Gridley (CG 21) - Naval Cruise Book

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5 HGAPORE UQUST WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO VISIT SINGAPORE. IT INA OT ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED, BUT SINCE WE HAD BEEN WASEH OUT OF SUBIC BYA TYPHOON, WE WERE UNEXPECTED- DRIVIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY. ESTABLISHED AS A BRITISH LY GQHY BY SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES IN 1819 AND STRATEGI- COLLY LOCATED ON THE STRAITS OF MALACCA, SINGAPORE CMSALWA YS BEEN A MAJOR COMMERCIAL CENTER. POPULAT- QSPREDOMINANTLY BY INDUSTRIOUS CHINESE AND MALA YS, THE CITY STATE HAS EXPANDED RAPIDLY SINCE OBTAINING INDEPENDENCE IN 1951. REFLECTING ITS COLONIAL PAST, THE CULTURE WAS HIGHLY VICTORIAN IN NATURE. THE CITY ITSELF WAS EXTREMELY CLEAN AND ITS PEOPLE ADHERED TO VERY STRICT DRESS CODES. BEER AND NIGHTLIFE WERE EX- PENSIVE, BUT THE SHOPPING AND EYEBALL LIBERTY WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE THE CITYA HIT AMONGST GRIDLEY SAILORS. THE THREE DA YS WE VISITED THERE WOULD TURN OUT T0 BE THE LAST LIBERTY WE WOULD SEE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. E 1 4 ORIGINA TING IN CHINA, BUDDHISM IS PRACTICED THROUGHOUT THE ORIENT, FROM KOREA TO INDONESIA, INCLUDING SINGAPORE. ALTHOUGH T STREETS HESE BUILDINGS ARE SOMEWHAT RUN DOWN, THE CLEANLINESS OF THE - . AND WALKWA YS ARE TYPICAL OF WHAT WE EXPERIENCED. IN FRONT OF SINGAPORE'S GOVERNMENTAL BUILDINGS, PREPARATIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR AN INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRA- TION. K , fl A . ms... X .at-1-nr . , ,Y Q ..,. V , W- - .L i' ,., +- -V .--- --.1-A 1 'W' ff ,.. - 'i ,U--'Q-J- 1 1..4-- ':a:ip-,fa ' - ... - A ,,, L. ,. T ' -an--V,., - as-7 ,, 'L 4 - , . E ,4 Qds- Q ,- 1'q'. WH- - m. D,-vw, MC- My K, M It .fr A I, T 'L .,-. .. -,..-,+V 'yn - ff 5 - 1 4 4 1.-,Q ..z,-1:2-A.. 'A ' ' M' m 61 4, ,

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SUBI C BAK PHILIPPINES SUBIC BAY WAS OUR FIRST AND LAST PORT OF CALL DURING WESTPAC 'B7. POSSESSING OUR LARGEST BASE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, IT HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN USED AS THE SITE FOR INCHOP AND OUTCHOP TO AND FROM SEVENTH FLEET. OLONGAPO CITY, SIT- UA TED ADJACENT TO THE BASE, HAS EVOL VED FROM A ONE-STREET TOWN LITERALLY CARVED OUT OF THE JUNGLE INTO A MUCH EXPANDED SAILOR 'S PARIDISE OF BARS, RESTAURANTS, AND NIGHTCLUBS. AL- THOUGH HIGHL Y DEPENDENT ON THE BASE, WITH AN ECONOMY THAT PEAKS AND TROUGHS WITH THE PASSING OF EACH BA TTLEGROUP, IT IS OF SUFFI- CIENT SIZE TO ACCOMMODA TE THE LARGEST OF LI- BERTY PARTIES. THERE WAS SOMETHING FOR EVERY- BODY AT SUBIC BA Y. IF ONE DIDN'T CARE FOR THE BLARING NOISE AND NEON OF OLONGAPO, THE LA YED-BA CK A TMOSPHERE OF BARRIO BARRETO AND SUBIC CITY WERE BUT A JEEPNEY-RIDE A WA Y. IF ONE WAS INTERESTED IN MORE RESERVED ENTERTAIN- MENT, THE BASE ITSELF OFFERED EXTENSIVE RE- CREA TIONAL FACILITIES. OVERALL, BOTH OF OUR VIS- ITS WERE ENTIRELY TOO BRIEF TO TAKE FULL ADVAN- TA GE OF EITHER THE EXTENSIVE UPKEEP AND REPAIR FACILITIES OF THE BASE OR THE RECREATIONAL FA- CILITIES ON-BASE AND BEYOND, HAVING BEEN CUT SHORT BY A TYPHOON ON ONE OCCASION AND BY THE PRESSING DESIRE TO RETURN HOME ON THE OTH- ER. DANCERS REHEARSINO FOR THE EVENINCTS ENTERTAINMENT , CTL' L I ,IL O J- J x J MARKET PLACES WERE EXCITING PLACES TO BROUSE AND, FOR THE ADVENTUROUS, A GOOD PLACE FORA FRESH AND INEXPENSIVE SNACK. CARIBOU HORNS WERE A HIT WITH SAILORS, AND SAILORS WERE A HIT WITH VENDORS. 2 ..-1 ,l

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PATTAYA BEACH, THAILA AFTER SPENDING OVER 90 DA YS ATSEA, WE WERE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO LIBERTY AT PATTA YA BEACH, THAILAND. BEING THE LARGEST RESORTAREA IN SOUTHEASTASIA, PA TTA YA WAS AN IDEAL PORT OF CALL FOR SAILORS RETURNING FROM AN EXTENDED PERIOD AT SEA. ITS ECONOMY WAS COMPLETELY ORIENTED TOWARDS TOURISM, WITHA HUGE NUMBER OF FIRST CLASS HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND NIGHTCLUBS. THE FOOD, ESPECIALLY THE SEAFOOD, WAS INEXPENSIVE AND OF OUTSTANDING QUALITY. THE PEOPLE WERE HONEST, HARD WORKING, AND FRIENDLY. IN ADDITION TO BEING A CENTER FOR CREATURE PLEASURES, PATTA YA HAD READY ACCESS TO CULTURAL PURSUITS AS WELL. BANGKOK, THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THAILAND AND AYUTTHA YA, THE ORIGI- NAL CAPITAL, WERE ONLY A BUS-RIDE AWAY AND FEATURED SPECTACULAR EXAMPLES OF TRADITIONAL THAI RELIGIOUS AR- CHITECTURE. THAILAND POSSESSES ONE OF THE OLDEST CUL- TURES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE REGION THATRETAINED ITS INDEPENDENCE THROUGHOUT THE EUROPEAN IMPERIALIST PERIOD FROM 1815 TO 1946. WHETHER IT WAS KICKING BACK AT ONE OF THE HOTELS AT PA TTA YA OR OBSERVING THE INTRICACIES OF THE HAND MOVEMENTS IN CLASSICAL THAI DANCING IN BANGKOK, OUR STAY IN THAILAND WAS NOT ONE MANY OF US WOULD SOON FORGET. Bi' QL X 1 .r I 1 QZMQFKS Y ,-1. ,ff ,QTL ., pi!-'Zig .V '0 Q r 4 QL, .,f' g '-:Y , , r