August 27, 1973, Monday

I started calling muster time, ketchup. I’ll yell. “Fall in for ketchup.” Some of the younger transit guys think it’s funny, they started repeating it. The older guys scowl at me. Later.

Shaffer hearing didn’t go to well. They can’t find the papers that his parents sent. In till they do his case is postponed, he will stay in transient. He is stinking mad. I said I need something to go along with my requested captain’s mast, let’s play football in the hall.

I love these big oversized World War II buildings. The hallways are huge. They stretch 200 feet between doors, they are 15 feet wide (When the troops need to move they need room). I found this a perfect place for a football game, it didn’t have an out of bounds. I used to play this sort of game in high school. We called it “Kill’em.” It was fun until the nuns shut it down. That’s another story.

We went to all of the wings to get players. We didn’t care that it was 2100 hours, we were pissed off and restless. I told them they may as well play, we are. And nobody gets to sleep.

The guys in the other wings couldn’t wrap their heads around a football game in the hall. We changed it to soccer. The first time I tackled Pickle the soccer game quickly turned in to football,

He was kicking the ball. I tackled him in the mid-section, we slid onto the polished floor. We laughed our heads off. The game was on. It was a killer game. We didn’t pass the ball, it was all runs, head on.

The night OD came up to stop the noise. I told him we decide not to stop. I knew this guy, he knew me. We had talked before. He said that the only reason he joined the navy was because he was lazy and wanted a good pension after twenty years. He was in his early thirty’s. He said, “Please, Licata. I am glad to see you back. So do me a favor and stop the game.” I figured that it was half time. I said sure. We picked up the game ten minutes after he went down stairs.

The OD came back. He asked me what happened. I said I lied. He said, “What will it take to get you to stop?”

I said, “Two things. Write me up and give us time to play the last half.”

He said, “Licata, they should send you home.”

“Okay, ten minutes,” I said. “We will play until you bring me the chit to sign. I don’t trust you.” He and I had this discussion before. I don’t hide my plan, I talk about it openly. I defy the navy to change their transfer procedure just to thwart me.

The night OD already told me before that he would never help me out with the scheme, like Wascowski. Once I sign the write up chit it becomes official. They are numbered and counted for. They can’t be thrown away. He knows it and he knows that I know it. He came back, I signed for refusing a direct order, since it was not a matter of life and death it was a thorn. After he went down stairs we went to the roof. A new guy along tagged along, Ricky. I don’t know enough about him, I like him he fits in. Later.