{"id":7332,"date":"2024-07-02T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=7332"},"modified":"2024-07-02T08:24:57","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T12:24:57","slug":"171-my-first-overseas-liberty-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/171-my-first-overseas-liberty-call\/","title":{"rendered":"#171\u2014My First\u2026 Overseas Liberty Call"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to those who commented on my previous blog, <strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/170-an-honor-and-a-privilege\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#170\u2014An Honor &amp; a Privilege.<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u201d Several comments were spot on and reminded me of things I\u2019d forgotten. Here\u2019s a few more shared \u201cmemories:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>For an older vet: \u201cThanks for paving the way.\u201d \u2013 Bradley<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cYou were worth it.\u201d \u2013 Ray<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cI did it for you.\u201d \u2013 Jim<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cI hope they had as much fun as I did.\u201d \u2013 Mike<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"sdm_download_item \"><div class=\"sdm_download_item_top\"><div class=\"sdm_download_thumbnail\"><\/div><div class=\"sdm_download_title\">Blog #171 (audio)<\/div><\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div><div class=\"sdm_download_description\"><\/div><div class=\"sdm_download_date\"><span class=\"sdm_download_date_label\">Published: <\/span><span class=\"sdm_download_date_value\">July 1, 2024<\/span><\/div><div class=\"sdm_download_link\"><span class=\"sdm_download_button\"><form action=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?sdm_process_download=1&#038;download_id=7350\" method=\"post\" class=\"sdm-g-recaptcha-form sdm-download-form\"><div class=\"sdm-recaptcha-button\"><div class=\"g-recaptcha sdm-g-recaptcha\"><\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"sdm_download darkblue sdm_download_with_condition\">Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"download_id\" value=\"7350\" \/><\/form><\/span><span class=\"sdm_download_item_count\"><span class=\"sdm_item_count_number\">3<\/span><span class=\"sdm_item_count_string\"> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sdm_clear_float\"><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>June 1975 \u2013 Somewhere in the Middle of the Pacific<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019d left <a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/37-hawaii-one-word-beautiful\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Hawaii<\/strong><\/a> a couple of weeks earlier. It would take three weeks to cruise to the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/20-port-call-philippines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Philippines<\/a><\/strong>, our overseas home port for the next few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were on a six-month <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/41-haze-gray-and-underway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Westpac<\/a><\/strong> cruise, my first (and only) US Navy cruise. We\u2019d left San Diego on May 21, 1975, about 1430 (2:30 p.m.). We were supposed to leave at 1000, but there was a slight delay due to one of the ship\u2019s boilers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was having the time of my life. I\u2019d been in the Navy for almost two years, spent 15 months in paradise on the island of Guam (<a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/53-you-always-remember-your-first\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>NAS Agana, Guam<\/strong>;<\/a> Nov \u201973 \u2013 Feb \u201975), had a few weeks home in Florida between duty stations, and now\u2026 on my way to another adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since I\u2019d been an aircraft <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/ready-a-veterans-journey-you-light-em-we-fight-em\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Crash &amp; Rescue<\/a><\/strong> firefighter in Guam, and had made third-class (<strong>ABH3<\/strong>), I had been assigned to the <strong>V-1 Division<\/strong> \/ Crash crew aboard <strong><em>USS Kitty Hawk<\/em>, CV-63<\/strong>. We worked on the flight deck, and I\u2019ll tell you, being in the middle of all the action during flight operations was an <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/26-that-adrenaline-rush\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">adrenaline rush<\/a><\/strong> I still feel today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I experienced a lot of \u201cfirsts\u201d while in Guam. There would be a lot more new \u201cfirsts\u201d on this cruise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Water Hours<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We never had any problems with water in Guam. But on a ship with 5,500 sailors (both ship\u2019s company and squadron personnel) there was a limited supply of water. I can\u2019t imagine the \u201cmagic\u201d behind making drinkable water from salt water, but other than filling up a 100-cup coffeepot from the wrong sink faucet, I didn\u2019t experience any salt-water issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A week or so out from Hawaii, we went to mandatory \u201cwater hours.\u201d That basically means someone at a higher pay grade than me turns off the hot water; that means <a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/the-3-minute-navy-shower\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">COLD showers<\/a>\u2026 <em>if <\/em>the water is on. In all its wisdom, the Navy also figured out that if the water was FRIGID, you probably wouldn\u2019t stay in the shower for long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Logically, the ship\u2019s boilers and distillers can only convert so much water at a time. And because the flight deck steam catapults used fresh water, every time a jet launched, we\u2019d all say, \u201cthere goes another 200 showers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"604\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USSRonaldReagan-F18Launch.jpg?resize=604%2C403&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"F-18 Launches off USS Ronald Reagan\" class=\"wp-image-4800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USSRonaldReagan-F18Launch.jpg?w=604&amp;ssl=1 604w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USSRonaldReagan-F18Launch.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">F-18 Hornet launching off Cat #3, USS Ronald Reagan (CV-76).<br>Photo credit: Andy Adkins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You get used to it after a while. However, there was usually a \u201cbrief\u201d period <em>after <\/em>flight ops where they&#8217;d turn the hot water back on so those of us lucky enough to get down off the flight deck would be able to grab a hot shower before turning in for the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Alert 5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While in Guam, I\u2019m sure all the US Military bases were under some sort of surveillance by the Russians. We\u2019d never see them and honestly, even though it was still in the Cold War years, I never worried about it. There were too many other things to occupy my time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when you\u2019re out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, cruising on an aircraft carrier, surrounded by several other US Navy ships, you\u2019re in international waters. The Russians want to get a closer look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Periodically, we\u2019d hear the <strong>Air Boss<\/strong> state over the 5MC (the flight deck PA system), \u201c<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/33-launch-the-alert-5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Launch the Alert 5!<\/a><\/strong>\u201d During the long transits without scheduled flight ops, we\u2019d always configure a couple of <strong>F-4 Phantoms<\/strong> on two of the catapults ready to launch within 5 minutes, hence the \u201cAlert 5.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a <strong>Russian Badger<\/strong> (jet) or <strong>Russian Bear<\/strong> (turboprop) approached the carrier task force, we\u2019d launch one of the Phantoms for a \u201cmeet &amp; greet.\u201d Fortunately, nothing ever happened (as far as I know) during Westpac \u201975, but I\u2019d heard stories of the F-4 pilot &amp; RIO giving the Russian pilot &amp; crew the \u201cone-finger salute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"566\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_0008.jpg?resize=800%2C566&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Russian Bear, F-4 Phantom\" class=\"wp-image-696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_0008.jpg?resize=1024%2C724&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_0008.jpg?resize=300%2C212&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_0008.jpg?resize=768%2C543&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_0008.jpg?resize=1536%2C1087&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_0008.jpg?resize=2048%2C1449&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_0008.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">F-4 Phantom escorting Russian Badger. Westpac &#8217;75.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless, after the Phantom \u201cescorted\u201d the Russian aircraft from our area, they\u2019d return, recover, and we\u2019d get back to playing poker, working on our tans, or whatever else we did during non-flight ops times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>General Quarters \u2013 the 100-yard \u201cobstacle course\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least two or three times a week, the ship would go to General Quarters; fortunately, most of the time it was a drill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every sailor on a ship has a \u201cGeneral Quarters\u201d station\u2014where he\/she is supposed to be during General Quarters. If you\u2019re in your rack, that\u2019s NOT your GQ station; get out, get dressed, and haul ass. If you\u2019re in the shower, tough luck; get out, get dressed, and haul ass. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"634\" height=\"950\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/USSRonaldReagan-Passageway.jpg?resize=634%2C950&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/USSRonaldReagan-Passageway.jpg?w=634&amp;ssl=1 634w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/USSRonaldReagan-Passageway.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">USS Ronald Reagan, CV-76.<br>Photo credit: Andy Adkins.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/64-general-quarters-general-quarters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">General Quarters, General Quarters<\/a>. All hands, man your battle stations!\u201d 5,500 sailors (back in my time, it was all men) hoofed it to get to their station as fast as possible. The traffic rules were simple: if you were going forward or up, you stayed on the starboard (right) side of the ship. If you\u2019re going aft or down, you stayed on the port (left) side of the ship. You\u2019d cross over to one side or the other using one of the many passageways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For most of us in V-1 Division, our GQ station was the flight deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>And Then\u2026 My First Port Liberty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I had already spent 15 months in Guam. That was my <em>first<\/em> trip outside the US. We worked 24 hours on and 24 off. During my day off, I had spent plenty of time in downtown Agana (now called, Hag\u00e5t\u00f1a), in the bars, in the restaurants, and in \u201cthe alleys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the Philippines (\u201cPI\u201d) would be totally different. Since it was our overseas \u201chome,\u201d we\u2019d dock there for a week, then head out to sea for a few weeks, then back again, and so on. During Westpac \u201975, we also visited <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/43-port-call-hong-kong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hong Kong<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/23-rough-seas-sea-of-japan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yokosuka, Japan<\/a><\/strong>. But PI was our \u201chome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Jeepney.jpg?resize=720%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Philippines Jeepney\" class=\"wp-image-1608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Jeepney.jpg?w=720&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Jeepney.jpg?resize=300%2C208&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeepney; Philippines.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I remember Bos\u2019n Robuck (<strong>Tyrone Robuck<\/strong>, the Crash Officer and Air Bos\u2019n) giving us a lecture about what to expect while on liberty in PI. I\u2019ll spare you the details, but it covered basic foreign policy, basic hygiene, and basic sex education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While in port, our normal work hours were 7:30a until 3:30p; after that, we were on our own, unless we had duty. Since V-1 had six sections, that meant we\u2019d only have to stay on the ship every six days, unless someone wanted to take on your duty. Back then, I think the going \u201crate\u201d for taking someone\u2019s duty was $20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Shit River<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After stepping off the ship\u2019s After brow, we\u2019d walk to the base gate, pass through a security turnstile, manned by <em>friendly<\/em> Marines, then a bit further to cross a river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let me pause here for a moment. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"509\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/OlongopoCityBridge-2.jpg?resize=750%2C509&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Shit River, Olongapo City\" class=\"wp-image-2642\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/OlongopoCityBridge-2.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/OlongopoCityBridge-2.jpg?resize=300%2C204&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Olongapo River.<br>Photo credit: Bob Actkinson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To get from the base to <strong>Olongapo City<\/strong>, you\u2019d cross a river, probably a hundred or so feet wide. Houses lined the far side of the river; as far as I know, these houses didn\u2019t have a sewer system, except the river. I\u2019m sure someone will correct me if I\u2019m wrong, but there\u2019s a reason why this was called \u201cShit River.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A half dozen or so small dugout canoes floated in the river alongside the bridge. Each had one or two small kids, either in the boat or\u2026 in the water. All begging for the sailors to toss a peso or two. Some of them would have small wire nets to catch the coins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I remember two things: one, the smell and two, I forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Midnight Curfew<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PI had martial law, meaning you had to be off the streets by midnight. Otherwise, bad things could happen. By that, you could be shot on sight by the local police. I never heard of that happening, but I was smart enough to oblige.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It wasn\u2019t that hard to do. You had three choices: return to the base or stay in a hotel or\u2026 find somewhere else to shack up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first time in, I went with a couple of good friends, <strong>Gary Borne<\/strong> (R.I.P.) and <strong>Jimmy \u201cSmitty\u201d Smith<\/strong>. Gary was the other 3rd Class PO in Crash and hailed from Hagerstown, MD; Smitty was a Yellow Shirt director in Fly 3 on the flight deck from Texarkana. Both were good friends, and we all watched out for each other both on the flight deck and while on liberty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The streets were pretty dingy, and the sidewalks were lined with wall-to-wall bars and restaurants. Almost every bar had a live band, some obviously better than others. But face it, after a few beers, it really didn\u2019t matter. There were streets with rock bands, streets with soul bands, and streets with country bands\u2014that was my street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back then, thank the good Lord, \u201chip-hop\u201d and \u201crap\u201d music didn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My usual hangouts were the <em>Country Caravan<\/em> bar and <em>The Joy Club<\/em> bar. Both had great bands and cold, cheap beer. The local brew was <strong>San Miguel<\/strong>. Not bad, and when you\u2019d come in off a long, hot day working on the ship, sometimes if you got there early enough, the first beers out of the cooler would be caked in ice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prices were cheap. In the mid-70s, a US dollar would be worth six or seven pesos in PI. San Miguel Beer was about three pesos, so it didn\u2019t cost a lot to down a six-pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Balut<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How do you describe a \u201cbalut?\u201d It\u2019s not my intent to insult anyone here, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think of the most disgusting thing you\u2019ve ever encountered and double down. Take a fertilized egg, bury it in the hot sand on the beach and leave it for about three weeks. Dig it up, cook it, remove the top of the egg, and dive in\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google it, just for grins\u2026 and make sure you select \u201cimages\u201d on your search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Baluts are considered a delicacy by Filipinos. But I can honestly say after seeing one of these up close and (almost) personal, I didn\u2019t need to see anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, I\u2019d go in search of Pandesal bread. That, to me, was a \u201cdelicacy,\u201d especially if you could get a bag of a dozen hot rolls fresh from the oven for a peso. And no\u2026 I didn\u2019t share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I experienced a lot of \u201cfirsts\u201d on my first overseas liberty port. I can remember most, even though it was 49 years ago. I\u2019m glad I went with a couple of buddies for my first time. In fact, I don\u2019t think I ever went into Olongapo by myself\u2014always with friends. I guess we just learned that we relied on each other during those times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I certainly stepped outside my comfort zone. That\u2019s a habit I like to think I\u2019ve carried with me throughout my life\u2026 my <em>journey<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I honestly believe my short four years in the Navy was a building block, a cornerstone for my journey through life. While I like the comforts of my home, my wife, my family, my church, my friends, I like trying new things and I like to travel to new places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s my current \u201cgoal\u201d in life. Keep on the journey\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until we meet again,<br>Andy<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/NeverForgetCover-AZA-NEWLabel.jpg?resize=73%2C110&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"NEVER FORGET Book Cover with &quot;New&quot; Label\" class=\"wp-image-3452\" style=\"width:73px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-360577128bbcbae78f39f7e6cfa08e8c wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#000030\">Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (\u201973-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel,<strong>&nbsp;NEVER FORGET<\/strong>, is the story of&nbsp;<em>A Vietnam Veteran\u2019s Journey for Redemption &amp; Forgiveness<\/em>. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for&nbsp;<em>all&nbsp;<\/em>veterans&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;<\/em>their families.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/never-forget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Download your FREE copy&nbsp;<u>HERE<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Previous Blogs mentioned in the Post:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/37-hawaii-one-word-beautiful\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#37\u2014Hawaii, One Word: Beautiful!<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/20-port-call-philippines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#20\u2014Port Call: Philippines<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/41-haze-gray-and-underway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#41\u2014Haze Gray and Underway!<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/53-you-always-remember-your-first\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#53\u2014You Always Remember Your First\u2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/ready-a-veterans-journey-you-light-em-we-fight-em\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#10\u2014\u201cYou Light \u2018em, We Fight \u2018em\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/26-that-adrenaline-rush\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#26\u2014That Adrenaline Rush<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/the-3-minute-navy-shower\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#19\u2014The 3-Minute Navy Shower: A Luxury, Compared to\u2026<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/33-launch-the-alert-5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#33\u2014Launch the Alert 5!<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/64-general-quarters-general-quarters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#64\u2014\u201cGeneral Quarters, General Quarters\u2026\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/43-port-call-hong-kong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#43\u2014Port Call: Hong Kong<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/23-rough-seas-sea-of-japan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#23\u2014Rough Seas: Sea of Japan<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thanks to those who commented on my previous blog, #170\u2014An Honor &amp; a Privilege.\u201d Several comments were spot on and reminded me of things I\u2019d forgotten. Here\u2019s a few more shared \u201cmemories:\u201d June 1975 \u2013 Somewhere in the Middle of&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/171-my-first-overseas-liberty-call\/\" class=\"readmore\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">#171\u2014My First\u2026 Overseas Liberty Call<\/span><span class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[59],"tags":[106,74,151,83,169,17,171,274,95,122,114,112,7,88,146,84],"class_list":["post-7332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-navy","tag-abh","tag-agana-guam","tag-alert-5","tag-crash-salvage","tag-f-4-phantom","tag-flight-deck","tag-general-quarters","tag-hawaii","tag-hong-kong","tag-japan","tag-olongapo-city","tag-philippines","tag-uss-kitty-hawk","tag-uss-ronald-reagan","tag-v-1-division","tag-westpac","content-layout-excerpt-thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>#171\u2014My First\u2026 Overseas Liberty Call &#8212; A Veteran&#039;s Journey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I experienced many &quot;firsts&quot; in the Navy. 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