The night sky was as black as ink, yet the light of millions of stars shone like tiny beacons guiding a million people home to safety. I saw none of this as I stood at the bow of the aircraft carrier. It was the only place to go for solitude, and it was a windy, lonely place to be alone, with only my thoughts for company.
I stood there, my face into the wind, thinking about what was soon to happen, at least I was hoping would happen. It was going to be a first in my young life, I was young, naive, and hadn't been around long enough to experience all the joys of living that I had heard so much about. I had never really given it much thought until lately, at least not in the last six months as I had been busy adapting to this new life. I could still hear the laughter from my shipmates as they reminded me of just how young and inexperienced I was.
I was a mere eighteen year old boy from Minnesota, out to experience the world for the first time and paid by the United States Navy for doing just that, all I had to do was dedicate my mind, body, and soul to them for four years. I had come a long way in just six months, going from a small town in northern Minnesota, to the hellishness of boot camp, then on to the fleet. Finally finding myself halfway around the world in Yokosuka, Japan. I was filled with the wonder of being in a foreign country and the enormous pride of being stationed on one of my countries greatest warships, a United States aircraft carrier. The newness soon wore off and reality reminded me of just how little I knew of the world as I was busy learning what life as a sailor meant.
The ship had sailed with me aboard several times, going nowhere fast, as we would only go out to sea for thirty days then back to our homeport in Japan, which for some reason I cared little about. I was more than ready to see and do what I had joined to do. I wanted the exotic foreign ports, the mysterious Asian women, I wanted to see the wonders of the world other than the snowy Minnesota land from which I came.
Finally having left Japan scarce twenty days ago, we were headed in the right direction, the Philippine Islands. I found myself on the bow on this dark night after sitting with the old-timers talking about the upcoming visit. I was regaled with stories of past visits, of wild parties, and of sexual feats with beautiful women. Thinking back on it I remembered the cause of their laughter and the cause of my embarrassment. I had mistakenly admitted to my friends and shipmates that I was a virgin, that I had never had sex.
As a normal teenager I had spent my every waking moment thinking about the mysteries of sex, the secrets of women and the pleasures that I wanted to participate in. Much to my dismay, I never had the chance to do anything about it, but now my time was rapidly approaching. Would I stand the test of time, would I know what to do, and could I do "IT" My friends had assured me that they would take care of everything and not to worry. I was told that there was a special way for virgin sailors to loose their cherry in the Philippines and that I would be a better man for it. Somehow their promises
were not as comforting as I had hoped, and wished I knew more but for the moment there was nothing I could do, and so I left my perch on the bow and gave my mind and body back to the Navy.
Two weeks later:
My heart was pounding with excitement, finally the day had arrived, I had reached my very first port of call. It seemed like hours until the ship was tied off to the pier and the gangways moved into place. I was with twelve of my friends, waiting in line with the rest of the crew, anxious to be off the ship and out into town. It was four in the afternoon by the time we made it out the front gate and into the city of Olongapo.
It was a city alive with colors and teeming with people, and to me the sights, sounds, and smells, were like a soothing balm to my soul, my body was alive with excitement. We hadn't walked very far when we stopped at a ramshackle looking place that my friends said was a bar, laughing at the skeptical look on my face we went inside.
The front wall was open to the outside world, it was a bright place decorated with a multitude of velvet pictures, mostly of Elvis. The women were dressed very plainly, nothing exotic here and not like I had imagined them to be. I was beginning to have my doubts, this did not look like any place that I would find a woman, at least not one that would show me the wonders of sex. Looking back I had to admit that the atmosphere was very friendly, the beer was cold and tasty, and the food delicious, all in all very relaxing, but still I was looking for more, and I anxiously waited for direction from my friends.