THE VOLUNTEER
Jidda, Saudi Arabia, 1963.
King Ibn Saud, Prince Faisal (bin Abdulaziz Al Saud 14 April 1906 – 25 March 1975 was a Saudi Arabian statesman and diplomat who was King of Saudi Arabia from 2 November 1964 until his assassination in 1975. Prior to his ascension, he served as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 9 November 1953 to 2 November 1964, and he was briefly regent to his half-brother King Saud in 1964. He was the third son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and the second of Abdulaziz’s six sons who were kings. wiki
What could these guys be thinking? Passing up the opportunity of a lifetime. Kings, palaces, wealth beyond imagination, sand dunes, mountains, bedouins, camels, the Red Sea, Mecca, Ramadan. No booze. No women. Me, me, take me.
I volunteered. Not surprised I landed the gig.
Jidda is no longer spelled the same as it was in 1963. Now as Jeddah. Nor is the U.S Embassy there, moved to Riyadh, the Capital. Parker Thompson “Pete” Hart (September 28, 1910 – October 15, 1997) was a United States diplomat. In 1961, President of the United States John F. Kennedy named Hart United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; Ambassador Hart presented his credentials on July 22, 1961 and served there until his credentials were terminated on May 29, 1965. Wiki.
We, the four man detachment of marines, were awarded a letter of commendation by Ambassador Hart in December 1963..
The Marine house was approximately a hundred yards from the embassy. We walked to our post daily, in full dress blues uniform on occasion and in khaki mostly. In the 13 months I spent walking to and from the embassy, I encountered precipitation only once. In the form of a light sprinkle. I did not get wet.
All embassy personnel, Department of State employees including the ambassador were housed within the grounds of a large compound. Most of our friends & acquaintances were members of other nations mission in Jidda. The Brits and Germans comprising the largest number of individuals with whom we associated with.
Lots of wild parties. Parties? No booze in Saudi Arabia, right? Well, about every three months a cargo ship would sail into port, dock, unload crates addressed to: American Ambassador Parker Thompson Hart. Contents: Household Goods. Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker, Jim Beam, Chivas Regal, Budweiser, Miller, PBR, and just about every brand of anything containing alcohol. Party time.
Everyone had an allotment of beer or whiskey. Every three months we could order three cases of beer or three cases of the hard stuff. I, being a beer drinker, and stupid, ordered beer the first three months. three cases of liquid gold. Did I really think three cases of beer could/would survive a one quarter of a year? Yes, of course. Did it? No, of course not. Three cases lasted maybe three weeks, if that long, then I was dry for two months. This was a problem with only one logical conclusion. Stop ordering beer and request three cases of liquor. The next seven months months I was never in need of alcohol because I had consumed my allotment ahead of next cargo ship with crates of household goods addressed to Ambassador Hart.
As per all MSG posts, Jidda provided a house complete with each marine his individual bedroom, staffed with a cook and houseboy. The house was rather small but had only a five man detachment including the NCOIC (non commissioned officer in charge), a Staff Sergeant E-5. A small house with a flat roof where we held social events year round, including the yearly Marine Corps Ball, on the birthday of the Corps, each November 10th. When we were not in our bedrooms behind closed doors bonking beautiful young Lebanese stewardesses, courtesy of Saudi Arabia Airlines.
The girls were headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon. We seldom knew their schedule but every couple of week, early evening, a taxi , stuffed with beautiful women rolled into the compound and stopped at the marine house and out popped four very attractive and welcome guests. Kisses, hugs, small talk, a few drinks and one couple at a time floated on waves desire towards their respective rooms to copulate. Soon the living room was quiet. Vacated In favor of more accommodating surroundings by all.
The stews had rooms in town provided by Saudi Airlines and a curfew. After an hour or so of intimacy, slowly voices begin to emanate again from the living room and once more hugs, kisses; perhaps, a goodbye toast, and the evening ends with a taxi of precious, irreplaceable, lifelong memories slicing through the star studded, crystal clear night in the Kingdom of Arabia. A night that might evoke poetry by Kahlil Gibran or Omar Khayyam for those with a beautiful soul. Fate.
Little did I know I would later become the boyfriend of the most beautiful, voluptuous woman I would ever meet in my lifetime.
The next best form of entertainment was movie night in the embassy auditorium. Newly released Hollywood films were shipped to us via Department of State pouches. After all embassy personnel had departed the premises we began our movies night ritual. Beer, shawarma sandwiches, and, on this particular occasion, “The Manchurian Candidate”. A shawarma sandwich is sliced goats meat from an upright rotating spit, placed on a very large elongated bun akin to a baguette adorned with sauce and hot peppers. The best, and hottest damn sandwich I had ever eaten (beer helped). Loved the movie.
German embassy personal and civilians contractors often mingled with us and we would drink & talk until the wee hours of the mourning. Yes, mourning. Puking, shitting, headaches, dehydration, and in general, awaiting, and wishing the grim reaper would take us all – immediately.
WWII. Youth cannot comprehend time and events of history and their relationship. We were mostly 20 some years old American youth with little or no knowledge of war. Nor did we realize that some of the Germans with whom we had befriended were not far removed from the holocaust and total destruction of the Deutschland. Do the math – 1963 Saudi Arabia, 1945 Germany = 18 years. Less than one generation. Germany still rebuilding, Berlin occupied by countries with differing ideologies. Families never to be reunited. Memories so painful – best forgotten, unforgivable atrocities committed.
All this and more was the burden of our German friends – but I was too young to understand. They, then, seemed always to be of a pallor. Little time had passed. Not enough to heal or forget. Hitler!
The souk (Arabic word for open-air marketplace). Every couple of weeks we would check out a Carryall from the embassy motor-pool and drive into town to visit the souk. We were, by choice, accompanied by an Arabic speaking embassy employee to translate and oversee us to assure we did not encounter thieves, or worse, start a misunderstanding on our own.
Jidda was a free duty port and expensive, extravagant items could be bought at reasonable prices. An added bonus to me, it was very exciting , always crowded. Shoppers buying gold, cameras, watches, jewelry, ivory, trading currencies, an exhilarative, worldly exposure that one had to be a part of. Huge sums of money changing hands within eyesight every few seconds. I bought a Rolex watch for, I think, about 300.00. 1963, remember? Sent it to the old man as a gift. Also, purchased the latest Minolta 35 mm camera and ivory carvings.
Saudi Arabia, land of incalculable wealth and extravagance – If a member of the Royal Family.
Members of the royal family were numerous and easily identifiable when driving about the kingdom. Check the license plates of the cars – palm tree with crossed swords – Royal family member. All members of the Royal Family receive a monthly income from the government. Presently, there are approximately 20,000 members with 7,000 Princes and Princesses each receives $800 to $270,000 a month based on the individual . These are 1996 numbers.
On one of our numerous excursions into the desert we stumbled upon a palace, a newly built, uninhabited palace. No visible signs of living creatures nor any way to sustain them should there be any. No water, no electricity, no roads leading to or from, nada, nothing, just a huge, stunningly beautiful empty palace. No idea when it was built , by whom, for whom, or if ever anyone occupied it.
Small caravans of nomadic Bedouins were occasionally encountered on our one day exploratory expeditions when driving across the desert in vehicles named carryalls. 1963 Chevys. We would always honk, wave shout greetings to each other but were reluctant to approach them. I remember one incident when I was exploring with another marine and we stumbled upon an Arab who set up a tent in a depression in the sand, protection from the wind provided by drifts on three sides. We approached, yelled to alert anyone inside the tent of our presence and friendly intentions. Out pops an individual in full Arabic garb and we begin to chat: we know maybe 50 words of Arabic and his English vocabulary is zero words.
Let the games begin: charades, pantomime, hieroglyphics, a highly animated conversation to say the least. I find him quite interesting and his impressive dress compels me to shoot a photo with my Minolta 35mm camera. Then, all hell breaks loose. He screams, yells, makes threatening gestures, and attempts to grab my camera. He want the film. His soul is captured and he cannot pass into heaven unless he destroys the film to release his soul. So much for photo shoots in the Arabian desert.
November 22, 1963. I have the mid watch, just completed my security check and time clock punch of all stations designated. Just returned to the guard office located near the glass paneled front entrance to the embassy, and flipped on the short wave radio, sat in a well padded chair, and immediately began searching for something interesting. Flipping from station to station for a language I could understand, English, notwithstanding the fact I had been exposed to and understood a little Arabic and Turkish, I settled for the BBC. This is paraphrased, but similar to what I heard. “ The President of the United States, John F. Kennedy has been assassinated in Dallas, Texas.”…….the sound of silence.
Stunned, unaware the passage of time, I sat there half a world away from the unfolding events with tears streaming down my face. Crying like a baby for his mother’s tit.
Only myself and the cleaning staff were in the embassy. But, within the hour the ambassador , councilors, attachés were streaming in. Encrypted messages being exchanged around the world. My shift ended and I briskly walked to the house, mixed myself a stiff one, chugged it, made another.
JFK assassination: Cronkite informs a shocked nation
For several days Royals, dignitaries, important persons in Arabia came to the embassy to sign JFK’s condolence book. Ever present, ever diligent, always impeccably attired and standing at attention for hours , we lent honor & solemnity to the occasion as important personages arrived. Crown Prince Faisal amongst those paying their respects.
Saudi Arabia was considered for obvious reasons a HARDSHIP POST by the State Department and Marine Corps. A Muslim country. All are expected to honor, obey , adhere to the teachings of the Quran as set forth by Muhammad. This fact by itself imposed hardships on foreigners, now add MECCA , holiest of holy cities, and to a lesser degree MEDINA, the second holiest city of Islam, to the mix and one might find himself in a troublesome situation if not cognizant of his behavior and surroundings. Mecca a one hour drive from our compound. Medina a four hour drive.
A local was employed by the embassy to assist us whenever a need arose. On one occasion we had him drive us to the closest point non Muslims are permitted before warned to proceed no further . Turned around and headed back to Jidda. I had been as close to Mecca as any non Muslim can be.
Beirut, Lebanon, Headquarters Marine Security Guard, Middle East.