Back in the day…
And we bitched when the price went up… The day before beer had been .35 cents! They were in the process of ‘changing’ the machine… sigh
Beer machines in the barracks… The ‘brand selection’ depended on which base…
On Midway Is. beer was .25 and cokes were .35, a carton cigarettes was $1.00, and hard liquor was .25 a shot.
Needless to say the beer machines got emptied first!!! I ‘think’ Coors was $6.00 a case, and Miller was $5.00. Rum (in Puerto Rico) was a dollar a bottle.
Just like the differences in which bases got what, air stations got McDonalds, the naval stations got Burger King, and I don’t remember what the Sub sailors got…
Subway?
LOL !!!! That’s funny !!
I was stationed in Germany back in ’71, and one of my favorite things was the beer vending machines. Insert a mark in the coin slot and pull out a bottle of delicious German beer. Most civilized.
Circa 1960’s, no alcohol was allowed in the barracks. However, the EM Club was a short stagger away with Singapore Slings 50 cents.
In the field we smuggled booze bought at German Liquor stores. With some 112 vehicles, hiding places abound and most NCOs were blind.
What about cigarette machines? I was shocked to find a casino near me still has one.
I was in the Air Force, ’69-’73. All I remember was soda and Dinty Moore vending machines
Had them for a short time at NAS Barber’s Point IIRC. I think bad behavior and unwise usage killed it.
Was delighted to discover beer machines in the barracks upon arrival at DLI after a very long day getting there fron Fort Lost In The Woods…
Last I heard, they still had beer machines in the break rooms on the Navy deck at NSA, but I was never near there, cannot confirm.
Bill- I don’t remember, but possible…
Jim- HAD to be better beer than we got!
WSF- No surprise here…LOL
Jon- Yep, I think they were .25/pack. Cheaper to buy a carton.
Tree- Oof…
Flugel- Yep, the old barracks had them, not the ‘new’ barracks, in 73 when I got there.
Drang- LOL, that wouldn’t surprise me.
In 1989-90 there was a McDonald’s right across from the end of the carrier piers at NOB Norfolk.
It’s still there along with a Pizza Hut down the road toward the D&S peirs.
Point Loma had a McD’s in 1987, that was when the SEAL’s played the Opfor invaders and ran the base security ragged for over 20 minutes, IIRC, then sat down and ordered some food.
TB- Huh, didn’t know that, thanks!
Grog- LOL, figures… And I do remember ‘that’ McDonalds and wondered how they got it!
Sigh. I can neither confirm nor deny that at one point while doing contractor work for AFOSI, I cooled my heels for an hour or so in a fully-stocked bar in the bowels of the Pentagon waiting for a meeting with some “folks” there.
I’ve already shared with y’all my beer machine story from years before at Sheppard AFB…
Korea had beer vending machines in 96-97 when I was there. And the locals would trade combat bottles of soju for MREs when we were in the field. Good times…..
As told before , I found a beer machine at Rodman Naval Base BEQ laundry room , located pretty much smack dab in the middle of the Panama Canal . Oddly enough I was on the Lake Erie CG70 making the east to west transit on the way to new (first) homeport in Pearl Harbor . I managed to get four slammed before the word got out , and was declared off limits (taken over by khakis) . I vaguely remember finding one somewhere on Treasure Island while attending Firefighting School (not sure) . I am sure there were others , mmm Gator Gardens , a bar on North Island was right next to my BEQ on TAD attending small boat coxswain school , that was almost in the barracks , f’n assholes actually flew us back to the Nimitz , for sea and anchor detail , the day we finished the school (4 BM3’s) because we were “needed” to moor at North Island . Got to land on the carrier COD , sitting backwards , that was fun , guy next to me shit his pants , literally, the guy in front of me threw up , Pussies !
Beer stand on the pier in Subic , best duty day ever , Boatswain took us off the watchbill , only chore we had was to fetch cans of Haze Grey when the hired stevedores (painting the sides) needed more , and we were so…” lazy ” we worked out a hand signal to MOOW on the QDeck to get one of the seaman to bring some down . I think the Boatswain knew what we were going to get up to when he took us off the watchbill , he was cool that way . The mess cranks taking out the trash to the pier slammed a few as did the supply guys checking out the odds and ends and pallets sitting on the pier , as did the engineers going to the pier frequently to check all the hotel / shore power connections .