I wonder...On the M1911 Forum...

sheepherder · 10-01-2010, 03:08 PM

I came home from WestPac twice in 1971; the second time was on a C9 carrying injured/wounded home to area hospitals...No customs...No baggage inspection...

The first time I came home was on the "Freedom Bird"; we went through customs at an air base in Hawaii [Hickam?] and we all piled out of the aircraft with our seabags & ditty-bop bags on the tarmac, lined up in formation but spread out a bit...and customs agents went through your bags...they had an "Amnesty Box" which they suggested you use because they *would* find your contraband...I didn't have anything (I was on compassionate emergency leave - my father died) but others did...The pile of seized stuff was six feet high when I was checked and told to reboard the plane...

As far as I know, no one was detained or written up...but there sure was a mess of spilled uniforms on the tarmac for a while...

The second time for me was due to an injury...and I only had time for a ditty-bop bag of stuff...The rest of my uniforms boots etc were scattered all over Okinawa...Laundry girls; shoe-shine boys; loaned stuff...My buddies packed it all up and it was shipped home as "Household Effects"...by ship, I think...It didn't get home for a month or so after I did...

My buddies packed my M16 bayonet in with my stuff...It made it...

10-01-2010, 03:08 PM	#11
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,208 Thanks: 1,425 Thanked 4,474 Times in 2,343 Posts	I came home from WestPac twice in 1971; the second time was on a C9 carrying injured/wounded home to area hospitals...No customs...No baggage inspection... The first time I came home was on the "Freedom Bird"; we went through customs at an air base in Hawaii [Hickam?] and we all piled out of the aircraft with our seabags & ditty-bop bags on the tarmac, lined up in formation but spread out a bit...and customs agents went through your bags...they had an "Amnesty Box" which they suggested you use because they would find your contraband...I didn't have anything (I was on compassionate emergency leave - my father died) but others did...The pile of seized stuff was six feet high when I was checked and told to reboard the plane... As far as I know, no one was detained or written up...but there sure was a mess of spilled uniforms on the tarmac for a while... The second time for me was due to an injury...and I only had time for a ditty-bop bag of stuff...The rest of my uniforms boots etc were scattered all over Okinawa...Laundry girls; shoe-shine boys; loaned stuff...My buddies packed it all up and it was shipped home as "Household Effects"...by ship, I think...It didn't get home for a month or so after I did... My buddies packed my M16 bayonet in with my stuff...It made it... __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...