[tracer]

Damn. My shipmates laughed when I suggested and predicted this some thirty-plus years ago. Sometimes the Navy takes a while to catch on to the extent that they would abandon the terrorist-bait hell-hole that is Naples.

I swear, we could tell when we were approaching the port by night -- you actually could smell it, plain and simple.

Any of you old green-water swabbies out there remember an old working gal who bore the nickname "Humpty Dumpty" (because she could generally be found sitting on a specific wall near the fleet landing rather than walk the streets of Naples or be just another "campfire girl")?

Well, I overheard a young Navy guy talking about her at a dinner last December. "Humpty Dumpty" apparently is plying her trade to this day -- far beyond the years when she reputedly needed to work to pay for her daugter's education in Switzerland.

Italy will have a new national holiday and monument when she dies, I'd wager. This is one for Ripley's, I tell ya.....

[dwilli]

I spent two years at the NATO hdq. in Bagnolia. Remember
Humpty-Dumpty, $20 Rita. many more of the well-known hookers.

I lived with a Italian woman for a year or so on Via
Carrivagio (sp?) who, as far as I know never turned
a trick but hustled drinks every night. Her Mother
did the same thing when she was younger, The mother
and daughter owned the 6 villa building we lived in.

[SalukiLawyer]

Pozzuoli Pete and Humpty Dumpty ... why does my brain retain things like this when I can't remember my zip code? :-)

(And LaSalle isn't an aircraft carrier. It's not even haze gray.)

[John H K]

Also, at any moment the entire Naples region could be annihilated by Vesuvius, which isn't much of a selling point for Naples.

[Scipio]

I can't believe Humpty Dumpty is still alive. Her legend has to go all the way back to WWII. I know when I went TDY to Naples in the early 70's, I was always shown her location on the road leading into the Navy base. I don't know what Naples is like today, but back then it was noisy, dirty, confusing and just my least favorite city in the world.

Rota on the other hand is really great.

[B4Ranch]

The current "Humpty Dumpty" is probably a grandchild, cousin or actually the daughter from college.

[kabar]

Any of you old green-water swabbies out there remember an old working gal who bore the nickname "Humpty Dumpty" (because she could generally be found sitting on a specific wall near the fleet landing rather than walk the streets of Naples or be just another "campfire girl")?

I was stationed at NAVSUPPACT (NSA) Naples (1968-70)in Agnano, which was near the Navy Hospital. Humpty Dumpty used to sit on the wall along with her friends on the road leading into the crater. We organized a party and asked her to hand out autographed pictures of herself to the guests. She refused stating that she would rather give them oral gratification than humilate herself with pictures. Even Humpty had standards.