NATTC Norman, Oklahoma

During the 1950s on North Water Street in Ogdensburg, New York there existed a fine establishment named “The Hub.”  In former days it had been a private residence, but its better days were in its past.  The Hub was by that time a beer joint that barely survived, and surely did not turn away paying customers for any reason, much less that they might not be of a legal age to partake of alcoholic beverages.  So it was that at age 15 I was escorted to the place by a slightly older friend, and was allowed to purchase my first beer.

By the time I arrived in Oklahoma at age 17 ½ I had been drinking beer for a couple of years, and considered myself, if not an aficionado, at least a knowledgeable user of same.

While in bootcamp we recruits were not allowed off the base for any reason, much less to participate in the drinking of alcohol in any form.  So now I was in “Fam” School at the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Norman, Oklahoma where we were allowed “Cinderella Liberty,” or the ability to leave the base from Friday afternoon at the end of the school day until midnight Sunday.  Although I was only at that base for a couple of months, I spent several weekends in Oklahoma City reacquainting myself with the pleasures of the usage of alcoholic beverages.  I had met a fellow sailor by the name of David Smith who owned a 1947 Mercury Coupe convertible.  He and I and several others would all pile into the car and drive to Okie City on weekends.  One must recall that Oklahoma was a dry state where alcoholic beverages were against the law, but let me assure you they were for sale almost anywhere.  Our favorite place was to rent a room at the Hotel Black.  At some time toward morning there might be as many as twenty or more sailors sleeping off their drunkenness in that room.

When taking the elevator to our room one could push an unmarked button on the elevator wall.  This would cause the elevator to stop between the fourth and fifth floors.  Then a small door would open in the side of the elevator and a voice would ask what your pleasure was.  Upon proffering a $5 bill through the portal, a ½ pint of liquor of your choice would return.  By this time I had quit drinking beer for the most part, so this was quite a handy feature on the way up to our room.

We were only allowed through the base gate in full-dress uniform which was our Navy Blues at that time of the year.  We immediately went to a locker club in Norman, a few blocks from the gate, and changed into civilian clothing.  I recall on one occasion I awoke in my own bunk, on the base, on a Sunday morning, dressed in my civilian clothes.  I, to this day, do not know how I got there, but I had to devise a way to get back out through the gate in civilian clothes, get to the locker club, switch back to my uniform and re-enter the gate.  Smitty, and his car came in handy once more.  I climbed into the trunk of his car, and uneventfully passed out through the gate, accomplished my mission, and returned to spend the day attempting to sober up again.  My $86 a month only lasted half of the month.  After that I was broke until that old eagle came around again at the end of the month.