Yep... I remember those afternoon thunderstorms, too.
We have moved there probably in 1971, just after leaving Naha AFB in Okinawa. The good ole days.
“...probably in 1971...”
MacDill was my first actual solid assignment. I came in 1969 and went right to bases outside conus and finally got nailed in ‘Nam and discharged. I came back in and went to MacDill in 1975 after the pronounced me workable.
They put me at the gym across from the theater at that time as they didn’t quite know what to do with me. I’m sure you remember the gym was part of a blown down hanger from Manilla. The floor of the weight room was part of the bowling alley lanes also from Manilla.
Being a very inexperienced troop who learned to play war rather than politics, I had been told to take care of the guys that played handball and sat in the sauna...free towels, drinks, etc.
I must have done something right as they came in and sat in the office with me and were talking about helping us out with the old building and equipment since we ha been so good to them. I had no idea what a St. Pete retired officer was or how huge. I mentioned that we had all the equipment we could hold, how about a new building? That was a joke. I didn’t believe what happened next.
They chartered an aircraft, flew to D.C., pulled some strings, and after a little over a year the huge facility by the softball fields and next to the JCSE yard was opened. As the story goes, “Out of the mouths of babes...” And they bargained for the new equipment to put in it. The old one was torn down up the street from the REDCOM and last I saw there years later there was a telephone pole left.
wy69
“...probably in 1971...”
MacDill was my first actual solid assignment. I came in 1969 and went right to bases outside conus and finally got nailed in ‘Nam and discharged. I came back in and went to MacDill in 1975 after the pronounced me workable.
They put me at the gym across from the theater at that time as they didn’t quite know what to do with me. I’m sure you remember the gym was part of a blown down hanger from Manilla. The floor of the weight room was part of the bowling alley lanes also from Manilla.
Being a very inexperienced troop who learned to play war rather than politics, I had been told to take care of the guys that played handball and sat in the sauna...free towels, drinks, etc.
I must have done something right as they came in and sat in the office with me and were talking about helping us out with the old building and equipment since we ha been so good to them. I had no idea what a St. Pete retired officer was or how huge. I mentioned that we had all the equipment we could hold, how about a new building? That was a joke. I didn’t believe what happened next.
They chartered an aircraft, flew to D.C., pulled some strings, and after a little over a year the huge facility by the softball fields and next to the JCSE yard was opened. As the story goes, “Out of the mouths of babes...” And they bargained for the new equipment to put in it. The old one was torn down up the street from the REDCOM and last I saw there years later there was a telephone pole left.
wy69