A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything You gave me.’”?
2. In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, “Everyone will either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you.”?
3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear the following?
   I never had much goin’
   But at least I had you
   How can you walk out knowin’
   I ain’t got nothin’ left if you do?

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If you served in the United States Navy and you were a Petty Officer, there’s a good chance you walked one or more beats as Shore Patrol (SP). And… if you served on Shore Patrol duty, more likely than not, you’ve got your own unique stories – I’d love to hear them (in the comments section below).

Despite what you may have heard, “SP” does not stand for “Stud Patrol,” though I might venture to say, I looked pretty good back then in the mid-70s.

I didn’t really mind Shore Patrol duty, especially overseas, but I can honestly say, “I don’t miss it.”

This fun little exercise usually consisted of teams of two sailors dressed in their “Uniform of the Day,” wearing an “SP” armband and a white web belt carrying a wooden baton.

What exactly is Shore Patrol?

In the Army and the Marines, it’s referred to as Military Police, or “MP.” In the Air Force, it’s referred to as “Military Police,” “Air Police,” or “Security Police.” While most of us served “temporarily” on these patrols, usually for 24 hours or less, each branch of the military maintains their own full-time security / police force.

I don’t pretend to know the details of each service, but I will tell you that from my experience in the Navy (on both sides “of the SP fence”), Shore Patrol duty can either be enlightening or frightening.

I say that partially in jest, but I’ve heard some horrendous stories of SPs & MPs having a lot on their hands in an overseas port, especially when there was an emergency order to get underway. Not every sailor or Marine wanted to leave their “current habitat” to unexpectedly head back out to sea. But that’s one of the duties of Shore Patrol and Military Police.

Ask Google…

From the Google Shore Patrol Rule Book: “The primary mission of Shore Patrol is to preserve order among members of the armed forces who are on leave or in a liberty status. You should always be courteous and fair and keep a cool head at all times. You will be required to give assistance and information when necessary and to apprehend or otherwise control military personnel who violate the law or regulations.”

First, there’s no “required training,” at least none that I can recall. Second, you’re in your military uniform. If it’s summer and you are Navy, that means you’re in your “whites.” Third, when you’re wearing white, it’s almost a guarantee that when your SP duty is over, they won’t be white anymore.

But maybe that’s just me… Anyone else?

Shore Patrol Duty in San Diego

After my first few weeks aboard USS Kitty Hawk (early 1975), I learned a new way to make a little extra money on the side. I’d take somebody’s duty when we first came back into port. Sailors were usually eager to go on liberty, especially if they were married.

I’d charge the going rate of $10 to take their duty that night; overseas, you might ask (and get) $20, especially if the ship had been at sea for several weeks. Honestly, all I really did while on duty was sit around the berthing compartment or hang out in the Crash compartment on the flight deck.

Now and then I’d have to stand watch on the After brow, but that wasn’t too bad. Sometimes those “dog” watches (0000-0400) were comical, since the bars closed at 0200 and sailors had to stagger up the After brow.

While I never had to take SP duty during my 15 months in Crash & Rescue at NAS Agana, Guam (’73-75), I did so when I first got to Kitty Hawk. The few times I was assigned SP, we walked in pairs on the pier alongside the carrier and the nearby baseball fields to make sure nobody got into trouble. There had been a few muggings over the previous few months, but fortunately, never on my watch.

The biggest problem I had on Shore Patrol in San Diego was when the ball field sprinklers went off in the middle of the night with no warning. The sound of a sprinkler head popping up out of the ground is very similar to the sound of a pistol being cocked. And since we anticipated trouble, I never got used to that sound. To be honest, my head still snaps around when I hear that sound today.

As fast as I was able to run in dress shoes, I seemed to always get wet.

Shore Patrol in PI

While on Westpac ’75, Shore Patrol duty started after work hours at 1530 (3:30 p.m.). My SP partner was usually Ed Boes, a fellow V-1 Division buddy and we always got along fine. We’d walk an assigned beat, usually a mile or two, stick our head in every bar and restaurant along our beat, check to see if there were any sailors out of hand, then move on to the next one.

Walking the streets and sidewalks in downtown Olongapo City… in the summer heat… with the smells of a certain river not too far away was… interesting, to say the least. It really wasn’t bad—if the wind was blowing in the right direction.

And I took the opportunity to visit all the bars and restaurants on our beat—sober. That was one benefit: checking out the various bars to see if there might be one I may want to visit next time I was in town on liberty.

There are benefits…

Another benefit was that when it was time for chow, we’d place an order at a restaurant then walk the beat. When we returned to that restaurant, our chow would be ready for us—hot and tasty. Shanghai Fried Rice and Lumpia was my absolute favorite meal, which I’ve never been able to find anywhere in the US. I came close once in a Filipino restaurant at Pike Place Market in Seattle, but… it was just not quite the same.

The cost of food in Olongapo City was more than reasonable. Fried shrimp was another favorite. In 1975, the cost of a fried shrimp dinner, complete with fried rice, was about $1.50. In the states, it would have cost about $3.50.

We weren’t provided radios while on Shore Patrol duty which was fine by me—less crap to carry around. A senior petty officer was in charge of the teams. We’d report to him after each round. We also had orders as to what to do if we encountered any problems. Thankfully, for the three or four times I stood Shore Patrol in PI, there were no problems on my beat.

Dealing with Martial Law

The Philippines had been under martial law from 1972 to 1981 under the authoritarian rule of the Philippines president, Ferdinand Marcos. During the time I was there, the streets were to be cleared by midnight. Maybe that’s one reason we didn’t run into problems.

Starting around 2330 (11:30 p.m.), we’d let everyone in the bars and restaurants on our beat know curfew was quickly approaching. Most everyone either went back to the base or followed a “Navy relief worker” home or to a hotel. I’d heard that the local Filipino police had orders to shoot on sight if they found anyone in violation of martial law. As far as I know, that never happened.

I did hear of some locals chasing a sailor or two back and since the base gates closed at midnight, the sailor had to swim Sh#t River to escape. I tell you, the decision (when you’re drunk) to make: Sh#t River or jail—not sure what I would do in that case, either.

Vietnamese Refugees

One of my more memorable Shore Patrol duties was when we walked a beat on Grande Island, just off the shore of Subic Bay. It was a Saturday, so duty for us was 0800 to 1700. Several SP teams took a 20-minute boat ride to get there. This was the first time in my life I’d seen refugees.

Beginning April 29, 1975, “Operation Frequent Wind” was the final operation in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Marines loaded Vietnamese civilians onto helicopters and brought them to waiting aircraft carriers. The Navy then transported them to the Philippines.

Many of these refugees were on Grande Island when I took SP duty in September 1975. Normally, Japanese tourists frequented Grande Island, but it was now housing Vietnamese refugees.

The Vietnamese people were quiet, reserved, and looked defeated. It was no surprise to me—they had to quickly leave their homes, many with just the clothes on their backs. We didn’t talk to them. We didn’t know the Vietnamese language and they didn’t know English. Besides, there was a tall, 8-foot chain link fence separating them from us.

There were several kids, however, who came up to the fence waving Vietnamese money. It wasn’t worth anything to them, but I exchanged a few Philippine pisos for several Vietnamese dollars. It was a sad sight, but from what I saw and what I’ve read, they were much better off here than in Vietnam.

Marines are our friends

Marines guarded the gates to the Subic Bay Naval base. Most of the time, these guys were cool, unless someone got out of hand, and then they would disappear into the guard shack with the out of hand sailor.

One night on my way back from a drinking night in Olongapo City, I got a little “out of hand.” Coming through the gate, we always showed our military ID card and the Marine waved us through.

Keep in mind this was around midnight curfew and there were hundreds of sailors coming through the gates all at the same time… much like cattle on their way to the slaughter house.

Detained, sort of…

I was slightly drunk when I came through the gate. I showed the Marine guard my ID card, but it was upside down. He asked nicely if I would “kindly” turn it over. I said something stupid like, “Don’t they teach you guys how to read upside down?”

That was the wrong thing to say to a Marine. At that time, the Corporal in charge ordered about four Marines to take me to the guard shack—oh crap! What now? I’d heard rumors…

They “escorted me” to the guard shack, had me put my hands against a wall and they performed a pat-down search—all SOP. Fortunately, I wasn’t carrying anything illegal. I lost a little dignity that night. But they let me return through the gate—this time, holding my ID card held right side up.

I would not make that mistake again.

“The Last Detail”

The Last Detail (1973) is a movie about two sailors (Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) forced into Shore Patrol duty to transport a convicted sailor (Randy Quaid) to Portsmouth Naval Prison near Kittery, Maine. It you haven’t seen it (I assume most Navy veterans have), it should be SOP for Shore Patrol duty [see “required training” above]).

The Last Detail is basically a movie about three sailors on a road trip. The “concept” of the movie may be off for some folks. But the reality of how sailors talked and acted in the 70s (my time in the Navy) and what was going on in the world (the Vietnam War) is pretty close to what I remember.

And, along that same line, if you haven’t seen Last Flag Flying (2017), it’s worth a watch.

“Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam, a former Navy Corpsman Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) re-unites with his old buddies, former Marines Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Reverend Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne), to bury his son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War.”

It’s another “veteran road trip,” with a lot of highs and lows.

Stay safe, my friends.

Until we meet again,
Andy

Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran’s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE copy HERE.

Answers

1. Chadwick Boseman, aka The Black Panther aka Jackie Robinson aka Thurgood Marshall.
2. Hunger Games: The Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014); Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks).
3. You’re My Soul and Inspiration (1966), The Righteous Brothers; written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil.