Funniest memory

One night we were at the squadron hootch and a wife grabbed her DH's wallet, lo and behold, his coin dropped out with a loud clank, and rolled across the floor. Husband just drops his head to shame, us "old" wives blinked and shook our heads muttering UH OH, and all you heard was DING DING DING from the bar while the young wife kept repeating "WHAT, WHAT...WHAT DID I DO?"

Pima said:

One night we were at the squadron hootch and a wife grabbed her DH's wallet, lo and behold, his coin dropped out with a loud clank, and rolled across the floor. Husband just drops his head to shame, us "old" wives blinked and shook our heads muttering UH OH, and all you heard was DING DING DING from the bar while the young wife kept repeating "WHAT, WHAT...WHAT DID I DO?"

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I walked into a Navy O-club as an Army 2LT, went straight to the bar, and immediately sat my cap on the bar in front of me as I called to the bartender. Luckily, the female bartender saw my rank, took pity on me, leaned into me closely, and whispered, "Ensign [noting the rank insignia on my shoulder and not the branch of service on my name tag], you have about one second to get your cover off my bar before someone sees it and I have to ring that bell."

As a butter bar, I didn't fully understand all of the rules yet, nor the nature of this particular infraction, but I had already spent enough time in various O-clubs to know what would happen to me if that bell was rung, especially as an Army guy in "enemy" Navy territory, and I snatched that cap of as quickly and inconspicuously as possible, escaping the notice of other patrons and averting financial catastrophe!

My funniest memories do not bear repeating in such a public forum.

O-Club shenanigans are for old people.

[Non military here, wondering how many ways I can put my foot in it in this new world we've entered.]


Why was the bell rung, and what was the consequence?

scoutpilot said:

My funniest memories do not bear repeating in such a public forum.

O-Club shenanigans are for old people.

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In the "old" days, the O-club used to be the site of much drunken debauchery. Back then, lots of things happened in the club that can't be repeated here either! However, the "deglamorization" of alcohol and the push for a more "professional" and "family-friendly" atmosphere killed the club system altogether.

That being said, most of the real "shenanigans" happened away from the club for us old-timers too, though not necessarily away from the chain of command. I vaguely remember my wife dragging me out of a party at my commanding officer's house with me wearing only an Air Force cadet's cap (it was at Fort Carson). Oh, the good ol' days!

mmb5 said:

[Non military here, wondering how many ways I can put my foot in it in this new world we've entered.]


Why was the bell rung, and what was the consequence?

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The bell signaled a round being bought for the entire house. It could be voluntarily rung by anyone wishing to do so to celebrate something like a promotion, engagement, divorce, etc. or involuntarily for someone who had committed an infraction of the "rules," like never placing your cover (cap) on the bar.

When the bell was rung, people would rush in from any corner of the club (including outside of the bar). So, even if there weren't many actually in the bar area at the time, within seconds, there easily could be dozens more. A bell ringing would rarely cost less than a couple hundred bucks (when that was a lot more money).