Traveling to Okinawa Jap

[gcode]

That's like moving next to a gun range or race track, then complaining about the noise.

The same thing happened to El Toro Air Station in Irvine Cali
When thy built it during WW2 it was in the middle of no where... nothing but orange groves and jack rabbits for miles.
Eventually the city of Irvine was built and the people voted to close the air station.
Today is a small park and a several thousand McMansions.

[TSmcam]

Pfft, you'll be driving on the correct side of the road LOL

Seriously, we drive on the left hand side down here. I've driven in the USA, France and Iceland, all on the right hand side.

The key is, always keep the centreline of the road to your side of the car and you'll be fine. It is surprisingly easy. The hardest bit of traffic was roundabouts. I avoided them where I could, but that isn't easy in France as they are everywhere.

I'd really like to visit Okinawa, and also Iwo Jima (Iwo is considerably harder to get access to)

[Rstewart]

You'll be OK.. it was just Marines they hated...and that was nearly 50 years ago.
Some of it was old grudges from WW2
Some of it was because Oki was used for R&R for guys in Vietnam and those guys were very rough with Asians
Some of it was that a lot of young Marines in foreign lands treated the locals very badly.
When I was there the Vietnam war had only been over for a couple of years and things were still pretty raw.
The local people still want the Marines gone though, and most of them will be leaving Oki in the next couple of years.

Down south around Kadena Air Station the locals want that air base gone too.
That's mostly about noise though.. what used to be an airbase in the middle of nowhere is now surrounded by a
large city.... and military aircraft are very very noisy.

I'll be working mostly on Kadena air base.  Looking forward to it.  Good to know I'll be driving on the right side of the road.  Hoping to get some free weekend time to explore

[Surface]

It's a good idea to call your cell carrier.

When I travel in europe, a small charge lets me use my phone without fear of running up a huge bill.

[Rstewart]

It's a good idea to call your cell carrier.

When I travel in europe, a small charge lets me use my phone without fear of running up a huge bill.

Yep, already signed the international plan w/ Verizon.  It was $10 per day, or $100 for a month, I had to pay the 100...

[gcode]

I was there when I was in the Marines at Camp Hansen, 1978 and again in 1980. The little town outside the base had at least 250 bars, it was a party every time we left the base.

I was at Camp Schwab in 1977 to 1978,
I only made it to Camp Hansen a couple of times and never hit those bars.

[gcode]

I was at Camp Schwab in 1977 to 1978,
I only made it to Camp Hansen a couple of times and never hit those bars.

I want to say the little town outside Camp Schwab was called Kinville.. but that may have been the nickname
for the town outside Camp Hansen. It's been nearly 50 years.

[Leehound]

I want to say the little town outside Camp Schwab was called Kinville.. but that may have been the nickname
for the town outside Camp Hansen. It's been nearly 50 years.

Yea, I was trying to remember the name also. Kinville does sound familiar. I remember the street food being really good. They had the biggest chicken legs I ever seen. I'm pretty sure those chickens meowed.    

[Leehound]

I want to say the little town outside Camp Schwab was called Kinville.. but that may have been the nickname
for the town outside Camp Hansen. It's been nearly 50 years.

Did you ever get a chance to do any training at Mount Fuji?

[gcode]

Did you ever get a chance to do any training at Mount Fuji?

No.. I did get to play in our tanks in the Central Training Area though.


 the only time I spent in Japan was the flight from the US to Kadena.

Norton AF Base in Cali ... to Ankorage .. then 3 or four stops in Japan flying north to south
down the island chain ... with a 3 or 4 hour layover at each stop.... and they kept us locked
in the terminal gate at every stop so no one would "wander off"... then 12 hours at Kadena waiting
for a bus to Camp Schwab. That was a very long trip.

My main memory of Oki was how hot it was.
I can remember standing in a cold shower after our 5 mile morning run watching beads of sweat
forming on my arm in spite of the shower.

and then you remember the Nam was a 1000 miles closer to the equator and even hotter.

I recently read a biography written by a Nam grunt.
He got wounded, but wasn't hurt bad enough to go back to the states.
They sent him to Oki... first to a hospital in Kadena, then Schwab to play in the jungle and get back in shape before going back to Nam to finish his 13 month tour.
This guy and all the Nam grunts resting up with him though Oki was paradise on earth.

Most people don't realize it, but more Marines were killed in Nam than WW2.. by a sizable margin.
I have nothing but awe and respect for those guys.

[Jeff]

No Incog, I will not bring you a lady back.

I heard that he'd rather have one of those "ladies" from Thailand or the Phillipines.




 

[Incogneeto]

I heard that he'd rather have one of those "ladies" from Thailand or the Phillipines.




 

Nope , Don't want no girl with a "Handle"

[Rstewart]

As I lay in my bed - it's 9:33pm here
The one channel that's broadcast in English is CNN. They're making Trump out to be the guy that will end the world - like more than usual lmfao. 
Is this the same broadcast airing in the US?
Btw Okinawa isn't the sushi mecca I had assumed all of Japan would be.  I know typical American...  The food here, well, isn't great.  I told my coworkers that I literally think the people of Okinawa have broken taste buds.  Other than that, great people and beautiful ocean views.
Orion beer must be big gov propaganda.  The people have their shirts on, every street sign, and every restaurant only serves Orion beer!  It's not too bad tho, just a average pilsner.  Luckily I got one of the green suiters to snag me a half case of Miller from the commissary today