Old Sailors' Memories

"Once Upon A Time - Long Long Ago"
Remembering The Chinese Duck & Colon, Panama

The Photo and Text was taken from Alligator Alley #33, Page 23 To Alligator Alley Editor Dan Riley, At the request of Walt Heinrich, Mario Davino, and Wayne Douglas, I am sending you a photo taken at the "Chinese Duck" in Houston, Texas in early 1946 where a cute little blond in pink tights sang "It might as well be spring". ~ Harlan xxxxx Left to Right are four sailors off the LSM xxx. I wonder who they might be.........The answer is on this webpage. And of course they cannot remember anything about that party......... I will never forget the Chinese Duck Club. It was open 24 hours a day. You could go in at 8:00 AM come out at 4:00 PM and swear that 24 hours had past. You could become as the Song, "It Might As Well Be Spring", Lyrics: Restless as a willow in a windstorm Starry-eyed and vaguely discontented Giddy as a baby on a swing In the Chinese Duck and much, much more ..... But I doubt you would ever find Spring..... I've often wondered what happened to the Chinese Duck Clubs. Last Liberty - Chinese Duck The night before we were to ship out (start our trip overseas), I went on liberty with some of my shipmates. There was an eleven o'clock curfew on the Army personnel, but not on the Navy. Each night after eleven o'clock the Navy would move in where the Army had been. On this particular night a girl and her friends were having her wedding anniversary party. Her husband and his Army friends had to return to base. We moved in and continued the party. She had one bottle of whiskey left, after the party. She gave the bottle to me, to remember her by. It was a bottle appropriately called, Golden Wedding. I took the bottle aboard the LSM xxx and hid it in my bow door and bow ramp compartment. I was the only one, who knew (I was the only crew member, who would ever know) about this bottle of whiskey being aboard the ship. I was the one, who was responsible for the cleaning of this compartment. One day in the future, it would be involved in an event (prank) aboard the LSM xxx........ It Might As Well Be Spring Dick Haymes Words by Oscar Hammerstein II Music by Richard Rodgers Was a # 5 hit for Haymes in 1945 I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string I'd say that I had Spring fever But I know it isn't Spring I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented Like a nightingale without a song to sing Oh, why should I have Spring fever When it isn't even Spring? I keep wishing I were somewhere else Walking down a strange new street Hearing words that I have never heard From a girl I've yet to meet I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing But I feel so gay in a melancholy way That it might as well be Spring It might as well be Spring Colon, Panama In March 1945, the LSM xxx sailed to Gulfport, Mississippi and picked up a load of Pontoons used for floating docks. We would not unload the pontoons until we reached an island called, Okinawa. We sailed down the gulf to Colon, Panama. Jukebox "Rum & Coke" Andrew Sisters I took liberty in Colon. Colon was my first encounter with young boys selling their sister's wares on the street. Some of the Crew had the honor and privilege ....... doing SP Duty in a Whorehouse. We sailed through the Panama Canal to Balboa, Panama. From Balboa we sailed to San Diego, California. We picked up supplies and then sailed to San Francisco, California. ~ Anonymous SandScraper Memories Of The 1930s My second year in the fifth grade, I was ten years old and in love. Adults call it puppy love. The girl's name was Billie June Moore. Billie June had two older sisters and a younger brother. Her father, Eugene Moore, was a Deputy Sheriff of Atoka County. He was killed in Springtown, Oklahoma by Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde were two notorious outlaws during the early 1930s. The fifth grade class exchanged valentines on Valentines day 1937. It was my chance to let Billie June know how I felt about her. Bobby Collier claimed her as his girl. I was treading on dangerous ground. Most valentines exchanged were small with some simple message. I cannot remember what I paid for the valentine. It was a large valentine expressing true love and devotion. Billie June received the largest valentine, that day and I immediately became her real true love. We immediately claimed each other and she was my girl. Bobby was going to whip me for taking his girl. He only had contempt for such underhanded tactics. I explained to Bobby, that whipping me would only make her love me more. He finally decided, that I was probably right and gave her up. This love and devotion held up until the night of Marie Waggoner's birthday party. Sometime in the Fall of 1937 Marie's mother gave her a birthday party. The party was on a Friday night. Marie invited three girls: Billie June, Elma Dale, and Roberta. She invited four boys: Warren (me), Marcus, Roland, and Richard. We were of the age, that spin the bottle was the rage. The rules of the game: The girls would sit in a circle. The boy would be in the center with a bottle. He would spin the bottle and if the bottle pointed toward a girl, he could win a kiss or a walk around the block with that girl. Then it would be the next boys turn etc. It could be switched where the boys sit in the circle and the girls could spin the bottle. I cannot explained what happened, but sometime during the game it became the girls turn to spin the bottle. Every time the bottle would point towards me. The winning girl would kiss me. Every girl was winning me and kissing me. They were doing it on purpose. The thought ran through my mind, that I was irresistible. The truth was closer to seeing my face turn red. I have never been kissed so much by any girl since. The boys were getting upset and Billie June was becoming furious. I was enjoying the kisses by Marie, Elma Dale, and Roberta. Billie June left the party. Billie June let every one know later, that she was no longer interested in me. I was out of Billie June's life forever. ~ Oklahoma SandScraper 3/c Jukebox Rhythm Of The Rain John Gummoe