After breakfast, we arranged for our transport for the day. Due to the number of us going and the tour bus operator's limit of
only 10 people to a van we ended up needing two vehicles, six of us in each van. The van, driver and gas to go where and when we wanted and stop where and when we wanted came to the reasonable fee of
420 baht per person or about $10.50 USD.
It was suggested the trip start from our furthest point of interest (Newland) and work our way back in towards home base. It was a good idea and it made
sense, contrary to what we considered proper procedure when we were running our armchair wars with the brass.
As we started out it was all but demanded that we take our passports along, just in case
of an accident and a chance encounter with a non-falang friendly member of the gendarmes. After we retrieved our passports and headed out we took the old Sukhumvit highway toward Sattahip and points east. As
we approached the port city of Sattahip our driver started to turn into the city not knowing we intended to start further east. after getting resituated, I decided the first stop would be at the old
Swan Lake Hotel. The reason being that it was on the outbound side of the highway and would eliminate the need to cross traffic on the way back.
As we pulled into the parking lot at Swan Lake, it
felt a bit like stepping into a time warp. While much had changed, much was still the same. This hotel is more of a short-time hotel for the Thai Navy now, yet it remains a regular hotel. I guess some
things never change. We took group pictures out front and were offered a brief tour by the current owner. Pictures were taken of most of the exterior of the place but not of any rooms. The hotel
manager grew up in the area and was a kid in his mid teens during our days. He is just 48 years old and recalls the Swan Lake in its hey day of the 60's and 70's.
While there, the talk of getting on
to U-Tapao for a base tour was still lively and I had yet to hear from my contacts working on the matter. These gentlemen have jobs and arranging this for us would be a secondary issue for them. As
luck would have it, Dang, the girlfriend of Ray Hayes has a friend stationed on U-T. She calls him and he agrees to try and help us get on base. Now keep in mind we have no official contacts to get on
the base. In essence, what we are trying to do could be considered gate crashing. I had even intimated in a number of emails to some folks that if push come to shove we could just drive up and unload
at the main gate and see what transpires. Who was going to say no to a bunch of American former servicemen rushing the main gate wanting to visit? Answer: A Thai Marine with an M-16! Ok, point made.
But please keep in mind what I just said about gate crashing.
I am sorry that I did not get name of Dang's friend but I wish to give him proper acknowledgement. He dropped what he was doing to come
to our aid to offer his assistance. To continue, Dang's friend comes to the hotel and meets with us and rides with us to the main gate. We can only hope… After we arrive at the main gate, Dang, her
friend and Tony Young's wife Somjai act as our intermediaries and translators.
After about 15 minutes it looks like we are not going to get anything more than a group picture in front of the albatross in
front of the old Pass and I.D. building by the pedestrian gate. The Thai Marine guards were sympathetic to our plight but weren't going to screw themselves to please us. In the meantime, it looks like
a Chinese fire drill in front of the base as we walk around taking pictures from a variety of different vantagepoints.
Just as we were getting some information on where we might find the commander I
had met last year a silver Mercedes approaches the gate and it is quickly pointed out that this person might help. INDEED! This man is a familiar face and Somjai and Dang continue to talk their talk. I
step in behind Somjai and recognize the driver as the Chief of Staff to Admiral Suprakorn Biranadirok. I had the pleasure of meeting him last year when I was fortunate to be given an unlimited pass to
visit. I asked Somjai to ask him if he remembered me from our lunch with the Admiral last year. The look on his face gave me the answer. His eyes got as big as saucers and then sported an ear to grin.
He reached out the window to shake my hand. At that point, I knew we were "ON DA BASE" but how much access and what we could take pictures of was yet to be determined.
It was decided that
we can enter the base with the Sergeant of the Guard driving one of our vehicles to control our movements. We can photograph anything west of the flight line. NO flight line, NO BUFF ramp, NO bomb
dump. We thought we would only get to see the barracks, NCO Club, chapel, BX, etc.
To our surprise we were driven around the entire Westside of the base starting at the chapel, proceeding across the
klong. We turned south at the NCO club and stopped at the swimming pool. For nearly 15 minutes we stood in that intersection looking like Keystone Kops determining bearings, looking at the map Bill had
copied and brought along. We took pictures of each other looking like a bunch of kids in a candy store not able to choose what we want. To our left was the pool. To the right and north was OMS
barracks. To the north of the pool was the old MARS station; still north of that was little Sattahip. South of the OMS barracks was the driving range and miniature golf course. The next two buildings
west of this locale were the chow hall (sorry Bert, this was not a dining facility) and my old barracks, 2257. And this year for the sake of John Ellis I believe, I got a couple of photos of his old
home…2256.
We drove in some circles trying to see as much as possible in a short period of time. Our Marine Guard and driver seemed to be trying to rush us but the gals (Somjai and Dang) did not let
that happen. It needs to be mentioned at this point that 2 of our group are not present. Pete was not present as he needed to pack up his wife and family to send back to their home near Bangkok and Don
Meurett was not able to join us due to a doctor appointment in Pattaya. Pete tried to catch up to us but when he phoned from the Swan Lake, we had already passed on to the base. After a couple of cold
frosty adult beverages in the bar at the Swan Lake, Pete opted to return to base (the hotel) and check in with us later.
As we headed back to the east across the klong toward the BX and the mailroom,
we wondered if the red flag had been raised yet, inidcating mail was in. the next turn to the left would have returned us to the main gate. To our surprise, we made a right turn and headed toward the
beach. The girls' chatter was paying dividends. We could have made two different turns with different results. One would take us up along the flightline, the other, to the beach. The BEACH it was!!! We
all were telling about what we recalled at different points on the base and we arrived the beach that not familiar to anyone except myself since I was just here last year.
Today was a holiday and
many Thais were lunching and drinking here at the place that was a favorite of many Americans "back in the day." As we were walking across to the water I saw the restaurant counter was open.
I looked at John Ault and said HMMMM, kao pad for 12?? He replied, WHY NOT? In a few minutes we were taking pictures, Robbie was running in the surf, Bill was gathering a bit of sand and a shell from
the beach and Dave Galvan was drinking with a Thai Marine officer and his family. Everyone was tickled beyond belief and getting more relaxed by the minute.
Then, we got the go ahead. LUNCH! Robbie
in his generosity decided he was going to pick up the lunch tab for all of us. It was pretty much kao pad all around. During lunch, Don called asking what we were doing and where we were. When I told
him I could hear the disappointment in his voice. Dave Galvin had made friends with some folks down on the beach. A Thai marine captain offered a free shot (of whiskey) to any whom wished to partake. A
lady with this group happened to knock over their bottle and break it. Dave buys another bottle and makes some friends for life. For the next hour, we sit and eat, drink and talk as if we had planned
to meet at this restaurant for lunch. You got the impression that you were stepping into a time warp and going back in time. For a brief moment it was as if we had all been transported back to the days
when we were stationed here on the Gulf of Siam. The sun, the surf, the islands off in the distance, the Aeroflot flights on final to the north…..Aeroflot? Yep, the Russians now use OUR base to fly junkets
into Pattaya on a regular basis. Too soon this perfect lunch setting is destined to become only a memory…again!
As we finish and start to load up, we call to Dave and as he readies to leave he gets
shown that he needs to have one last drink. It was about a half a water glass of booze. WHEW!
As we load up I recall days gone by and sunny days here when I was just eighteen years old and stationed
here myself. It was bittersweet as I remember those days and this one with all my new friends from the group. To pick one thing to remember from this day I would have to say seeing Robbie run in the
surf would be the highlight.
While waiting to depart the beach, I ask about this old gooney bird that has been set in concrete with a small building literally attached to it. Our guard said it is a
transient quarters of some type. An interesting concept to say the least. I'll post pictures of it.
On the way north from the beach we have our nostalgic last thoughts of this place. We make another
side trip back into the barracks area. Some of the guys were looking for patches and we wanted try and get some before leaving base, so one more stop is added. The stop is in the old OMS area at the
Thai BX located in the old base bakery from our days. Some of us bought patches; I also bought a hat from COBRA GOLD 2003.
As we leave the BX, the clouds that had been building start to open up.
Just light rain at first but nothing radical.
The route out takes us along the flight line past the control tower up towards the old 307th
Wing Headquarters. The ramp is lined with C-130s, C-17s, a C-5, NAVY P-3 and some Thai Navy planes. Did someone spike my lunch with some wacky tobaccy? Nope, not at all. They really were American military aircraft. So much for no U.S. presence here. We briefly head up to the beginning of the old hammerhead road, now closed to all traffic. Next, we head back through what used to be the hootch area, past where the USO used to be and back to and through the main gate, leaving OUR U-TAPAO once again. I never imagined we would be able to get this three-hour tour and this was not Gilligan's Island.
Personally, I am very distressed that Don and Pete were not able to make the base tour with the rest of us. This was planned as a reunion tour and two of our members were not able to share in our joy and
excitement of this afternoon. I am however, ecstatic that we were able to get as many of us as we did not only on the base but also to tour as much of what remains as we did.
As we thank our guard
and driver and return him to his post, we bid adieu to the base and head out to Bang Chang and Newland after dropping off the young Thai Navy friend of Dang's who offered his assistance in getting us
on base. We doubled back the Swan Lake to drop him off.
By this time, it is really raining hard. Some were asking whether we should continue onward or call it a day. I ask who wants to go to Bang
Chang, a show of hands say we go on, and we go on. The rain doesn't let up and we make a quick pass through downtown Bang Chang, which has recovered very well, from the early 70's fire. The rain is
making stopping here almost out of the question. There would be nothing we would be able to accomplish by stopping. At the far east end of Bang Chang we make a quick trip through what remains of
Newland without stopping and headed back to the west. There was little remaining form the days when we were there and unless you were a regular visitor it was unrecognizable.
The plan for the day
also included a stop in Sattahip but because it was raining so steadily we (I) decided we should come back another day. This was the first inclement weather we had encountered on the sojourn to
Thailand. We headed back to the base (hotel) but not before making a brief side visit to the engraved Buddha. There is an image of a Buddha engraved in the side of a mountain. It is a spectacular site
but we will need to return there another day also. This was a definite place to come back and see another day.
Traffic on the way home was horrendous. It was like rush hour at home in San Francisco.
It took an hour to reach the hotel from Sattahip, usually a 20-minute drive. Upon our return, we see Pete in the bar and we stop to chat. In awhile a few others come in including Gop and Dao, Pete's
brother-in-law and wife. Some of the folks decided to have dinner at the Captain's Corner and while I had intended to go, I passed and decided to get my feet up for the night. Captain's Corner is a seafood
buffet and has the best prices imaginable for such a place. B250 ($6.25) for all you can eat seafood. They make up the difference on drinks. As a courtesy, they will send a mini-van to your hotel to
collect your group and return you at the end of your meal/evening.
The prevailing consensus after Thursday's outing was that the trip could end tomorrow and it was all worth it. I am glad folks feel
that way but we have another week or so to go yet!
Friday's game plan is to visit Nong Nooch Gardens. If the rain continues into the night it may be a scrub to another day as this is an all day
walking tour in a "jungle" environment. See you then…
