Living on base in Clark Field was an experience that stood out for thousands of young people who went to one of the schools on base. It was a world where milkshakes were a nickel, movie admissions at the base theater were a quarter, and a major activity for teens was riding the free busses all around the base. School was out by 1:30 because the heat was unbearable in the unrefrigerated schools. Even at Christmas, the temperature rarely dipped below 70. All housework and yard work was done by natives who would work for practically nothing, although they sometimes arranged for their own gratuities. Outside the main gate, prostitution was a blatant fact of life. Hundreds of jeeps that swarmed the streets of Angeles were an unintended gift from the U.S. government.
In the center of the base was Lily Hill - a jungle-covered hill that was rumored to be still inhabited by Japanese holdout soldiers. Ordnance from WWII was left all over the ground - sometimes containing nasty surprises.

This placemark leads to the memoir of a young man adjusting to life in this new environment.