R & R
Hawaii

Each of us was given a week of Rest and Recuperation because of our service in a combat zone. I don't remember all of the choices but a few of them were Taiwan, Hawaii and Australia. One's transportation to and from these locations was on Uncle Sam. All you had to come up with was room, board and party money. Since there wasn't much on which to spend our meager pay, most of us could afford a week of luxury.

I chose to go to Hawaii. Mostly because I had a few friends living there when I had performed at the Peppermint Lounge a few years earlier in December 1965. The club was a knock-off of the song Peppermint Twist by Joey and the Starliners. I was in for a big surprise. My friends had all moved away and the only thing still recognizable was the International Market.

Arrival @ Airport

On my first full day, I decided to take a bus from Waikiki and go to down Honolulu. I needed get a couple sets of guitar strings as my instrument was due. It found it interesting how one could smell the ladies perfume as they passed. After almost nine months of army aromas, these forgotten olfactory treats were quite the delight.

I purchased a couple of sets of Gibson E-340L strings and caught a bus back towards my hotel. While I was on the bus, I noticed a couple of young ladies that didn't look like locals. One of them looked my way and I introduced myself and after we had spoken for a while I asked if she might join me for dinner. She said that she was on vacation with her girlfriend so we all dined together that evening.

The two ladies were from Vancouver, Canada. I was attracted to Fay Tetlock and we spent most of the next week together. We all had a great time together. I can't recall her girl friend's name. Fay and I corresponded for several years and my friend, Russ Guinther, and I drove to Vancouver and visited with her and her family. I was impressed.

Ms. Fay Tetlock

 

Fay and friend

Canadian friends

I rented a car for the week and the three of us went as many places as possible. The island was absolutely beautiful and as I had remembered it from several years earlier. I'm not sure what we did but at one point we got the car stuck and had to get some help getting it unstuck.

After touring the island and seeing all of the sights that we could cram in during the week, we took some time to visit the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Please note how few people are visiting the memorial in 1968. I have been back twice in 2002 and 2006 and the traffic has increased by 100%+. I should also note that political correctness as it relates to our new world order has changed as well. I don't remember seeing the throng of Japanese tourists in 1968 nor the softening of the US/Japanese participance in the battle of Pearl Harbor. I offer no rancor towards anyone. I just have an observation.

Entrance to Memorial

View across the bay                                                                        Inside of memorial

U.S.S Arizona through water                                                                          Back wall of memorial                      

The week went by too quickly but imprinted itself indelibly as a wonderful and peaceful time amidst a time of chaos. I found it difficult to return to my duties in Vietnam even though my time there was winding down. I imagine that the shortness of time is what made the realization that I must return all the more frightening. We all said our good-byes.

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