Tent City at Camp Viequez, Puerto Rico SYS049
If you went on a Carribbean Sea Cruise, it was guaranteed that you would spend some time at Camp Garcia in Viequez, Puerto Rico. It was the jewel of the Carribbean Sea. That was sarcasm. Almost every cruise to the Carribbean Sea would end up spending some time at Camp Garcia.
While the grunts were away in the hills playing war games, we, Shore Party (1st Landing Support Company), were staying on the beach. it was the best of circumstances but who can complain that they were stuck on the beach on a Carribbean Island. We had all the perks that anyone could want.
This long tent was our living quarters on the beach. I was one of those fortunate souls that was diagnosed with a pilonidal cyst that I got from sitting on the deck of the ship we lived on. Our only source of water was a large rubber container that we used for taking cold showers. My doctor told me that I needed to take hot showers to calm down my throbbing pilonidal cyst. I informed the doctor that his hot water option was out because we lived on the beach.
Then the doctor says, "Great! Soak the cyst three times a day in the salt water for at least an hour each time". It couldn't have gotten any better than that but I had to wait until I got back to Camp Lejeune, N.C. to get surgery at the Navy Hospital.
Wait. It gets better. i finally get back to base and take a bus trip to the Navy Hopsital to get the doctor to look at it to schedule surgery. I was the last appointment for the day for the doctor and the Corpsman had me drop my pants and lay on the table for a look see. I'm thinking that I'll get a quick look and a call back after the Christmas holidays to schedule the surgery.
The doctor says to the Corpsman, "What do you think?" Corpsman replies, "It looks like we might be able to do a fast one." Doctor says, Okay! Numb it up." I say, Wait! I'm going on leave next week and got to ride a bus to New York City for 600 miles."
Before I know what is happening, the Corpsman tells me to hold tight onto the table as he sticks a needle into the base of my spine and I start to climb the walls. The doctor tells the Corpsman that he can do the procedure and to proceed with the cut. He then tells him to make another half inch cut and the pilonidal cyst opens up. The doctor says, "Good, drain it out and patch him up to go back to the barracks."
Right, I'm off to the bus station for a long ride back to the Camp Lejeune bus station. From there, I have a one or two mile walk back to my barracks. I took a leisurely walk back to the barracks and when I was almost there, I pass my friend Corbit, who was on his way to the outdoor movie. He asked where I was coming from and why I wasn't going home that weekend to New York City. I did it every weekend I was stationed at Camp Lejeune.
I told him about the surgery and that I was on my way back to the barracks to sleep off the surgery. As he passed my by, he looked back at me and said "What the hell did they do to you, your bleeding ling like a pig down and the blood is running down your green fatigues." I told him that all that I wanted to do was sleep and left him and finally got to the barracks. I dropped down on my bunk and fell asleep. that was Friday evening and I woke up on Sunday morning.
That was a few of my days in "So You Served." Enjoy,
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