On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 04:27:58 +0000, Larry wrote:

Vic Smith wrote in
:

It was always a disappointment to see a CV anchored at
a port. High prices. Too many drunks. And jarheads.


Just after Maltese independence from British rule, Uncle Sugar sent USS
Everglades (AD-24) into Valetta Harbour and encouraged us sailors to go
help support the Maltese economy, which was hurting as the Brits just
left.

I was there in '64 or '65 on John King (DDG-3). Still plenty of
uniformed Limey sailors around, and I hooked up with a couple of them
for a drinking bout. Gave them a drunken tour of my ship before I
passed out behind the 2B boiler. Hope the Limeys didn't steal any
nukes. Surprised the OOD let us aboard.
Exceptionally picturesque city. Did a grotto tour on the other end of
the island, I seem to recall.

While we were there, our Captain Tidd, subsequently made Chief of Naval
Personnel later, got a request from some nuns who ran an orphanage that
was several stories tall in the crowded city. Nuns were hauling trays of
food from one floor where the galley was to another floor where the chow
hall was, on foot, up steps, 3 times a day. The crew started pitching in
and we built them, using some "commandeered government parts", a multi-
floor lift that automated the delivery process, lots of trays at a time.
I was involved in the electronic controls engineering and installation.

There were often "orphanage aid" projects for crews to lend their
efforts to in the Med. Some sailors did those and others went
drinking and whoring. I have no experience with orphanages.

As soon as the word got out what Everglades sailors were doing for these
kids, we soon learned wearing our dress blues ashore with our ship's
patch proudly displayed meant some very nice treatment by the Maltese
people. We made the front page of the newspaper.

Very good. Some of my ship crew attained similar fame in a small
Italian port - Porto Santo Stefano.
Speaking of blues in Valetta, it was the only place I drunkenly got
navy special fuel oil on my jumper striping. It was a bitch cleaning
it off with toothbrush and toothpaste. Lucky it was the gabardines.

Malta hates Americans, now, for some reason I've never figured out. I
fell in love with the place when I was a young sailor. The last time I
landed going through their airport from the Middle East, we weren't even
allowed to get off the plane into the airport...to say nothing of going
into the country.

Hey, we tied up in Bizerte, Tunisia and I walked around in various
hovel-like neighborhoods - in uniform of course. First U.S. warship
to visit since WWII.
No alcohol, and the women were recognizable only by imputation - they
were the ones scurrying about covered head-to-toe in burlap or some
such. Never saw a pair of female eyes. The men had a neutral
countenance at best. But nobody cut my throat.
The reason for the hatred is electronics, Larry. I was personally
able to not offend any sensibilities. Electronic media portrays
Americans differently and offensively to many cultures.
Whether the portrayal is valid or not I won't argue.
Bottom line is it's probably your fault.

--Vic