Yokota Air Force Base

[39mto39g]

Was by Tokyo japan,
On the way to VN we had a 4 or 5 hour layover here. We, went to Tokyo for a couple hours. Relly a pretty city, but way to many people, And where did they get all those honda 50s or what ever they were.

Ron

[frisco-kid]

My son, Scott, lives in Tokyo and works on Yokota AFB. You're right. Way too many people. We've gone to visit him, and I'm ready to leave after about 4 days.

On my final flight home from Nam, one of our plane's engines konked out. The pilot told us not to worry, we had three more but, we'd have to make a side trip to Japan to see about getting it fixed. We went to Yokuska AFB. They got us off the plane and put us in one end of a big, empty hanger. No furniture, we had to sit/stand/lay on the floor. As it turned into hours, they brought us some cold sandwiches and sodas. We ended up being there for 4or5 hrs.. I was going back to ETS. I could do this, easy.

[Jerry D]

Ron , Yokota Air Force Base was great for me I was there in 1989 and the Cherry Blossom's were nice, the Sapporo Beer and Santori whiskey went down good And Mt. Fuji is an Impressive Volcano all topped with snow we stayed in the Pony Hotel behind the commissary out the gate from the Airplane Terminal. My favorite Japanese restraunt was out the main gate across the street turn left and go 3 blocks. it was a little storefront restraunt and I loved the katsudon (rice with porkchop and a egg on top) and you could eat it out of the bowl with chop sticks easy I had a VCR in my room and taped about 10 tapes full of Japaneese TV and its a hoot to watch after all these years
BTW, did they have beer machines in Tokyo when you were there Ron and Tom ? They came in handy after a 12 hour shift and the class 6 was closed

[b3196]

Did R&R in Japan, thats where we landed. They had a Massage pallor right there on base. Much to my disappointment it was ligitimate. The next 7 days wasn't
Bob K

[39mto39g]

JD no beer machines.
Tom
That what they did with us, Stick us in some big hanger. They didn't watch us though, (what were they going to do) send me to the states. That was the reason we only stayed 2 hours, we afraid to miss the flight.
The military people at the hanger said don't leave, the flight could leave at any time, He didn't know that the capt, of the plane while landing said we would have a 4 or 5 hour layover.

Ron

[frisco-kid]

RON: Since this wasn't a scheduled stop, and we didn't know how long the repairs would take, nobody left, as far as I know. Besides, we had no idea where the nearest town was or what direction it was in. Do any of you Fly Boys know? Did I miss a good time?

Jerry: I've never been to a country that had so many vending machines. They were literally on the street corners. You could jump out of your car at a red light and get anything from a Kleenex to a Sapporo beer. It was mind boggling. My son says that the ones that dispense beer are really under the gun by the beaurocrats. Too many kids imbibing. Well, duh! My son says that most of the machines are owned by the Japanese Mafia. You can't just go buy one, and put it on any corner. You might get your knee caps busted.

[Jerry D]

Tachikawa was a nice area for Shopping one of the biggest shopping centers I have seen.When I got to Yokota for support of the exercise in Korea we got to stay at the Tachikawa Grand Hotel [ Standard Single Room

* Bed size: 110cm x 195cm
* Facilities include bath/shower/toilet, radio, TV (CS), telephone, phone jack, mini-bar, air conditioning
* Room rate: 10,450 yen
* Rate per room includes service charge, excludes 5% tax
* Breakfast for extra 1,500 yen (tax excluded) ].We had dinner out of the vending machines. I agree the Beer machines are most definitely Yakuza owned but, when its 4am and every place is closed 400yen for a beer ain't bad Friends of mine went to the Pig Palace(local name) and enjoyed themselves but I never got around to going anywhere but to shopping areas , local restaurants and the NCO Club.

[Dragon Lady]

My earliest memories in life are from Tachikowa & Yakota. That was where I was introduced to a big bear of a man that I only knew as "Teddy Bear". He was a Green Beret and came to our house a few times on R&R during the war. He would sit on the living room floor and hold me while he cried for the first half hour he was there. Then we would play! I was 2 years old when we moved there and I was 5 when we left.

I also remember my older sister hoisting me up on her shoulders to snitch one of the paper lanterns from in front of a shop in Yakota.

If I could meet Mr. Bear today, I would thank him profusely for the lesson of humanity & compassion!

I'll have to see if I can pull up some old pictures from Tachi.

Sayonara!

[frisco-kid]

lives in Tachikawa. Going over to visit next Fall.