- From Tink: Instead of relating a story or a specific episode, I would simply like to do
a memory flashback of a unforgettable friend. Most of the guys on this website will
remember him. Most of you skedded with him. And I can say without any reservation that
most of you liked him. He was known as Panza, Fat Man, or simiply Gary.
To the best of my recollection he arrived on the Rock around late summer or early fall of
1970. I think that Dennis "Penis" Bass, Dennis "Smoking Penis"
Griffin, Ron "Ras" Rasmussen, and myself had just been transferred to
Delta from Charlie so that the basketball team could all be in the same section. My first
impression of him was not favorable. He was loud, arrogant, and presumptuous. He acted as
if he had been on the Rock longer than anyone. Being a 1st class, he didn't even get the
traditional "Get some time on the Rock" from Dennis Bass. Of course, it didn't
take long to realize that all these negative attributes didn't apply to the "Fat
Man". He was simply being Gary.
Delta at this time (to the best of my fading memory) consisted of Penis, Smoke, Ras,
myself, plus Gary "Seb" Sebranek, Denny "The Kid" Haley, Doug
"Pete" Petersen, Doug King, Carl "Georgie" Wallace, Greg
"Groucho" Ardire (This guy really looked like Groucho Marx, and he hated the
nickname.), and "Wally" Wallace, 1st class. I'm not sure if Ron Fulcher, 2nd
class, had arrived yet. (This is the section that would, in the winter of 1970, comprise
the cast of that famous (or infamous) episode in Linkou Navy history, "The Great Sad
Buddha Sacrilegious, Glad We Weren't Arrested, Boat Race." Coming soon to your
favorite website, with pictures.) Like all sections, some guys skedded more than others
and Delta was no exception, but Gary skedded with anyone and everyone.
I've seen mean skedders, destructive skedders, very active tap-dancing skedders,
cry-in-your-beer skedders, ball-sucking skedders (usually reserved for the USAF), but
"Fat Man" was a happy skedder. His personality and
appearance would have it no other way. People smiled when he walked by. Little kids
followed him. Club girls gleefully yelled his name when he entered a club. (They never
yelled my name.) And they loved him.
Jim Valkwitch says that he wished he had kept a journal. I agree, Jim. The next best thing
is of course, pictures. And although I didn't save money, buy stereo gear, or ship home
Oriental furniture, I did buy a $20 Olympus
half-frame camera (at the urging of Larry Johnson and Steve Carpenter). And I proceeded to
take many slides. The images that I have very recently relived have brought a great deal
of joy to me. With this I have also discovered that a great deal of the images captured
were images of Gary Hughes. It was easy to take pictures of him because it was as if he
were always posing. He loved life, and it showed, and he was an easy target. So if you see
pictures from me on the website, be prepared to view the "Fat Man".
Coming off a midwatch, the routine was to get a room at the King's Hotel and make the
King's Club our base of operation. Of course the King's Club was home. We would run the
bars, periodically checking in at the King's, until
we couldn't go anymore. Then sleep for a few hours and start again. I loved skedding off a
mid. I ran the clubs with "Fat Man" from Fall of 1970 until he left TAD to
Vietnam with Ron Anderson, Jim Valkwitch, Chuck Frederick, Rodger Olson and others. I saw
him off at the airport that day and told him that I would see him later. He said that I
wouldn't. He was right.
So here's to you, Gary. I raise my beer in a Linkou salute to you remembering all the
great times we had. And if by chance you should discover this website, I'm sure that there
are some choice stories that you could share with us all.
Tink