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Topic starter
11/12/2025 11:26 am
For those w/o military service, RHIP is an acronym for "Rank Has Its Privilege". As an E-5, I ran a prosthetics lab in the 5th Field Hospital in Bangkok. Most all the doctors were young and single. When the Datsun Fairlady Z (AKA: Nissan 240Z) was released in 1969, so many of the 'one hitch and out' doctors ordered duty free LHD Zs direct from Japan through the PX and had then delivered FOB to the San Francisco/Oakland port. When their service ended, they (we) were discharged out of Travis Air Force Base. They simply took a taxi to the docks, picked up their Z and took a lovely ride back to their home towns. I was married at the time and was committed to finishing my degree, so I envied to hell out of them, as it also didn't take long for them to show up on the Bangkok streets. Some of the more money conscious doctors had their RHD Zs delivered to our port complex, drove the hell out of them and then sold them on the Black Market for double what they paid. Thailand had a 100% duty on all vehicles not assembled in country. India was even better at 150%. The tariffs were so crazy on all foreign goods that everyone augmented their income reselling PX goods like cigarettes and alcohol and stereos. There were rations cards finally issued to limit our purchasing power but they were extremely generous. Those were the days {{{sigh}}}
Anyway, I really like this Ebbro model for its precision and its nostalgia factor.
11/12/2025 12:08 pm
Great story and a beautiful model Rich. Thanks for sharing both. 💯👍😊
11/12/2025 1:58 pm
Cool, bittersweet story with your usual 'killer' photos.
You and I was swapped military stories in our time but I'm not sure you heard this one. My last duty station was Letterman General Hospital in the Presidio - San Francisco. I'm a DAV. I was in the hospital there for evaluations and while there too on personnel duties in administration. When I mustered out I checked on that shipping port because some fella's got their Japanese connection cars while waiting for others. I was able to get a "Left-Over" 1967. It was already 1968 but they had two brand new 1967 MGB's unclaimed. I took the British Racing Green one that I fell in love with. Drove it home to Pennsylvania and took a couple weeks to do it in. Thanks for the remembrance!
Topic starter
11/12/2025 2:27 pm
@perrone1 The amount of perks, black marketeering and corruption during that war was mid-boggling, On an international level, flying between countries in SEA on MAC flights where with a military passport, you never went through customs and an American dollar could easily net you 10X the official exchange rate in places like India. Smuggling gold, ivory and gems could definitely make you rich and the higher the rank (where you hand out gov't contracts), I saw field grade officers become millionaires. As to the general officers, I can only imagine. For example of simple games anyone could play with a few connections: buy investment gold in Bangkok's China Town, supplemented with smuggled Burmese rubies and Australian opals, wear it on a flight to New Delhi where the gold and dollars multiply investment by a 10 factor. With that you can suck up Indian star sapphires and legal ivory. Bring the gems back to Thailand where settings for the gems were world class and cheap... well, you get the idea.
Topic starter
11/12/2025 3:18 pm
@perrone1 Top of the food chain? My ex who stole all the goodies.
Jack Dodds and Tony Perrone reacted
11/12/2025 3:30 pm
Forget that! Look at the three gorgeous ladies you have now!! Joanna, Catherine and Jackie!!
Jack Dodds and Rich Sufficool reacted
Topic starter
11/12/2025 4:20 pm
@perrone1 Yes, I must say I'm blessed. BTW: Jackie got married to her captain, and Catherine is now a merchant ship's captain. And me? I'm trying to age gracefully, but the jury's still out on that. LOL
Tony Perrone and Jack Dodds reacted
11/12/2025 8:51 pm
@rich-sufficool WoW. and Australian Opals ?.... NB.. If anyone has any good Australian Opal, hold on to it, the opal fields are starting to run dry, so unless they find new fields the price of high end opals should increase.
Topic starter
11/12/2025 9:10 pm
@diecast1-24cars Opals have been out of favor for decades but nothing brings back a fad like sudden scarcity. Make them a fashion statement again and, you're right; the prices will soar.
Tony Perrone reacted
12/12/2025 6:47 am
@perrone1 Yes, I must say I'm blessed. BTW: Jackie got married to her captain, and Catherine is now a merchant ship's captain. And me? I'm trying to age gracefully, but the jury's still out on that. LOL
Congratulations to her. You mentioned they were dating. And, hey, you ARE aging gracefully.
OK, Sorry this is too good not to share with everyone. Jackie and Catherine at Catherine's graduation, with very proud Mom & Dad:
12/12/2025 12:50 pm
My parents divorced in 1959 and Mom took us to San Francisco and Dad an Air Force Colonel went to Germany as a Base Commander. I was age 8-9 and for about 18 months I flew on military aircraft monthly to visit Dad. Yes, monthly as I got excused from school and took my homework with me. I guess rank did have its privileges. In Germany Dad had a Mercedes and we had many wonderful road trips around the county. Dad returned to the States in 1961, parents remarried each other again, I wonder why Dad didn't bring the Mercedes with him. I have no idea what Mercedes he had as I only remember it was a two-door, silver w/red interior which to this day is still one of my favorite color combinations.
The mention above about Bangkok and gemstones brought back memories. For a few years I worked in Doha, Qatar, and my hobby at that time was designing jewelry. Bangkok was my go to place for many reasons including my accounts with wholesale gem brokers. When I returned to the States with five cats (!) the customs agent asked me what I was doing in the Middle East and did I have anything to declare. I flashed my hands with rings on most fingers and declared with much flourish, "I am a decorator from Dallas teaching the girls in Doha how to decorate". Actually I was a professor at a branch campus of an American University teaching in a four-year degree level Interior Design program. Needless to say the burly customs agent couldn't get rid of me fast enough. Thank goodness my luggage was never inspected (LOL).
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