Another Subic Bay Story

By Garland Davis

Instead of going to the mess decks for dinner, I poured myself a cup from the urn in the First Division Office and walked back to the stern, sat down on a bollard and lit a smoke. I was thinking about that kid Irving. He is turning into a good Boatswain’s Mate and should make Third on the next test. Hoping I make First on the same test.

I kinda took the boy under my wing when he reported on board. He is from Iowa. He once told me his dad ran an “ethanol farm.” In other words, he grew corn for the ethanol industry. I asked him why he joined the Navy. He said it was because of a Travis Tritt song, “Where Corn Don’t Grow.” He said he just wanted to go where he could look out a window and not see corn.

I was afraid the tour on the mess decks would foul him up, but I talked with him each day and went on liberty with him a time or two. About halfway through, they moved him to the CPO Mess which was good for him. He kept his mind right and came through mess cooking well.

I took him ashore the first time we pulled into Subic and showed him the ropes in Olongapo. Our first visit lasted five days and we had liberty three days. We bar hopped and fooled around with different girls each night.

Now, something is broken in the Snipes world. We have been here two weeks and it looks if it will take at least another week, maybe longer to get the repairs done.

Everything had been going well until Irving fell in love with that girl Esmerelda in the Jolo. She is all he talks about. I tried to keep him away from there as much as possible, but we are in different duty sections and I’m told he has been spending all his time there when I am not with him.

Now he comes back this morning, tells me he is in love, Melly is the one for him, and gives me a chit to get married.

I really hate to rain on his parade, but I guess I better tell him that I’ve been fucking her on his duty nights for the last two weeks.