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O Club at NASP

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
I think a big part of the lesson is that the O-clubs are best where there isn't much else to do. ....
Negative ... not quite. Pearl, Hickam, Barber's Point, MCRD, North Island, Miramar, Alameda ... just to name a few that were smack dab in the middle of a LOT to do .... used to be OUTSTANDING O' Clubs.
 

ChunksJR

Retired.
pilot
Contributor
I think that was the last time USN and USMC ever worked together.........

threadjack

EASY there hoss...You've never worked on a Gator or flown in an Orange and White???

Ahhh...the lessons of flight school already forgotten ;)

/threadjack (I just realized how absolutly dorky it is to know that "/" = end)
 

Catmando

Keep your knots up.
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Negative ... not quite. Pearl, Hickam, Barber's Point, MCRD, North Island, Miramar, Alameda ... just to name a few that were smack dab in the middle of a LOT to do .... used to be OUTSTANDING O' Clubs.

Back in the day, there were absolutely no better places to be as a young and virile JO in "America's Finest City" despite its many inviting distractions, than the:
(1.) Marine Corps Recruit Depot Officers' Club on both Thursday and Friday nights;
(2.) NAS Miramar's infamous JO's WOXOF Room on those spectacular and unbelievable Wednesdays, and amazingly lush and active Fridays, and;
(3.). . . if anyone was still standing, the semi-beach party with live band every Sunday night at the NAS North Island JO officer's club called "Downwinds." (And maybe "Mex-Pac" in downtown Coronado, a little later for some late Sunday night enchiladas, she said.)

The other clubs A4's mentioned were equally, shall we say, vibrant in their day.

The main reason the San Diego Officer clubs were the best places to be anywhere in town (or world) was because the best looking, intelligent, and whatever else superlative women in San Diego flocked to those clubs. The F to M ratios were usually better than 1:1, and the quality was extraordinary (especially as always, the longer you stayed – the quality amazingly went beyond belief! :) ). Of course those were the days when any young civilian female could pass any security gate by herself without car sticker or personal ID by saying, "I'm going to the O'Club, give me a pass, please." (Civilian guys couldn't) And San Diego's best females of the time did! … at the WOXOF, the Downwinds, and the 'Crud". (It all does a-bring's a real tear to my eye.)

So sadly, times have now changed. The old kaleidoscope of fun times has been severely curtailed. Granted, there may have been a few excesses needing tweaking. But our wonderful baby was thrown out with the dirty bath water in the '90's and the Tailhook reunion backlash. And our proud fraternity has never quite recovered. Subsequently, the terrorists are responsible for much of the change. But our own organization must also bear some responsibility.

It was the greatest thing in the world. Fly and train in multi-million dollar, cutting edge aircraft during the day, then walk into the WOXOF room after a tough day at the office, only to be surrounded by, and even outnumbered by admiring San Diego's finest (and I don't mean police), play hard-to-get for a couple of hours, then "pogo" to the M-CRUD for some serious later reconnaissance. (Man, it's enough to give this old guy a coronary just thinking about it!)

The war of du jour may have been controversial if not even unpopular by that time. But there was no more enviable person to be at the time, than being a young, Navy or Marine pilot, positioned at the appropriate time in a San Diego area Officer's Club. It was heaven.
 

wiseguy04

The Dude abides....
pilot
As much as some of the tradition has left, part of the problem is that there is a lot more around most military bases now than there used to be. People go party in town.

Also, as stated before, the base cops are just waiting outside to slap you with a DUI. I love the club too, but until the base CO's get a leash on the DUI Nazi's, people are going to take the party out into town. I swear I was born in the wrong era....:)
 

MasterBates

Well-Known Member
Yeah, nothin like a DUI checkpoint at the exit to the parking lot. Nevermind getting drunk, most of us were worried about burping and getting a DUI with 1 or 2 beers.

I've been told, back in the day, a DUI was a case for a stern talking to from the CO. Now, it results in Captains Mast, and a loss of flight status, being at terminal rank, and being shown the door. Not sure how truthful the lienency back in the day was, but now, you get a DUI, you are done.

It makes it hard to have a beer after a flight that lands at 0200 and drive home. JSO is insane about pulling people over. I get pulled over 2 nights a week on average. They figure if you are coming from the beaches at 3 am, you must have been out partying. I get pulled over for "Weaving" or speeding, even though I have cruise control set at 50.
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
Like everything else a pendulum effect is happening. "Zero-tolerance," where you can't even have 2-3 beers without worrying about getting a arrested, is rediculous. At the same time, the days where DUI laws weren't enforced in the military weren't all they are cracked up to be, either. For every few DUIs, there's a vehicular manslaughter waiting to happen. Some kid playing at night in base housing when someone's driving back from the club might be the one paying for a fast-and-loose policy on DUIs, as well.
 

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
[slight O'Club course correction]

We had at least one pilot die in an alcohol related accident on Deception Pass bridge --- complete with WestPac widow in the right seat. If I remember -- she made it -- he didn't. He picked her up in that most famous of all WestPac widow's spider-webs --- the NAS O'Club bar. He flew too close to the sun -- and paid the price.

But that's not the point. I'm not too impressed with claims that "this or that law" will save lives. If we toughen up DWI laws .... we'll save lives. If we toughen up tobacco laws .... we'll save lives .... speeding laws ... gun laws .... you see where this is going. When it's your time, it's your time. People who indulge in self-destructive behavior do so at their own risk --- regardless of any law that any agenda-driven social activist groups may write.

The trouble is --- zero tolerance. That is thinking (?) for idiots. Incompetents. Bureaucrats. You don't have to think or use judgement --- one size (zero tolerance) fits all.

Back in the day ... after a long night at the Club ... you would see a car or two parked by the side of the road on the way to the main gate. Why ??? Because the guy/guys got pulled over by the Shore Patrol and something like this ensued:

"Sir, I think perhaps you've been partying a little too hard. Why don't I call you a base cab and we'll leave your vehicle right here where it will be safe. You can pick it up at your leisure tomorrow. "


You can't keep people from being stupid. You can't protect people from themselves. You can't cover people in bubble wrap from the womb to the tomb. :)

[/course correction ... OUT]
 

Pugs

Back from the range
None
The NAS Whidbey Nazi's were bad circa 90/91. They started putting a couple cones out by the front gate closer and closer, you tipped one you got stopped. Had a couple buddies who had big dulie pick-ups (Gap and Psyco for those that know them) and would have their pregnant wifes, who were driving, to flatten them. Who knows how many of slipped by while the cops were occupied! :)

When I was at NPA the SP was actually pretty good about the sanity thing in the 87/88 timeframe and the Q always had a few rooms available on a Friday held aside. The club had a shuttle and you could just crash at the Q and walk back in the am and get your Ensignmobile
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
The NAS Whidbey Nazi's were bad circa 90/91. They started putting a couple cones out by the front gate closer and closer, you tipped one you got stopped. Had a couple buddies who had big dulie pick-ups (Gap and Psyco for those that know them) and would have their pregnant wifes, who were driving, to flatten them. Who knows how many of slipped by while the cops were occupied! :)

When I was at NPA the SP was actually pretty good about the sanity thing in the 87/88 timeframe and the Q always had a few rooms available on a Friday held aside. The club had a shuttle and you could just crash at the Q and walk back in the am and get your Ensignmobile

Gap, completely out of control, but a great American nonetheless. He's on his XO/CO tour right now. :D

Brett
 

Pugs

Back from the range
None
Yep understand he's Gap without the Gap now. We lived across the street from each other out on west beach. Good guy
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
[slight O'Club course correction]


"Sir, I think perhaps you've been partying a little too hard. Why don't I call you a base cab and we'll leave your vehicle right here where it will be safe. You can pick it up at your leisure tomorrow. "[/I]


[/course correction ... OUT]

That'd be fine, except...Some will take that on board as a course correction, as they should. If I find myself getting corrected on anything conduct-wise by an enlisted Marine, I take it seriously (hasn't happened in many moons and a couple promotions, but I digress). Others will just think, "The worst that can happen is I get a talking to from an MP/MAA, I'll just drive home."

Zero tolerance...bad idea. Tolerance of stupidity....equally bad idea. The pendulum needs to find the middle. You shouldn't be arrested for 2-3 drinks, which for a normal adult male puts you at .04 BAC. On the other hand, no one should get a free ride for driving while plastered. At a minimum, his CO needs to have a closed-door one-way conversation with him the next day. The guy who gets the free pass may not end up getting pulled over the next time and hurting someone.

I'm not normally the tight-ass on such issues. Our new CO is all about the old-school O-club scene, and I support that. A tight ready-room is a good thing. The key is to bring the good parts of the old-school and the new. Prevent the excesses of old, but not join the zero-tolerance insanity bandwagon. That sounds cliche and trite, but it's true for a lot of things, whether the issue is flight regs, sexual harassment, whatever.
 

Autorotate

FAC, former Phrog pilot
I wish the O Club at Miramar could still attract those crowds...

My two best O Club experiences would have to be the Hawk (doesn't REALLY count, but still had a great time some nights) and, of course:

PIIIIIIIIIGS IN SPAAAAAAAACE! Big ups for those who know that one!
 

usmc96

Registered User
Go to the Miramar O-club after the Air show and they have aviation groupies. The Blue Angel bus parks out front and there is a line of women out front. Like rock stars!
Had it made if you were there in a flight suit. Lots of SD women come out of the woodwork and come on base.

Some of the women are snobs and wont talk to you if your only a Helo guy. Me being a ground guy I didn't stand a chance with any women under 200lbs.

Good time but only for that one sat night a year. too bad.
 

greysword

Boldly lick where no one has licked before
This is kind of reassuring for me, since I don't like to drink that much in any at all. As an applicant, I still need to jump through a few hurdles, but at least if I am accepted, I can go back to my old Navy job:

Designated Driver!

Regardless of port or circumstance, I made it my mission to see that my buddies got home safely and without a drunk watch (not always successful, but you know...:icon_tong ). I was concerned about a bit of ridicule if I didn't drink from you studs (I'm trying for Intel), but once everyone figures out that they can get sh*tfaced and they don't have to drive, I should be ok. Of course, I expect get trash talk, but no more than normal and definately not personal.

I guess my message to all the NUBs on here that don't like to drink, there seems to be a niche for you too!
 
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