It's a small world but I wouldn't want to paint it.

The late eighties were a glorious time to be in the military. Aerosmith was touring, HIV was only a threat if you were attracted to intravenous drug using bisexual Hatian men and George W. Bush was safely mismanaging the Texas Rangers. I spent the better part of my six year hitch on the road seeing the world through the bottom of a frosted mug. During that time, I usually took a camera with me when I went anywhere. Through the years, I've managed to lose quite a few of my pictures. Some were ruined by the humidity of my basement, some were misplaced and others were confinscated by customs when I came back into Okinawa from the Philippines. One man's memories are another nation's hardcore pornography.
I have a friend from High School who was in the Marines the same era I was and recently he started posting photos from his military days. As I looked through his pictures, I got nostalgic for the old days. I also realized that even though we were sometimes stationed thousands of miles from each other, we pretty much did the same things and had the same experiences. Here- see for yourself.

• Home from boot camp, put on dress uniform and visit relatives. Me Him


• Wearing a shirt I wouldn't wear to a rockfight today Me Him


• Guys in the barracks who flip the bird when they see a camera Me Him


• Riding in a helocoptor Me Him


• Bird's eye view of "Tent City" Me Him


• Owned a crappy car in Okinawa Me Him


• Horseplay in the barracks Me Him


• Second General Order-Walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing. Me Him


• Helocoptors in flight Me Him

Truth is stranger than fiction.