Posted on Jan 15, 2016
What ship or duty station would you go back to tomorrow if you could?
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We have all served somewhere that based on the military experience at the time and the unit personnel assigned made it memorable to you. Perhaps it defined your entire career.
My tour on the USS CARTER HALL (LSD 50) from 1998-2001 set the pace for my entire military career. I probably developed the most during this time. We had a tight-knit crew and went to a lot of ports both off and on deployment. I felt like we had a "work hard - play hard" culture and it was great. I extended to finish the second deployment onboard. Sabah is packed - ready to hop onboard her tomorrow - but only with the crew we had.
My tour on the USS CARTER HALL (LSD 50) from 1998-2001 set the pace for my entire military career. I probably developed the most during this time. We had a tight-knit crew and went to a lot of ports both off and on deployment. I felt like we had a "work hard - play hard" culture and it was great. I extended to finish the second deployment onboard. Sabah is packed - ready to hop onboard her tomorrow - but only with the crew we had.
Posted in these groups: 
Duty Stations
Boats
Duty Stations Boats
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 14
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MCPO Roger Collins
Visited several times BEFORE I was married. I believe you have a winner. Runner up Okimawa.
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SN Greg Wright
MAJ Ken Landgren Lived in Cavite for 2 years after I got out. Can't argue with your choice! (nor will any Sailor, ever.)
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MAJ Ken Landgren
My experience growing up in Angeles City Philippines in the 1980s right outside Clark Air Force Base:
FIELDS AVENUE
We were allowed to go to bars as freshmen in high school and this includes full nudie bars. It was obscenely fun. I frequented a bar called Paradise Theater with dark red carpet, and I witnessed some amazing talented Filipino musicians and bands. I often sat on the top deck and listened to the bands playing on the stage. They sounded exactly like ACDC or Judas Priest, but they were Asians. The band at Paradise Theater always opened with the song The Paradise by Styx. After the song they proceeded to rock the bar with many hard rock songs. The lights flashed and the bands were loud and jammed hard. The music was crisp, but we could feel it with our bodies. Damn I heard some good bands and music at that bar. These are the lyrics I heard at the opening of the mini concert.
Tonight's the night we'll make history
As sure as dogs can fly
And I'll take any risk to tie back the hands of time
And stay with you here all night
So take your seats and don't be late, we need your spirits high
To turn on these theatre lights and brighten the darkest skies
Here at the Paradise....
In my 4 years of going to bars I strangely never saw any of my friends get smashed. I personally never got smashed. I just wanted to have a good time and enjoy my buzz. Every weekend I had a roll of 600 pesos in my front right pocket to spend. San Miguel was 2 pesos each. It was nice having that roll of pesos for every weekend. I informally became the money man. I did not care. Money was worthless if I did not buy anything with it. When I went to college, partying was no big deal due to my extensive partying in the PI. There was no novelty to partying that my friends who grew up in the states felt.
FIELDS AVENUE
We were allowed to go to bars as freshmen in high school and this includes full nudie bars. It was obscenely fun. I frequented a bar called Paradise Theater with dark red carpet, and I witnessed some amazing talented Filipino musicians and bands. I often sat on the top deck and listened to the bands playing on the stage. They sounded exactly like ACDC or Judas Priest, but they were Asians. The band at Paradise Theater always opened with the song The Paradise by Styx. After the song they proceeded to rock the bar with many hard rock songs. The lights flashed and the bands were loud and jammed hard. The music was crisp, but we could feel it with our bodies. Damn I heard some good bands and music at that bar. These are the lyrics I heard at the opening of the mini concert.
Tonight's the night we'll make history
As sure as dogs can fly
And I'll take any risk to tie back the hands of time
And stay with you here all night
So take your seats and don't be late, we need your spirits high
To turn on these theatre lights and brighten the darkest skies
Here at the Paradise....
In my 4 years of going to bars I strangely never saw any of my friends get smashed. I personally never got smashed. I just wanted to have a good time and enjoy my buzz. Every weekend I had a roll of 600 pesos in my front right pocket to spend. San Miguel was 2 pesos each. It was nice having that roll of pesos for every weekend. I informally became the money man. I did not care. Money was worthless if I did not buy anything with it. When I went to college, partying was no big deal due to my extensive partying in the PI. There was no novelty to partying that my friends who grew up in the states felt.
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SCPO Charles Thomas "Tom" Canterbury I would go back to Fort Ord, California.
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. Before construction and official designation as a fort in 1940, the land was used as a maneuver area and field-artillery target range during 1917. Fort Ord was considered one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California weather. The 7th Infantry Division was its main garrison for many years. When Fort Ord was converted to civilian use, space was set aside for the first nature reserve in the United States created for conservation of an insect, the endangered Smith's blue butterfly. Additional endangered species are found on Fort Ord including; Contra Costa goldfields and the threatened California Tiger Salamander.
While much of the old military buildings and infrastructure remain abandoned, many structures have been torn down for anticipated development. California State University at Monterey Bay and the Fort Ord Dunes State Park, along with some subdivisions, the Veterans Transition Center, a commercial strip mall, military facilities and a nature preserve occupy the area today.
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. Before construction and official designation as a fort in 1940, the land was used as a maneuver area and field-artillery target range during 1917. Fort Ord was considered one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California weather. The 7th Infantry Division was its main garrison for many years. When Fort Ord was converted to civilian use, space was set aside for the first nature reserve in the United States created for conservation of an insect, the endangered Smith's blue butterfly. Additional endangered species are found on Fort Ord including; Contra Costa goldfields and the threatened California Tiger Salamander.
While much of the old military buildings and infrastructure remain abandoned, many structures have been torn down for anticipated development. California State University at Monterey Bay and the Fort Ord Dunes State Park, along with some subdivisions, the Veterans Transition Center, a commercial strip mall, military facilities and a nature preserve occupy the area today.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
I was stationed on Camp Pendleton in 1995-1998. Fort Ord had just closed, but.. we were still able to go up there and use "limited" facilities. It was a great location.
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There were several postings that I truly enjoyed. Ft Bragg 72nd AVN ATC was absolutely wonderful. Me and my team out in the field away from all other Units, and never any make work.... Just do your job.
Same thing as a Plt Sergeant with C CO 44oth SIG (Darmstadt Germany). I had the Fwd Spt Platoon, 14 of the greatest soldiers ever assembled....
Same thing as a Plt Sergeant with C CO 44oth SIG (Darmstadt Germany). I had the Fwd Spt Platoon, 14 of the greatest soldiers ever assembled....
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