Florida Championship Football On News Year, and the Navy

The big championship football this weekend reminds me of another championship upcoming football game I was rubbing elbows with the player. I know nothing of championship football games in Florida and don’t pretend to, so maybe I can skirt past that part. It was December 31st 1964. Our ship, the USS NEWPORT NEWS pulled into Mayport, Florida. We were to stay overnight there. Mayport is 15 or so miles outside of Jacksonville. The upcoming night would be a big New Years Eve Party all over Jacksonville. A bunch of us took the bus into Jakcsonville. The town, especially, just outside barfs were plenty of people partying and drinking. A lot of jocks wit college logos on their sweaters – I assumed they would be playing the big game the following day. I started drinking with them. There were some local girls that started hanging out with us. One in particularly paired up with me. She was tall and skinny and had an eye patch. She also had a long horn with her. Every time I tried talking to he she would blow that long deep sounding horn in my face. Oh yeah, a lot of the college people shot firecrackers. That is about it. We made it back to the ship on time. Some others went to the Naval Officer club and hit it off with some officer’s wives who husbands were out to sea. Reuben was on the same ship the same time. Here is what he said about this adventure: 1964 not 65. You were discharged prior to New Years Eve 65. Liberty was in Jacksonville Beach, not Jacksonville. The Navy provided us a bus free from Mayport to Jax Beach. The big game was the Gator Bowl between Florida State and Oklahoma played on 2 January 65. There were a lot of students about. I do remember the lady with an eye patch and horn story, but I wasn’t drinking with you as I wasn’t yet old enough to drink in bars. I was back on the ship early, you much later. Hope you have a great New Year.