On Okinawa, '74-'75, we in the Camp Hansen BOQ paid our mama sans $25 per month. For that my boots and shoes were all kept spit shined, fatigues (utilities) heavy starched, military creased, utility cover smartly shaped and starched, and Navy and civvy perma-pressed stuff, perfect. Room was kept perfect. Being a model builder it was full of fragile stuff, never had anything damaged. Only one time did I have anything taken. Being a model goon, I and one of the HM-2s in BAS 1-4 used to cruise the hobby shops in Naha for kits. More often than not they were put into bags with Japanese model manufacturers' names such as Hasegawa, Nichimo, or Tamiya. One day Mama san decided to dispose of my carefully stored pile of sacks (I have no idea what I was going to do with them, I just kept them because we could not get them in the States, I guess!) and she was, I think, a little taken aback that I chased her down. I rather think she thought I was accusing her of theft. Another cultural thing, for Christmas, my folks sent me a plastic Christmas tree and a few other things to go with it including some spray-on the-window fake frost which I used a bit of. Mama san tried to clean it off, not realizing it was a "decoration!" I should mention, my mama-san looked to be about 80, weather-beaten, and not a glamour gal, by any means! As I recall, they all were, probably employed on THAT basis by the USMC! I never knew her real name - she just went by Mama-san... but I will never forget her faithful service.

Might as well include some memories of the Philppines; totally different set up as I was in a squad bay type Quonset hut in the MAU Camp at Subic.. We had a "cabin boy" who swept up and provided some measure of security although my Navy windbreaker WAS stolen. Laundry was a separate deal. Nobody could starch a cover and roll the bill of the cover like the Filipinos could. One time I left my dogtags in my shirt pocket. Godbye dogtags. Someone in the PI has my SSN, for sure.