The Beach

Coming in to Myrtle was exciting. The sight of the ocean & beach from the air. You could see the amusement park & golf courses. Landing at the air base was a rush. A-10 tank killers were taking off & landing, even in formation. Very impressive. The weather was mild & there were palm trees all around. The air base shared runways with a civilian airport. We made our way over there to a car rental agency. Rob Carr & I used our credit cards to rent two sets of wheels for the group.

Getting on base at the main gate, we were inspected by armed Air Police, who checked our ID. Quite a change from Downsview where a Commissioner gave you a green light as soon as he saw your CFB Toronto decal. We made our way to the VAQ, the Visiting Airmen's Quarters. This was more like a hotel than a barracks. For $4 a day we got a great room which included a mini bar fridge, coffee maker, & maid service. Baths were shared between rooms, rather than the communal ones we were use to. Colin Stearman said there was a book that listed all the military bases and their lodgings, across the US. What a great way for us to travel across America! Isn't Nellis AFB near Las Vegas…?

We headed over to the Airmen's Club. This put our Junior Ranks to shame. The place had the feel of a swank cocktail lounge with Jacketed bartenders & comfy chairs. Waitresses said something that we couldn't quite make out. Sounded like "persh-she-ate-it". After awhile we came to realize that instead of saying "thanks", they were saying "appreciate it" - in their southern drawl.

The base was like Disneyland to us. It wasn't brand new but the amenities were far more modern & elaborate than what we were accustomed to. There was a golf course on base. This was Myrtle after all. They had a duty free liquor store. A shopping center, not simply like a Canex Store. And a huge bowling alley. Yep, Americans treat their military personnel right!

Striking Out On The Redneck Riviera

A night on the town was compulsory. We loaded up the cars & headed to the VIP 2001 disco, the big dance club on the strip. The crowd was pretty sparse. Cam turned on his charm & attempted to chat up the ladies. Now Cam's pick-up lines were typically shallow "Hey baby, let's party" stuff but they always worked. Not on this day. The women weren't biting and they were down right rude. Everybody was crashing & burning. I asked one woman if she'd like to dance. "I've got a broken leg"; she said smugly, hardly looking up from her drink. I looked at her fine gams & replied sarcastically, "Well then, can I sign your cast?" it was getting comical. In South Carolina they only serve liquor in bars from those tiny shot-an-a-half bottles. Our group was going through a gazillion of them. Except for our sober Andy, who was watching the pathetic spectacle & would later drive our car home.

Pete Bannister tries another approach. He offers a lady a cigarette from one of those stupid American packs. He coolly peels off part of the top, bangs it against his hand and then several cigarettes fly out at her & onto the floor. His image shattered, he says, "forget it" and walks back to us. The situation was becoming depressing. Pete holds up one arm like a periscope. He flaps his thumb against the fingers & turns the hand around the room. I ask him what he's doing. He says this is his "Ugly Detector". "The only way any of us is going to score is to locate & hit on the ugliest one here". I howl. Eventually his detector zeros in on a likely target. He makes a beeping sound, and off he goes.

The only one that had any luck was Joanne Gillies. Only thing was, she was hit on by a lesbian. This older woman cornered her in the can. "Why I do declare, you're as pretty as two peas in a pod! My little, speckled butter-bean". Jo was terrified & beat a hasty retreat. She repeated the story to the group. Colin kept repeating the women's lines & couldn't stop laughing.

Afterwards, we befriended a young woman who took pity on us. She was from Philly. He family moved here and started a pizza joint. She explained that there was nothing wrong with us, other than our timing. It was the week before the CAN-AM Celebration (when there were many tourists - including Canadians - in town) so tourist season hadn't started. Only the local women were around. And they get fed up with all the golfers who breeze into town & hit on them. She was a pleasant lady & I remember us visiting her at the pizza parlour. At least we had one friend in town. We learned about grits & hush puppies from her. Hush puppies were hunks of corn bread, which were baked alongside loaves of bread. She said they were given to the hound dogs to keep them from crying for the other baked goods. So, the trip was somewhat educational! Back at the VAQ, Vinny decided to serenade some of us with song in the middle of the night. At least he was happy.

The next day we were primed for more adventure. All except Cam. Cam, who was always up & ready to party was for the first time down & out. He was moping around his room depressed & didn't want to go out. All because the "Horvath Charm" had failed. I had found his weakness. He couldn't be alone without female companionship & couldn't handle striking out. For some of us, that was practically a way of life! But it incapacitated him - a trip without chicks. I told him to lose the funk. "We've only got a day or so left. Come on, we're gonna play golf".

"The Slavs" on the links. Andy on top, Cam, Freddy K.A bunch of us were going to a par 3 Executive style course. This was Cam's first time, so we also did some time at a driving range & one of Myrtle's elaborate mini-putts. I think Cam was actually having some fun & it distracted him from his poor lounge lizard performance. Some seeds were sown here, as golf would become a passion for Cam. And he'd return to Myrtle many times. About a decade later, we'd return together for a golf trip, but that's another story. Those later trips of Cam's would get him into marital difficulty, but that's another story as well.

Oh the Otters were still around in 1981, but their days were numbered. At the Family Day held the previous October, the Squadron got their first look at a Kiowa. Sgt Jim Greig still did one of his parachute jumps from an Otter. I missed this one in 1980 but I remember the Family Days of 1978 & 1979. Hot dogs, pop, and such were served in the Canteen for the visitors. We readied the planes on the tarmac, which took our family members up for a "fright". Photos from 1978 help to jog my memory. There's Jeff "Smithy" Smith helping to do a start on 9421. Otter 9423 is on floats. Jim Greig did his parachute jump, assisted by Mo, once he hit the ground.

More Women Encounters

Darlene

Darlene Leech had been hanging out with Tom Idiott, but I guess that relationship was waning. May 9th was the Shoot at Borden & we were both there. Can't recall much about it, other than Darlene continued to get friendly and we spent time together. At one point, the young lady had me over to their PMQ. Her parents were out; Dan was probably at work at the RSU. We had a hot & heavy session on the couch, with Darlene stripping down. I remember fondling her young, perky breasts. It didn't get much beyond that, as she had her girly limits. Our relationship didn't blossom, as she moved on to Scott Irvine, the young RSU Private.

Cam also had a liaison with her sometime during this period. He told me about eating her out, but that's as far as she would let him go. I remember some jealousy about her choosing Scott as a suitor, but then they were closer in age. When Scott was first posted to the RSU, I remember him as a pretty good guy. He lived in Orangeville & had a girlfriend there. He had Cam & I visit with them there. He liked to drink, toke, & party. For awhile, we took him under our wing. After some time, I gave up on Scott. He developed that "Reg Force attitude", whereby he saw himself as superior to Reservists & talked down to them. This immature kid that didn't know shit about anything. More often, he was becoming an embarrassing drunken lout. So when he & Darlene became an item, it wasn't long before he beat her to a pulp during one of his drunken stoupers. She most likely left the Reserve after that. I did feel sorry for her, but that was her choice - and she didn't choose wisely, romantically speaking.

The Two Cathies

I use to see the "Two Cathies" at the Mess a lot. They were a tag team that was complete opposites. First was Cathy the blonde. She was a civilian that worked at Ronson, the lighter company. She was a tad heavy, had big boobs, wore glasses, and was the quiet, gentle one. Cathy was single & lived the other Cathy (who was known as Alex) in her PMQ. Alex was the military lady who was divorced or separated & they shared the place with Alex's kids. Alex was dark haired, tall & extremely thin, and almost had no boobs. I think she was a phys-ed instructor, or maybe her ex was, but she was athletic. Alex also differed in personality from her cohort. While Cathy was lady-like, Alex was more of a tomboy - loud, tough, hardened, and irritating.

I came to know this odd duo & Cathy took a liking to me. It was a "no strings" relationship, but Cathy seemed to want more than just a Mess friendship. Anyway, I recall that Alex took a liking to Cam. She wanted me to introduce her to him, and then to bring him along for a visit at their PMQ. Cam obliged. So, one night we partied at their place. It ended up with Cam & Alex adjourning to Alex's bedroom, while Cathy & I had sex on the downstairs couch. Due to the space, we did it on our sides. Cam was pleased with the set-up. No relationship developed, as both he & Alex were content just to have the one fling with each other. Although there was some joking afterwards about the possibility of a threesome with this pair, or the potential of swapping partners.

Cathy was a pleasant lady, but I had no desire to become a couple, or for her to be too clingy. So, I kept a distance afterwards. This caused Alex to increase her sarcasm & digs at me. Until that night that I described above, dancing at the Mess during my last days on base. It seemed that Alex liked me after all, just had a funny way of showing it. Since Cathy & I weren't serious and Cathy had moved on, she started to come-on to me in a manner that I liked. Sometime later in the year, she asked me over to her place. Cathy was out & the kids were asleep. So, she took me to her bedroom & we got it on. She was quiet & submissive. Her small breasts weren't a concern for me, as I never was a boob man. I recall putting her slender legs together & straddling her. At the time, I felt like she & Cathy must have compared notes about me, as her behaviour was so agreeable. As with Cam, she didn't need anything other than a one-night stand. We remained friendly to each other.

I talked to Cam about it afterwards. I felt quite proud of myself. In this instance, I had one on Cam - I had BOTH roommates. That was something that he hadn't accomplished! And it happened without my really trying. It was a big boost to the ego.

Diane Mueller

Diane was a foxy nymph. She was an Admin Clerk, petite with long red hair, which she often put into a bun. She was known for "Dirty Dancing" long before that movie came out. This sensuous dancing caused a few of the women in the unit to be jealous of her. She had her share of base & Summer Camp romances. I know of a few. I wasn't one of them, but truth be known, I would have liked it. I remember that she got a full time job at the base switchboard. It was kind of appropriate that she was then an operator! I can still picture her wearing a headset, while she made connections. I distinctly remember being at her room for some reason, while she was getting her self dressed to go out. She was in a nightgown. We talked while she sat & brushed her long hair. In its own way, an intimate, sensual moment. During my waning days at the Reserve, she was seeing a firefighter on base. They were a likable couple & I remember being friendly with both of them. You could always count on Diane for a dance at the Mess.

Grinch's Witch

There was another redheaded woman that I desired. I don't recall her name, so let's call her Jane. She was a friend of Joe Grinch & his wife. We were first introduced to her at one of the Grinch's Christmas parties. She wore black leather, which contrasted with her fiery hair. There was something about her, the way eyes looked at you & the way she smiled. It was if she had an aura around her. She seemed to radiate confidence, grace, & sexuality. She was captivating. She captured the attention of many of the men. Joe liked her but said that she was kooky, as she believes herself to be a witch! At some point I spoke with her about herself.

Jane confirmed that she was a practicing witch! But there was nothing evil about what she does. It was "white magic". As followers of Wicca, she attempted to become attuned with the forces of nature for good purposes, such as love, peace, and harmony with nature. It sounded like "New Age" philosophy. There were no sacrifices involved in their beliefs, no curses, or hexes. She said that they celebrated astrological events, such as the lunar cycles & the changes of seasons. They had large gatherings in the States, where they came together to pay tribute to the spring equinox, then they all would find a partner & go into the woods & make love! Well, this was fascinating! I welcomed the opportunity to indulge in that with her!

We had seen Jane a couple of times at functions. I became increasingly intrigued in this woman. I dug out my tarot cards & wore amulets, then read a book on her witchcraft, as a result of her influence. But anything further with Jane never did gel for me. I didn't get a phone number & she stopped coming around with the Grinch's. I have wondered what became of "Joe's Witch". Maybe they didn't bring about peace in the world, but you have to start with one person: yourself.

Airshows

We went to a lot of airshows in those days. Sometimes, our own aircraft were a part of a show & performed in them. But even if there wasn't a Downsview presence, we went to them. There were a few that we tried to make like clockwork, as these were the best local ones. These were the London Show (in early June), the Hamilton Show (on Father's Day weekend in later June), and the Toronto Show (on Labour Day weekend). A few times a bunch of us loaded-up in Joe Grinch's van & made a day trip to London.

The London shows were known for the number of military aircraft in attendance & the huge static display. What was great about London was that a number of great air force planes were parked so that you could inspect them close-up, even the ones that took to the air. I was very excited one time to have a tour inside a RAF Vulcan bomber. While we checked out the innards, the crew said that they'd have to end it then, as it was their turn to perform. They buttoned it up, started, then took off & performed their routine. Great stuff.

The Hamilton shows were known for the vintage warbirds. The Canadian Warplane Heritage with its fine flying collection are based there. Often there would be other antique military planes from the likes of the Confederate Airforce from Texas, or the WW I replicas from the Great War Flying Museum from Brampton. The Hamilton show regularly had themes, such as a salute to the RAF Bomber Command & the large number of bombers would stage mock bombing runs, complete with pyrotechnics. In the 1990's, one of the CWH's old WW II hangars burned down, taking some of the aircraft, like the Hurricane, with it. The Lancaster was spared. I joined the CWH for a few years after that, trying to recapture some of the love I had for aircraft in my Reserve days. But the CWH's new hangar didn't quite have the nostalgia as their old ones did. Until recently, I tried to make the Hamilton show each year & reminisce about the Reserve days. Sadly, there wasn't an airshow in 2002, as weather caused them to lose money over the years and so they cancelled it. I do miss it.

The Toronto shows were the most awesome. I still have a few programs from the Canadian International Air Shows that we viewed. They had a variety of aircraft types. In 1979, Oscar Boesch made one of his usual appearances in his glider, to the sound of the words from the poem "High Flight". There were also the Snowbirds, Tomcat, Eagle, F-16, A-10, Our own Otters, Voodoos, CAF Skyhawks parachute team, CWH warbirds, wing walkers, the RAF Vulcan & Nimrod, and the Concorde. The 1981 show was also impressive. Besides the Snowbirds, there were the Pitts Specials of the Canadian Reds, an Aurora, C5-A Galaxy, Sea Stallion chopper, B-52, CAF 707, CF-100's (one of 414's final shows), F-14 & F-15, SR-71 Blackbird, U-2 spy plane, Voodoos, Acrojet, Hughes 500D, and our own Kiowas. Wow! You won't see such a collection these days. We were in the market for a new fighter aircraft at the time, so all the main players were displaying their jet fighter product at the Canadian air shows. I bet the F-18 made an appearance the following year.

Downsview was also an exciting place while the CIAS was on. Many of the military aircraft lined our tarmac. I have photos from the 1981 show, when we parked & towed those fighter jets, Nimrod, Sea Stallion, & others. It actually felt like an airbase!

{air1.jpg - The Flight Line at Downsview during the Toronto Airshow 1981.}

[air2.jpg, air3.jpg, air4.jpg - towing an F-15 Eagle at Downsview.}

Thankfully I wasn't present at the Toronto shows where planes crashed in Lake Ontario. Over the years, the CWH lost their Fairey Firefly, the Snowbirds lost a couple of Tutors, and then there was the Nimrod disaster. With recent high fatalities at air show crashes (including one in Ukraine as I write this) I believe the liability insurance & lawsuits may result in air shows being just a memory. The Hamilton show now is just that.

London Trips

I also remember my first trip to the London show. I believe Mike Robertson may have had a hand in organizing this group trip, as this was his hometown. The group stayed for the weekend at the downtown Holiday Inn. We had dinner at a downtown steak house. The Saturday show was spectacular. The Snowbirds made their customary appearance. That night, we ended up at a local club. Cam & I met a couple of friendly ladies, who were nurses. It seemed there was a nursing school in town, as the place was ripe with them (London being more than just the insurance city). Anyway, Cam & I conned these ladies. When they asked about us, one of us (I can't remember who) said that we were Snowbird pilots in town for the show. We played off each other so well that they bought it & were mesmerized! We said that we were numbers 5 & 9 & we did the solo act, the two of us screaming towards each other & then banking vertical so that we just pass feet from each other. We described "our" start-up ritual, how we did things in synchronized precision, like closing our canopies, pulling out & taking off, then some of the formations. They bought it hook, line & sinker! They sat & danced with us all evening.

While dancing, the girls asked if the group of buddies at another table were also Snowbirds. I said, "No, they're our ground crew", loud enough to be heard. This didn't go over well with them. It's tough to remember just who were all there. I believe it was Joe, Doug, Mikey, Dave & Al Cooper. They threw sarcasm our way. They were just jealous that we had dates. I believe it was Joe who threatened in confidence to expose our pilot charade. But he was bigger than that. We drove the ladies home to their college. We didn't get intimate. Perhaps just as well, as we'd be scoring under false pretenses. It wasn't the first time that someone wasn't exactly truthful about who they are at a bar. We joked about the ladies coming to see "our" show on Sunday & finding out the guys climbing into the cockpits weren't us! Luckily, we didn't run into them there! I also remember visiting Mike's mom at her house with Mikey & others.

There was also a motorhome trip to the London show in the early 1980's. Cam & I went for the weekend with an old buddy of mine, Ed. We'd overnight with the RV at Fanshawe Conservation area. Driving over to the airport for the show. We even took the RV to some club where we met a few bimbos. I recall taking them via the RV to a late night restaurant that had a buffet, then dropping the wenches off. On the trip home, Ed had us drop him off at the side of the road. He said he'd find his way home but had something to do. Ed was a strange duck & was getting stranger.

Eddie-The-Axe

I had known Ed since public school. In high school, together we learned about girlfriends, driving, and fixing cars, etc. I looked more like his brother than his brothers did. Cam had met Ed on the odd occasion but not for an entire weekend. It was sometime after the RV trip to London that Ed snapped. For years after high school, those of us that knew him thought that Ed wasn't growing up. He still did goofy things & acted like he didn't remember doing them - particularly when he had wronged you, he acted like it hadn't happened the next time you saw him. It turns out that he was schizophrenic. This was only diagnosed after he had tried to kill a cop.

He had this big 1960 Jaguar saloon, the kind of stately old car with a bar in back. It broke down a lot. It did the night Ed appeared at some guy's door. Ed asked the fellow if he had any gasoline. The fellow helps him with some. Ed reappears at the door & now asks for matches. The fellow gives him a book of matches but now is suspicious. He watches as Ed takes an axe from his car & begins chopping at the car & an adjacent hydro pole. Next, Ed pours gas on the car & pole. He then takes a match & sets both ablaze. The Good Samaritan decides he had better get the cops. The first arriving cop gets Ed to calm down & put the axe on the cruiser. While the cop talks on his radio, Ed suddenly grabs the axe & plants it in the cop's back & elbow. The wounded Constable manages to shoot Ed in the foot before staggering away & collapsing. This only enrages Ed. When reinforcements appear, he threatens to kill another cop, "like I killed the first one". They run him over with a cruiser & still it takes nine of them to subdue him. (Ed was known to require half a dozen bouncers to throw him out of a tavern).

After this, Ed was known as "Eddie The Axe". He spent seven or so years in psychiatric institutions. His mental illness spared him from attempted murder charges but instead he was held indefinitely on a Lieutenant Governor's Bench Warrant - which meant he was confined until he was deemed safe to society. Initially, he was incarcerated at the Oak Ridge Division in Penetang. I visited him a couple of times. It was a shock. The security was intense. They took photos of the visitors, to ensure that the same people left. You were searched - no keys, metal objects, matches, etc. Heavy steel bars were everywhere. Ed's cell was Spartan, with metal toilet & sink. When he was violent or uncooperative, he was placed in a padded room, naked, with nothing but a slab to sleep on. When his privileges were revoked, he found novel ways to write me letters, such as using juice for ink. He took up smoking due to the boredom.

After one visit, I recall going to a club in Hamilton. A guy approached me & thought I was Ed. "Hey, Ed Dazzleme, how's it going. It's me, Gerry Hill", he said. No matter how much I denied that I was not Ed but Fred, he kept thinking I was pulling his leg. When I told him that I knew him, what had happened to him, and where he was now, he really believed I was making it all up! It was an un-nerving encounter. I cursed my resemblance to Ed.

After several years, Ed's condition improved. E was moved to more minimum-security facilities, first at St. Thomas, then the Ontario Hospital in Hamilton. He was like a lamb in Hamilton - very mindful of the rules, as long as he took his medications. His family worked hard to get him released. Once he was, he became a pain. He dropped by all the time. He gave my wife the creeps. When he didn't take his meds, the worry was that he would snap again. A walking time bomb. He got another psychiatric patient pregnant, then was charged for assaulting her. His family disowned him.

You could tell when he was incarcerated; the collect calls would begin. When he was released, he'd show up on the doorstep with other deranged friends. A firefighter colleague was close to Ed's younger brother. The harassment by Ed became such that this fireman had to move & get an unlisted number. I haven't heard from Ed in a few years. We prefer it that way. Sometimes, you have to let go of friends from the past. Ed blamed family, women, everyone else for his problems. But never himself. There never was any remorse for the injured cop, who was nearly paralyzed.

Peelers

We knew ALL the Toronto area strip joints in those years. For awhile, we were regulars at some. There was the Million Dollar Saloon, which had a shower for the girls to do a wet & wild act. Also the Airport Strip, Cannonball, someplace close by on Finch near Dufferin. Then there was the Colonial on Yonge (where we took Chip for his last night), another place off University called the House of Lancaster (which had a boxing ring type stage). Another place west of the base around Weston & Sheppard in an industrial area. It was here that I recall Huey giving his beret to a lady who was a former Israeli army conscript, to wear on stage. Every time I hear that Seeger tune - "Here I am on the road again, here I am up on the stage" - I picture some of the many women we saw, doing their third & final dance as a rug number on the floor. "No not the rug! Anything but the rug!" I would often say! With all those youthful hormones pumping, I wasn't the only one who was often aroused & couldn't leave my seat!

There was a headliner that a number of us liked & we followed her to a few of her venues. Her name was Bonnie Sue Connor. She was a young, gorgeous blonde with ample tits. Andy & Joe were big fans. Andy liked seeing the big chested ones. Andy got one of her autographed 8x10 B&W glossies. Going to see Bonnie Sue was another one of those outings that a bunch of us packed Joe's van. Good times. Sometimes we'd go en masse to the peelers; other times it was just a few of us, like Cam or Andy & I.

{bonnie.jpg - Our favourite headliner...Bonnie Sue. Andy's autographed 8x10.}

There was a period in the early 80's that Cam was a fixture at one of the places near his Cabbagetown apartment. I recall visiting him there, maybe it was at the Horseshoe, and all the strippers knew him. Cam was a special customer for one girl & he got her to table dance for us. She had a shawl that she held over themselves, while she put her nipples or pussy against his face. He was a charmer! It was also during this time frame that Cam & Tom Idiott were cruising the streetwalker area of Church & Jarvis streets, picking up hookers. I knew about the hookers. As a student, I drove cab part-time. I'd pick-up hookers & their Johns from the Warwick Hotel (where they made contact) and run them over to the better rooms at Larry's Hideaway on Carleton. It was only a dollar fare, but it was steady business! Cam gave me all the details of how they made contact, parked in an alley, the girls applied rubbers, then gave them blowjobs in the car. I believe the going rate back then was $20, but they'd dicker.

When Cam came to visit me at my home, I'd take him to some of the local strip clubs in Hamilton. Hanrahan's is still there; there was also the upscale Bannister's downtown. When I first started with the Fire Department, a lot of us went to the peelers regularly after work. But that practice, like many others, faded away with time. Mortgages, children, and a lack of interest ended it for many of us.

Dance clubs were also a popular activity. In the early '80's we visited places like Misty's at one of the hotels on the Airport Strip. The Harbour Castle down on the water had another disco with an elaborate light show. There was the Northgate or Ports, mentioned earlier. And I remember that the Hotel Triumph at Keele & Wilson had a disco I visited a few times. Other places from the period were the Jolly Miller, The Gasworks down town on Yonge, the Generator uptown at Eglinton, and the infamous Brunswick Hotel - a popular dive for the college crowd. Out of town, Cam & I made a few trips to Lulu's in Cambridge. They use to get big nostalgia acts, like Herman's Hermits playing there. People would come by the busload. The bar was supposedly the longest in the world. I recall passing out in the parking lot on one visit & in the john on another. Fun - wow! There were also places in Niagara Falls, NY that we frequented. Mostly with my buddies from Hamilton, as it was closer for us. The Library & The Bakery come to mind. One of these had a barber's chair & if you were brave enough to take a seat in it, they poured copious quantities of booze down your throat. The other place had phones at each table, so you could contact people at other tables without leaving your seat. Nice gimmick.

My Apartment

By 1981, I had given up my apartment. I use to share a 2 bedroom in the high rise at Keele & Sheppard with my York U roommate, Doug. He was short & slight with a premature receding hairline. A bit older than myself, he wore glasses & usually sported a beard. I respected Doug. He was very cerebral & a good listener. Although somewhat a social misfit, he was also cool. At an earlier apartment we shared, he rebuilt his 500 cc Triumph bike in our living room. In the early '70's, he thumbed across Canada & spent time in Vancouver's Gastown area, during the period when acid could be ordered in a restaurant like an entrée off the menu. I also remember returning to live together after the summer hiatus to find that he had lost the tips of his fingers from his left hand due to an accident with a saw at his summer job in a cabinet shop. He couldn't play guitar chords with that hand any longer, so he simply re-strung his guitar & learned to finger with his right hand, like Jimmy Hendrix. There was no sorrow from Doug; he just adapted to life.

{apartment.jpg - Freddy K chilling on the balcony at his apartment, Keele & Sheppard.}

Doug liked to toke on occasion. It didn't take Cam & a few others long to find that I had a pad close to the Base that was conducive for doing joints. So it was that Cam would come by and sometimes so would Shag Nasty. Doug had a great stereo. He had this ritual where he would wipe down a record with a brush & cleaning fluid, then very gently have the tonearm descend on the vinyl. We'd sit and pass the joint around while listening to albums.

Doug talked about the "information age" & the "information highway", long before they became popular terms. There was the one summer when we kept the apartment, rather than moving back to our homes. I grew a beard after the Summer Camp. I have a photo of myself playing guitar on the balcony barefoot. Doug & I watched the progress as they converted a golf course behind the building into a sub-division. We gave up the apartment when I began to live on Base. He went back to school for computer science. He helped his dad build a solar house. He took a six-month trip & traveled across Africa. Last I heard, the computer firm he worked for let him go & he was looking at selling vacation packages. It's been many years.

Shag Nasty

I first met Al at the Summer Camps in North Bay. He was with 411 Squadron. At the one Camp, he & Joanne "No Balls" Pilsener were an item. I had difficulty pronouncing his name (it was supposedly French). When I repeated it, it came out as "Shag-Nasty". This caused laughter to those present & the name stuck. He was also sometimes referred to as "Shaggy Al". He was long & lean, really skinny. His hair was cropped short & he often looked at you through squinty eyes, like that character from "Third Rock". Squadron mates use to kid that he had no neck - his shoulders always seemed to be hunched upwards & his chin was in his chest. His body always seemed to be in motion, as he walked, strutted, & bobbed like a black guy. He also liked to talk like a street-wise black guy, saying expressions like "what it is?" etc. Personality wise, I thought Shaggy was groovy & fun.

He loved airplanes & could recognize all the vintage warbirds. He built a ton of models when he was younger. I recall attending a party at Al's parent's home. Al caught hell from his father because someone messed with his dad's electric razor. Al was bent out of shape over who would steal parts from it while in the bathroom? He didn't host anymore parties.

Al also liked to toke joints regularly. This fact put Shag Nasty in Cam's good books as it was a common interest and Cam liked partyers. So Cam & Shaggy would drop by my apartment, one or the other bringing some joints. I'd put the Rolling Stones "Shattered" on the stereo. Al too liked the song & we'd laugh & get into it, while we ourselves became shattered. "Huh sha dooby, shattered, shattered…my brains have been splattered, all over Manhattan…this town's full of money grabbers…go ahead, bite the Big Apple…don't mind the maggots."

It was during one of these sessions that somehow Rob Carr also ended up with them at the apartment. Rob, besides being scared on roller coasters, was also extremely square & I suspected was a little slow. He was the closest thing we had to redneck "trailer trash". He had no tolerance for anything outside of his little world. Such matters as homosexuals or drugs threatened his beliefs. Anyway, one of the lads decided that we should turn-on straight Rob to the mellowness of cannabis. He wasn't big on the idea & refused as the joint passed his way. He succumbed to curiosity & our goading & took a couple of hits. All seemed well, that is until Rob snapped. The grass affected this first-timer quickly. He became very loud & agitated.

His face got red & his eyes went wide. He began to scowl & yell things like, "This shit is supposed to make you high? Make you more of a man? I'm an athlete", he screamed. He shot up & then grabbed the chair he was sitting on and flung it up on his shoulder. "I feel like throwing this chair through the balcony window! I'm an athlete; I get high on sports. I don't need this shit". Then he lunged towards the balcony. We restrained him. He was panting & had that far away stare. We got him to put down the chair & to chill. I was glad when he was gone. He was spoiling the good vibe. But then Rob had a way of doing that.

Bob & The Stolen Bottle

Misfortune followed Rob Carr like a black cloud. I remember Ken's story about the time Rob was drunk and he got his car stuck in a snow bank. While people lifted the car and he attached a towline, the car came down on his balding head! Then there was the time he was drinking with Ron Mercy & Ron smashed Bob's head into a urinal for no reason. God had it in for Bob. But sometimes, Bob's actions would impact on others. Such it was one disco night at the Mess.

Everything was fine until the drunken Carr decides to steal a bottle of booze from behind the bar. Mike, the bartender I knew, must have spotted someone grab it from the corner of his eye, then lost the perpetrator in the crowd. He quickly searched the room & found the bottle under a table where several of our mates sat. Everyone there denied knowledge of the theft. Mike gave them the opportunity for the guilty party to fess-up. Bob just sat there, stupefied. I recall going over to Mike to try & diffuse the situation, but he was pissed by their silence. He called in the MPs. Several of our people were taken to the MP shack for interrogation. I believe that Dave Cooper & Dougy Wilkins were among them and spent a few hours there. Eventually, either someone ratted on Bob or he confessed. When they returned to the Mess later, they didn't want to talk about the ordeal. I don't know if Bob was fined or banned from the Mess for awhile. The group could have ostracized Rob, but it was just another bonehead move on his part. I think he joined the Reg Force later on. God bless him & God help us.

The Army Summer Camp

Summer Camp resumed in 1981. But it was vastly different. It was held in Petawawa with the choppers. Apparently, the squadrons lived in tents & had to perform guard duty on the helicopters with rifles. Living, working, & eating "in the field" didn't appeal to me. I dodged this Camp but heard all about it when the squadrons resumed activity at Downsview in the fall. This may have been the summer that members also participated in chopper exercises with the US Army at Fort Drum, NY. I know that Ron Collins from 411 was one of them, as he talked about the experience. This summer I was promised Germany (again). Instead, I signed up for courses at McMaster in Hamilton to complete my BA. It was great to be living at home & seeing old high-school friends. Also nice to dry out from all the drinking I would otherwise be doing!

Following the Group

The parties went on. The group had numerous outings. The gang was getting larger with younger players. Dave Cooper was still chasing Ronnie Swift. His brother Rob was pursuing the young Yolanda. Cam was doing the young Mary-Sue. She didn't cling to him & he liked that. Gigi & Colin were an item. You could follow the group to Cypress Lake Provincial Park. Dave & Dougy liked going there. But I felt that the group didn't care if some of us came or not, just that the RV gave them an indoor bathroom for those in tents. A couple of times I followed the group. Andy & I went with them to see the Bill Murray movie "Stripes". I recall it well. The "urban assault" RV piqued my interest. As did "the spatula treatment". Mud wrestling was also featured in the movie. Perhaps this is what gave Colin an idea later on for the Spring Slop? I remember the clan was going to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". I had already done this cult phenomenon with the university crowd. More often, I was declining to follow the crowd. There was nothing there for me. The likes of Andy & I had little influence on the group.

On Thanksgiving, Ken, Cam & I took the RV to MacGreggor Point Provincial Park on Lake Huron, along with my dog. The name had significance, reminding us of Greg MacGreggor in the RSU. It felt great playing guitar with this small bunch of guys & going to a place that was my idea. The group would later follow each other to cottage country. Not my cup of tea - getting a cottage just to stay close as northern neighbours.

The Mock Court Martial

It was just another flying weekend. We had lunch at the Mess. Back at the hangar, it became obvious that a few personnel had not returned from lunch. Kevin Lockett (who by now probably attained the rank of Warrant Officer) was concerned with this tardiness. He said curtly to Dave Cooper & I, "Come with me". We returned to the Mess. There in the bar sat Mo, Cam & Tom Idiott, all drinking. Lockett said to Dave & I that we were to note who & what we saw. He then ordered the three amigos to accompany us back to work.

A flurry of activity ensued. I was advised that I was to testify in Court-Martial proceedings. My three colleagues were being charged with drinking on duty or some such charge. I sat outside the "Court Room" awaiting my summons. When I was brought in, I was ordered to answer questions. I felt awful at the prospect of ratting-on my buddies. I had considered playing stupid, making statements like "I don't recall", when asked what I had seen. But Lockett knew exactly what I saw & probably would put me on charges for perjury. So I made light of these proceedings. When asked to identify who had been at the Mess, I pointed assertively at each & said, "Him, him, & him! That's them all right! My God, they were DRINKING". I managed to make the accused smirk. I was dismissed. When all was said & done, the sentence was a mere warning. Not an official reprimand. Not a fine of so much as a day's pay. Nothing! They put us through that ordeal just to put the fear of God into three of their favourites. I kept thinking of the position they put me into. What a farce this was. The RSU handled the tardiness after lunch issue - without the theatrics. Had I lied on the stand, they might have come down hard on me, while these three went unscathed. Everyone laughed about it afterwards. But I didn't think it was so funny. Particularly, in light of events that followed.

Chopper Pilot Candidates

It was announced that pilots were needed for the helicopters & candidates would be selected for the Short-Short Program. I had hoped this would happen. I made it known that I was thrilled at the prospect. When the selection was made public, it was unbelievable. At least for me. The squadron chose Mo, Tom, and Cam - the same three who had become cocky, took liberties, and had been "charged"! It was deemed that they had the "right stuff", not the witnesses (the defenders of the faith) like Dave Cooper or I. But then it all made sense. The squadron couldn't put any black marks on the guys who would soon be our honoured pilots. Their selection had already been a done deal, so the Mock Court Martial was just to get them to straighten up & fly right. They would be our Officers & gentlemen.

The irony was that all three declined the offer! Neither one was interested in flying & giving up 16 months to the training. The chosen ones told them to stick it. Perhaps that farce of a Court-Martial backfired on the powers-that-be? Maybe the three were pissed at the embarrassment? So, rather than choosing alternates, giving some of us another chance, 400 Squadron decided that they wouldn't sponsor anyone. No one else was worthy, or so was the message given.

This was an incredible letdown. At the end of 1981, it was also clear that I wouldn't be considered as an Engineering Officer Cadet for the Squadron either. Rejection had become a way of life there.

I remember being in charge of a group of GMT Privates in Servicing during the Otter period. I believe that Rob Cooper was part of the bunch. Sgt Jim Train couldn't come up with anything more creative for them to do than to sweep the hangar, again. After the third time, the group's morale was lousy. They thought they were being punished. I suggested to the Sarge that I could do some meaningful training on an APU, something, and anything, to make them feel they were accomplishing something. He'd have no part of it. He ordered me to have them sweep, "because I told you so", or there would be consequences. That drunk who had lost his driver's license wouldn't entertain any ideas, simply because he had the power to make people miserable. There was yelling & I did it under protest. Even in the Fire Service, I continued to look after my crew. It's not "chain of command" or "policy & procedures" that gets you out of a burning building; it's your crew. Rank has its privileges but not simply for you. For the well being of your crew.

Maybe this incident gave me a reputation of being an obstinate malcontent. Perhaps. I just knew that a lot of Privates didn't stick around. We had a way of discouraging, rather than encouraging people - unless you were someone's relative, a good partyer, etc. - we'd un-motivate the motivated. The RSU were professional & relaxed airmen, while at the squadrons people played at being airmen.

Those that used the experience here as a stepping stone to being pilots, they went on to bigger & better things. Private Rahman in that group who swept the hangar, he quit & went on to the RAF as a pilot. But if you stayed here, you were pegged, your loyalty put you in a box, and you went nowhere.

Author's Note 2011: I have one more unfinished chapter "1982 & Beyond". Hopefully I will have it posted before the end of this year.

Cheers,

Freddy K