When I was stationed in Thule, Greenland in the mid '60's (yes, that long ago,
![laughingmyassoff :rofl:](./images/smilies/rofl2.gif)
) it was long before women in the military. The go-to phrase was, "There's a woman behind every tree." Of course, there were no trees. Thule is only 800 miles from the North Pole. It's that far north. About the equivalent of a drive from El Paso to Phoenix and back.
USO shows would come up to entertain us. I don't remember how often, once a month, maybe? They'd appear at the NCO Club, then the Officers Club. They would usually be bands. One band I remember included a girl in a one piece sparkly bathing suit who sang and danced. This group came up after I had been there for maybe 6-7 months (without even seeing a woman, lol.) That woman was gorgeous. I took my camera and took maybe 6 or 8 pictures of her.
Years later, after I had been back in the Good Ole USA for a few years, I ran across those pictures. My GOD! I hate to be disrespectful to anyone, but, let's just say, that woman was not the prettiest I had ever seen. Actually, bless her, she was closer to the bottom end of the scale. That made me realise just how warped I had become in isolation. I could only look at that picture and think "Holy Mackerel!"
I do know that, after that one year tour, I was forever ruined. I mean, of course I've always appreciated a beautiful woman. But, I mean, when I got back to the states, my head was on a swivel. I simply couldn't get enough. Wherever I was, my head was on a swivel. I had never seen so many beautiful women. I mean, they ALL were gorgeous. I swear, isolating a studly 20 year old guy from women is NOT the most exciting time I've ever spent
I did really enjoy my tour up there, tho. The ground is frozen solid year round (permafrost.) Thule is Danish property. Down near the shore there is a grave. The grave is on top of the ground. The rock covering (cairn) was 6' high and about 10'-12' long and maybe 4'-5' wide. Atop the cairn was a headstone with the following chipped into it.
"To the memory of Seaman Wm Sharpe of HMS Northstar, who departed this life Nov 11, 1849."
If you stop and think of it, ships back then were wood. Have you ever heard of Ernest Shackleton and his ship, the Endurance? THey went to Antarctica with the intent of crossing the continent. But the ship got iced in and eventually was crushed by the ice and sank. And yes, it took a year, but Shackleton brought his entire crew, 28 men, across the ice and across some of the most dangerous seas in the world to salvation. If that story interests you, they just recently found the wreckage of the Endurance, sitting on the bottom, mostly intact. It is a beautiful sight, especially given the fantastic story of the escape to safety of the entire crew. I have a couple of books on the story.
So, anyway, (I got distracted, lol,) ever since that tour at Thule, my neck has been on a swivel. So, you beauties (not just the VNA models, we've got some pretty dang HOT members, too,) better not get within arms length of me. I might get grabby,
![rotffl :rotffl:](./images/smilies/rotffl.gif)
(seriously, ladies, I'll never get that bad. But hugs sure are nice.)