It was a Hot and Humid evening, Malta Mid September 1968 with a chance of rain something rare for Malta and here I was once again on Shore Patrol.

 

We were running port and starboard watches so I was up all night on Shore Patrol and not getting back to the ship until after Mid Rats had already secured. If you were lucky you may had the opportunity to get something at Early chow, if it was ready before we had to report to the quarterdeck and fleet landing by 1545 hrs. This made for long and hungry night.

This Evening we had noted four (4) LST’s /LSD’s in the harbor with a bunch of Marines aboard. They were just returning from operations in Turkey and the scuttlebutt was that they had returned from Nam and were promised state side duty, but were dispatched to the Med after 2 months of duty stateside, just barely covering their R & R and leave. To say they were upset is an understatement.  I got this from the Marine I was budded up with for Shore Patrol, (Jenkins) that evening. We had normally been assigned to the GUT which is 3 blocks of Bars and related businesses 2 short blocks off the main drag or promenade. Called Kings-Way at the time. This evening we were assigned the Palace and Bus terminal which was at the head of Kings Way.

In the evening the local Maltese came into town by Bus to meet friends and attend some of the nice open cafes and Pubs were along the promenade of Kings-Way. Sailors and Marines were not welcome here, plus you found none of the Maltese would talk to you.

The GUT being only a short block or two away from the promenade was popular hang out for mostly Sailors and Marines of all Nations. The only other place to get a cheap drink was RAF Base ¾ the way across the island by Bus.

 

Well it was bound to happen, unhappy Marines mixed in with bunch of Sailors and you have a perfect recipe for a brawl. Not sure which bar the fracas started in, but it apparently started with some Maltese and US Marines and of course there was a sailor or two involved. Jenkins and I immediately figured out what was happening as Jenkins advised me they had problems both in Turkey and Greece. The crowd immediately evacuated the street as the fighting and fleeing sailors and some smart Marines got the hell out of there, passed us on the way down hill to the fleet landing leaving us at the top of the street. We became Siamese twins joined at the back; never moving without the other guarding each others back. We got a large number of guys out of there and found our self the target of angry crowd throwing rocks.

Let me tell you about Rocks being thrown at night. You generally can see who threw the rock and its general direction but then it rises above the street lights you can not see anything but you know it is on a ballistic trajectory coming at you and have a split second before it hits you. I broke my night stick that night fending off rocks like you would with a hot fast ball. A night stick is a poor substitute for a bat at best, but you use what you have.

 

We retreated back up the street just in time to see the last Shore Patrol jeep pass us with 6 sailors in whites, now red with blood and the jeep was beaten to hell with rocks busting the front windshield and headlights.

 

Once we reached the head of the street and the bus station circle we milled around smartly standing our ground, but becoming just good targets for rock snipers.

 

Damn Rocks once they hit the ground would disintegrate nothing to throw back, unless it hit one of your buddies and then it had blood all over it.

 

Not really sure where all these rocks came from? Normally the streets are neat and tidy.  I believed they were stocked piled by the civilian discontents that were hoping for just this type of incident.

 

Malta was trying to break free from British influence and become an independent country not a British protectorate. They had large Communist party that was stirring up trouble at the time.

 

Finally a British Lorie (Big Duce & Half) stopped in the Traffic circuit and the chief yelled for all of us to get the hell out of there. We did. I cleared the truck bed in one jump and turned around and helped my fellow shipmates on board with Jenkins at my side.

 

Later that evening we all were back at the fleet landing and out of the 9 shore patrol from our ship myself and one other Everglades sailor was not bandaged up (He was on duty in another town).

 

I can contribute this only to luck, quick reflexes and Jenkins watching my back.

 

You could say the buddy system really works.

 

As I told the Admiral who interviewed all the shore patrol the next day.  I was not running away from the problem but when the chief told us all to get the Hell (F$%&) out of there I passed a lot of people that were

 

Gary Adams ET-1