405th AP - Base Area Old Sentry Dog Handlers

CLARK AIR BASE - General Information

Arriving at Clark after a long 15 hr flight you step into a hot humid climate that saps you even more than the lack of sleep encountered on the way over. After checking through customs, you are transported to the 405th Air Police Squadron orderly room for in processing. We are assigned a bed in an open bay on third floor (Brks # unknown) above the Squadron Dining Hall.

The first few weeks are a blur of processing into the base: CBPO, Medical, Chaplain: briefings – go here – go there. One of the big things they briefed on was the Status of Forces Agreement On Use of Deadly Force : what you can and cannot do with weapons.

We all learned the locations of the Commissary, Flight Line Snack Bar, BX, Laundry's, Movie Theater, Squadron Beer Bar and Airman's Club. The Airman's Club had many unique wall mural paintings in the Card & Slot Machine Gaming Rooms depicting mainly western themes. Happy hour was cheap: 10 cent drinks!!. As new young drinkers, we all loved that. Just think $2.40 filled a dining hall tray with 24 glasses of whiskey & water. I think if I ever hear a Filipino band play "The Butterfly Song" again, I would have to break all the instruments.

Most of us enjoyed the Squadron Beer Bar drinking San Miguel and playing Pinochle & Hearts. Believe that beer sold for 10-15 cents per bottle. Didn't have far to go when you wanted leave: up the stairs or across the road.

Got our first introduction to MPC's - Military Payment Certificates which ranged from 5 cents to 10 dollars. You would have a pocket full of paper, but still be broke. Some where in the middle of 1963, we changed over to US Currency. We awoke one morning with only 7 hours to exchange MPC to Green. A lot of people downtown and GI's on base took a pounding. They were going nuts trying to find anyone to exchange the stuff for them.

We quickly learned the "price" of cigarettes and other things. It seems that all work done by the house boys: beds, shoes, clothes and cleaning was done in "How Many Cartons of Cigarettes". One got spoiled quickly, getting used to going to bed and waking up to clean pressed uniforms and shined shoes. You almost didn't dare get out of bed to go to the latrine because your bed was made and you had to mess it up getting back in. My house boy was Rick. I passed trough Clark in 1973 and met Rick again. He was now the Head House Boy.

One was issued a Night Meal Pass/Regular Meal Pass and a Base Pass(Armed Forces Liberty Pass) upon inprocessing. You kept the Meal Pass's and your supervisor kept the Base Pass. You were not "free" to leave the Base at break time. You have to be a "good boy" and earn your Base Pass. Generally, you had to screw up royally bad not to get it. At issue time, you reported to your supervisor and he gave it to you with what ever comments he felt like including.