 3?? U&I Club?? 7 Seas??? East Inn Club??

I thought the Tom Tom Club was where all the sub guys hung out ... ????

I was at least a quadruple centurion over the main gate bridge. Be still, my beating heart ....

New Jolo's, yup, wasn't that the place with the alligator pit? LOVE the patch but face it, we're a dying breed, not many can really appreciate it's value.

 

[WheelsUpHeelsUp]

Three of us. I got to watch some of the side streets being paved, also knew when to smile and how to toss pesos just out of reach of the boats in shit river so that the momentum of the kids reaching would topple the boat, and much more. One of the great advantages of VA-115 (stationed in Japan onboard CVW-5/USS Midway) was to take cross countries in the A6 to the PI when no ships were in port. We had all the CONUS-squadrons' and ships' girlfriends all to ourselves.

I never saw it paved, last I was there was Jan 73 and it was still mud. Po and mud just seem to go together, like Shelby and Mustang, Simon and Garfunkle, tetracycline and the world beyond Shit River. The natural order of some things just should never have been changed.
Ahhh, for want of a good San Miguel drunk, monkey or dog on a stick, tit in hand and puking a red egg out in the morning.

 

[WheelsUpHeelsUp]

Everybody has a this is no shit story about Po City. ONE of mine is we were minutes from leaving for Singapore, medical dept gets a hold of me and said I have an appt at Clark the next day for the extreme headaches I was getting. After what seemed to be a LONG bus ride in a ratty assed school bus (40 miles or so and 3 or 4 hours maybe) to Angeles City I get laid up in some dive but almost luxury motel off base. Great time had by all.
Next day I go to the Doc's, ain't shit they could do for me so back I go and Saratoga was gone! They stick me on some OLD troop transport ship called the Benewah http://www.ussbenewah.com/ that's welded to the pier. (See the fun stuff you guys missed out on, no BOQ for me) Not here anyway.
Here's the good part, I have a TOTAL of 4 dollars and lots of time. I go to either the EM Club or Acey Ducey (I forget) and hit for 75 bucks on the slots! Now it's like Leisure Suit Larry pt. 2 where money is no object, I'M RICH, no carriers and I have the key to the city! What a blast, I won't bore you with the incredible details.
A few days later they stick me on a DDG that was going to Singapore. The crew was BITCHING (I know, hard to believe) they wanted hamburgers instead of turkey (with real bones) one day, lobster tail the next and steak the next! Hell, they didn't even have water hours and I didn't have a job!
Ahhhhh, life was good for those few days, life was so good! I miss Olongapo, will heaven be like that place, do dreams count?

 

[A4sForever]

I guess the moral of the story for those of you who "weren't there" in the old days --- the Navy was GREAT, lots of planes to fly, it was a time when someone wasn't looking over your shoulder 24/7, you were given a lot of individual responsibility early on, and when YOU weren't counting up your "X's in the box" to figure out whether or not you had a shot at a Dept. Head billet .....

It had it's ups & downs, like everything else in life ... but that's the Navy I miss and would probably do over, given the chance ... ... as some are fond of saying -- it was good times.

/COD threadjack ....

 

[WheelsUpHeelsUp]

I guess the moral of the story for those of you who "weren't there" in the old days --- the Navy was GREAT, lots of planes to fly, it was a time when someone wasn't looking over your shoulder 24/7, you were given a lot of individual responsibility early on, and when YOU weren't counting up your "X's in the box" to figure out whether or not you had a shot at a Dept. Head billet .....

It had it's ups & downs, like everything else in life ... but that's the Navy I miss and would probably do over, given the chance ... ... as some are fond of saying -- it was good times.

/COD threadjack ....

And MOST importantly it was a world pretty much void of political correctness. There was no gender gap where one couldn't carry the jack or lift that MAIN MOUNT <A4> It wasn't perfect but it did work and one could tell a peer to FOD if he disagreed. (and I ain't talking walkdown)
I was lucky and I know it, no way I could survive in todays PC military and I give my utmost respect for those who do today. I guess that's why they're paid the big bucks by comparison!

 

[brownshoe]

It had it's ups & downs, like everything else in life ... but that's the Navy I miss and would probably do over, given the chance ... ... as some are fond of saying -- it was good times.

/COD threadjack ....

Amen… it was fun. I couldn’t tow an A-4 from NAS JAX to Cecil on public roads today during the middle of the day. (It’s an old post.) But we just kinda did things by the seat of the pants, we did get the work done and done right. We didn’t leave our problems to the next shift either we’d stay and help. After all those men would do the same for us. However once we left the hangar it was over for work… but not for play… Ah the memories. “Happy Hour Lounge, ” drive through window for mixed drinks. No kidding, legal back in my day in Florida.


Steve

 

[scoober78]

Greyhound...Yeah Baby!

Alright...so I am picking up the new motorcycle this weekend and need to get myself to Knoxville TN. Naturally, I checked flight prices. Pretty ridiculous. $375 or so one way....and then I thought, "Why not take the bus." 95$....and 14 hours! Who knows, it might be fun.

So let's hear it. Take a pillow or a prison shank? Pretzels or piddle packs? Gimme your best Greyhound stories/advice...other odd transportation solutions welcome.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I think you're going to accumulate quite a lot of dispair for the future of mankind in that 14 hours.

But to hell with that...what kinda bike you getting?

 

[scoober78]

Picked up a sweet Kawasaki Concours for the wife and I to do some trips on. She's a few years old, (2001) but only has 4300 miles on the clock.

 

[QuagmireMcGuire]

What? No Amtrak?

If you are young, relatively good looking, I would advise you not to take Greyhound.

 

[A4sForever]

Alright... Greyhound ... Yeah Baby!

*Phew* ... for a minute there ... I thought you got COD's ...

 

[Single Seat]

Sounds like you need to work a x-c out/in and hitch a ride.


Make sure your shots are up to date.

 

[Morgan81]

My record is ten hours, never got shanked but a few times had me worried. I'm pretty sure there's no train station in Knoxville, at least not when I looked a few years ago. I hope you have some really good noise canceling headphones for an ipod and plan your sleep so you can (try to) spend the majority of the trip unconscious.