MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina

My next and last duty station and destined to become home for a few years after. Cherry Point was very different from Puerto Rico. The Navy provided support for the Marines at the hospital and supply. We were a very small number, basically Marines in Navy uniforms. My first assignment was in stores, working in a big warehouse with a place for everyone to come get supplies from tape to toilet paper.

Coastal Carolina was a rural area with an upcoming tourist industry by the beaches. The restaurants in Morehead City and Beaufort offer the freshest seafood. The views, looking out to the Pamlico Sound are serene and breathtaking. One of the first things I remember doing is going out Deep Sea Fishing with two of my friends, Mike and Terry. Mike had a 25 ft, center console boat and Terry had a custom fishing pole business. Needless to say, they loved to fish. Even better, they showed me how to fish.

We would let out the boat very early in the morning near the Beaufort Bridge. Terry and Mike would work in silence, just as the sun was coming up, loading the boat. Each knew what the other one was doing. Right under the bridge, they would have their light poles hooked up with six gold hooks. Put it out i the water, shake it, and come up with 3 or 4 fish hooked on. Each would swing the pole to the center of the boat, where I was standing with a 55 gallon plastic trash can, full of water. I would unhook the fish and drop them in. No less than an hour and we would be on our way out to sea, looking for Marlin, maybe some King Mackerel...just about anything that would put up a good fight. The boat would slowly troll, with 2 heavy poles, set up in the back of the boat with the live bait caught earlier dragging behind in the water. All of the sudden, these lines in these poles would take off. It would take up to 45 minutes sometimes to reel these big fish in.

My first fish that I caught was a 55 lb King Mackerel. It took a long time and a little help.

Over by the Beaufort Bridge, lies an active shipping port with a long history, dating back to early days. I found this barnacle near where we would unload the boat.

The broken conch shell has a funny story. Being a woman, it is not always convenient to relieve oneself on a boat in the middle of the ocean with two men. Terry suggested that I go for a swim when we were out pretty far. He jumped overboard and showed me how safe it was. He came back up just as one of the poles took off. On the other end, came up a shark. Needless to say, I lost my courage to take a swim. On the way home, we passed by the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Mike pulled close enough to the shore where I could wade in the water for a bit. I found this shell sitting just underneath the water.

From volcano to rainforest

This is volcanic rock from El Yunque Rain Forest, Puerto Rico... my backyard, literally. The road leading up to this tropical rain forest winds around an dormant volcano. In fact, if it wasn't for this volcano, there would be no rain forest nor Puerto Rico. The volcanic ash and the lava that once flowed out thousands and thousands of years ago all provided the perfect atmosphere and conditions to create this lush forest. Around every turn there are waterfalls, birds calling, a thick canopy of leaves providing relief from the heat, the smells, the sounds...even 30 years later, I can remember it like yesterday. One of many trips up the volcano, I remember taking some lunch and a few beers up. We found one of the waterfalls off the beaten path. We put our picnic in a plastic bag, waded through the pool, and went behind the falls. There was a cave with plenty of room for five of us to enjoy our little private oasis. I'm not sure if this is allowed today but it's a memory that has always stuck in my head.

In the Navy

After enlisting in the Navy, I ended up in Puerto Rico. During boot camp, when the man asks you where you would like to go, you have three choices. (at least you did, back in 1980) My choices were anywhere in Europe, anywhere in the Far East, or anywhere in the Caribbean. It was a sweet deal. I looked after their aircraft parts as an  inventory clerk, and they let me live on the beach for $100 a month. Okay.

Part of the welcoming is to take you on a day trip, driving around the island on a school bus, to check out all that Puerto Rico had to offer. The island is green and beautiful. The people are amazing and kind. Lunch was a buffet at a seaside resort. It was picturesque. After lunch, we decided to get our feet wet. Much to our amazement, the sand beneath our toes in the water was moving. Reaching down, just underneath the sand, we lifted out handfuls of sand dollars. I had never seen a sand dollar that was alive. We were told to let them bleach out in the sun for a few days to let them become the familiar white. After 31 years, unfortunately this is what I have left of my sand dollars. To the right are the two "doves of peace" that are found inside the shell.

The first few days of getting into the island mood were just setting the tone for what turned out to be one of the most memorable periods in my life.