Making the Best of a Bad Situation

Making the Best of a Bad Situation

When I knew Jack he was a CTM2 in the Navy, in Washington, D.C.  The following story is one of which he told me.  I have no reason to doubt it, for as I have stated before, Jack was a died in the wool nut.  If you wanted to have fun, there was no one better to have around.  I never understood it, but somehow, whenever he screwed up so bad, you knew the hammer would have to come down, he always came out fairly unscathed.

Jack started out his Navy life, as a CTO.  He came into the service in the mid seventies.  His first duty assignment was aboard ship.  Soon after arriving he started his first WestPac.

As a fresh seaman he had little influence over his schedule and duty sections, so for the first two months at sea he did not leave the ship.  His duty section would change, someone would be sick or hurt and he would have to cover, the ship had to leave port earlier than planned, or any number of factors occurred to ensure he did not receive liberty.

Finally after about ten weeks, the ship pulled into Subic Bay, P.I.  Jack's chief came up to him and said, "I know that you have not hit shore since we left San Diego.  We are in port for five days.  You have been exempted from duty.  Go out and have fun, just make sure you are back and ready to go, when the ship leaves in five days."

Jack was ecstatic.  Five days in which he had to do nothing but drink and chase girls.  Man, nothing could beat this!

Jack grabbed some civilian clothes and left the ship as quickly as possible.  He went to a local hotel and got a room for four nights.  He was like a kid in a candy store, until the wee hours of his fourth night.  When he returned to his hotel in the early morning hours of his last day, he stopped at the front desk, and put in a wake up call for six o'clock.  The ship was due to sail at eight.  He stumbled to his room and fell back on the bed for a few hours sleep.

He awoke to the sun streaming in the window.  The sun was pretty bright for this early.  He looked at his watch, 7:45.  Holy Crap!

He jumped up, still dressed from the night before, grabbed his bags and raced outside.  Once outside, he flagged down a trike (Philippine motorcycle with a sidecar) and told him to take him to the Navy base as quickly as possible.

The trike zipped through traffic, cutting off other vehicles, dodging in front of oncoming Jeepnies and trucks, until they arrived at the base.  Jack threw a handful of  money to the driver and ran to the gates.  He showed his ID then ran to where his ship had anchored.

He stood looking at the empty space where his ship used to be.  Then, there, way out on the far horizon he could see a ship disappearing in distance.  Oh, well.  He had missed his ship.  There was nothing he could do about it, either.

Jack tossed his bag over his shoulder and walked back to the gates of Subic Bay.  He flagged another trike and went back to his hotel.  Jack walked up to front desk and said, "I would like a room for twenty-eight nights.

Jack continued to have a great time for almost a month, as his money slowly dwindled away.  After the twenty-eight day, hiatus, he went back to the base and walked into the Shore Patrol office.  "I would like to report that I missed ships movement."

The Petty Officer behind the counter never blinked.  He just asked the name of the ship.  When Jack answered, he checked his list.  Looking up, the Petty Officer stated, with in confusion, "That ship isn't listed."

Nonchalantly, Jack said "No, it sailed twenty-nine days ago."

"And you are just now coming in?" he was asked.  Jack just shrugged.

They put Jack on a helicopter and sent him out to join his ship.  As it landed Jack could see his chief, arms folded, tapping his foot.  He looked ready to bite nails in half.

As Jack left the helicopter the chief motioned him into the building.  "Well, young man you know your in a world of shit."

"Yes, Chief."

"What the hell happened?"

Jack thought for a second, then started to explain.  "Well, Chief, I over slept and ...."

At this point the chief screamed, "OVER SLEPT!  Who are you Rip F---en Van Winkl!"

Trying not to laugh Jack finished the tale of his missing movement.  The chief started enumerating all of the punishments Jack could expect.

As the man finished, Jack looked at him and said "Just tell me one thing.  Am I in any more trouble, now, than I would have been. if I had turned myself in the first day?"

The chief looked at him a little puzzled, at his lack of trepidation.  "Well, .......no."

Jack grinned, and said "Then it was worth it!"