USS MULLINNIX DD-944

Roosevelt Roads - 1971

In the tropics, sunrise is like the first day of time. The ocean is in constant motion. Never still. Wavelets in an endless race to somewhere but nowhere. Copulation, reproduction, manipulation like Star Trek's tribbles.

Birdman and I had liberty and were looking for something a bit more adventures than our normal crazy. There were areas of Roosey Roads that were strictly off limits. What always pissed us off was the Navy never told us why? That's bad mojo to keep a sailor in line. So...

The Bird and I headed out to explore those mysterious off limit areas. The bar claimed to be called "The Feathers" according to the rusting dented tin sign that hung kinda cockeyed to the left of the door.

The decor could best be described as 1970s shit-hole. It was a box of a room holding maybe 7 or 8 tables. All over the walls and floor of the bar were empty bottles, broken glasses, posters of the island, conch shells, shotgun shells, and muddy boot-prints - a short stainless-steel bar on the right with red leatherette stools. Looked like the bar and stools had been stolen from the local five and dime in our hometown - didn't matter which hometown.

Dark as hell, the dimming light in the bar had taken on the color of a baby's diaper of which the owner had been on a diet of carrots for 3 days. A fog of smoke and samovar fumes filled the room along with the smell of piss in the open urinals waffled from the toilets. The locals added their own smoke to the tobacco that layered the air like morning fog in a coal town. Theirs sweeter than most as it was passed from man to man. Birdman and I were thinking, "Yes sir, our kind of place."

Wrong!

The place was full of freaks, geeks, nasty weirdos, and a few Al Capone look-alikes. The place was filthy. I said, "Let's garb a table." Birdman replied, "I haven't had my tetanus shot, let's stand at the bar."

The bartender was dressed only in a T-shirt and dirty shorts. His breath smelled of rum. As we leaned onto the bar and instructed him to, "give us a Pabts, will yah", a cue ball smashed against the wall near our heads. Bird and I had seen this scene in a movie once, AND we remembered how it ended.

Outnumbered about dozen-to-one, we sprinted towards the door - FAST! Lynyrd Skynyrd would make this scene famous later in the 70s with their hit song, "Gimme Three Steps"!

Hoping that our year on the Mullinnix, with all its boozing, partying, and raising hell, was training enough to out run these sorry fucks, we ran and ran hard. We ran past prostitutes, those so ugly or unlucky that no house would have them, leaning against walls. Some still hopeful so close to dawn.

With a gang of yahoos on our heals, we ran some more; the night was hot and the streets were alive with rats. We ran past a pack of locals that threw bananas at us - degenerate cocksuckers!

Lungs screaming for a Marlboro, we ran some more, and then some. The smell of fish and rotting onions clung to us like cobwebs.

Finally, the night air kissed our bodies with a pleasant chill as we entered the "approved" area. We didn't get hurt; after all, God looks out for small animals, children, and drunk sailors.

USS Mullinnix at Roosevelt Roads Naval Base, Puetro Rico 1971

This entire page is courtesy of FTG3 Greg "Birdman" Berry

L to R: FTG2 Tyng; Unknown FTG; FTG1 Cale. Roosie Roads favorite pastime. 1971 FTG Greg "Birdman" Berry
FTG1 Cale and FTG3 Greg "Birdman" Berry at Roosie Roads 1971 L to R: FTG1 Cale; Unknown FTG; FTG3 "Snuffy" Smith; FTG3 Frank "Woody" Woody at Roosie Roads 1971. Look at those sunburns!
Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971 Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971
FTG3 "Snuffy" Smith at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971 FTG3 "Snuffy" Smith and FTG3 Frank "Woody" Woody @ Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971. I'm a two-fisted drinker!
Unknown FTG and FTG2 Tyng hamming itup at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971
Note: The lone PBR with all those Buds!

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	L to R: FTG2 Tyng; Unknown FTG; FTG1 Cale. Roosie Roads favorite pastime. 1971		FTG Greg "Birdman" Berry
	FTG1 Cale and FTG3 Greg "Birdman" Berry at Roosie Roads 1971		L to R: FTG1 Cale; Unknown FTG; FTG3 "Snuffy" Smith; FTG3 Frank "Woody" Woody at Roosie Roads 1971. Look at those sunburns!
	Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971		Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971
	FTG3 "Snuffy" Smith at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971		FTG3 "Snuffy" Smith and FTG3 Frank "Woody" Woody @ Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971. I'm a two-fisted drinker!
	Unknown FTG and FTG2 Tyng hamming itup at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station 1971 Note: The lone PBR with all those Buds!