|
To battle
the Japanese forces in the Pacific Ocean
during World War II, the US Navy stationed
recruits on the South Seas island of
Taratupa. Among them was Lt. Cmdr. Quinton
McHale, a veteran seaman who was drafted
into the war because of his knowledge of the
surrounding islands and the local natives
and customs. McHale reported to Captain
Wallace B. Binghamton who happened to hate
McHale for the way he loosely managed the
men in his command.
Determined to get rid of McHale and his
rowdy bunch, the by-the-book Binghamton
assigned the naive Ensign Charles Parker to
McHale's crew and ordered Parker to collect
incriminating evidence on McHale's men so
the could ship them off the island.
Binghamton's plan backfired, however, when
Parker warmed up to McHale's crew and failed
to deliver back any damaging evidence to
Binghamton whom McHale's men called "Old
Lead Bottom."
Now, Binghamton suspicions about McHale were
not unfounded, it's just that Binghamton
could never catch McHale with the goods to
prove his case. McHale's friendship with
Admiral Rodgers, a more tolerant naval
officer in the region also thwarted
Binghamton's efforts to get McHale sent to
the Aleutians.
As for McHale's faults, he
and his men routinely gambled, traded
contraband, and took unauthorized trips away
from the island on their
PT-73 patrol boat so they could go water skiing
and deep sea fishing. But, if they saw a Jap
submarine or enemy plane like "Washing
Machine Charlie",
McHale and his crew did their patriotic duty
and tried to destroy the offending vehicles,
so they could get back to their merriment
which often included beautiful native girls
or gorgeous Navy recruits.
The McHale's crew of Seamen
included:
- Lester Gruber (Torpedoman)
- George "Christy" Christopher (Quartermaster)
- Harrison "Tinker" Bell (Machinist Mate)
- Virgil Edwards (Gunner's Mate & "Ladies Man")
- Joseph "Happy" Haines
- Willy Moss (Radioman)
One unofficial member of the
crew was Fuji Kobiaji, an AWOL Japanese
soldier who would rather work as a cook for
McHale and his man than pursue the kamakazi
culture of his fellow countrymen. Fuji's
biggest job was keeping out of sight of
anyone loyal to Binghamton, or his life of
leisure on a tropic island would soon come
to an end.
Later in the war, McHale and
his men (and Fuji) were transferred to
Italy to patrol the waterways around a small
seaport town of Volta Fiore (whose Mayor was
even more devious than McHale).
Also transferred to the
European theater was Captain Binghamton who
just couldn't catch a break and get rid of
McHale and his crew. Binghamton's suck-up
sidekick, Lt. Elroy Carpenter also came
along for the ride.
Captain Binghamton's favorite sayings were "What is
it! What, What, WHAT?!," “I could just
scream,” "Somebody up there hates me!" and
"Why me? Why me?" |
