From: Clair Prokupek
   MARY SUE OF HONG KONG

    After a less than pleasurable transit from Subic Bay P I. during which we encountered (and must have enjoyed because we stayed in it so long), a typhoon of about the highest magnitude,  we finally tied up at what was then The Queens Property, Victoria Basin, in HONG KONG.
    The line handlers had doubled up the lines and stowed the excess  back in their respective lockers, and COLORS aft were proudly fluttering in the rather balmy Asian breeze.
   The Crown Prince (HMFIC) of The Deck Gang, one TMC (ss) Leon J. Swakhammer was making his topside and superstructure rounds inspecting for storm damage. Upon opening the topside garbage locker, he discovered a 100 pound sack of U.S.#1 Idaho Russets that had been over looked prior to our departure from the PI. Needless to say it was not in the greatest condition. It was  oozing salt water, a few strange sea creatures had taken up residencey and were multiplying, and it was emitting an odor that would make a vulture vomit.  Chief Swack ordered a couple seamen to hold their breath and lift it out on to the deck for proper disposal.
     As usual, a number of 'Bum Boats', often encountered in ports of call like Hong Kong were starting to arrive along side to hawk their wares, coax Sailors to their  tailor shops or bars, and get their tea pots  filled with hot water.
     As if by appointment or as part of the welcoming committee, the coxs'n of good old "Mary Sue's Garbage  Girls" brought her less then seaworthy, scull-owered skow  along side just aft of the AB hatch, where,
from previous experience she knew that the bulk of any Submarines garbage was off loaded and, where that bag of potatoes was lying in full view along with the mess hall gargage cans which had been called up from below.
    After emptying the garbage cans the lead girl gestured wildly toward the bag of spuds in a manner which we knew ment that she wanted them too.  Well, we  were more than happy to give them to her.  Two sailors  (I wish I could remember who) picked up the spuds and  started to swing them in the old 1-2-3-Heave fashion. 
The girls in the boat, seeing what was about to happen, and foreseeing the consequences, started waving their hands frantically in a No-No-No fashion and jabbering in a dialect that was completly alien and unintelligible to any American Sub-Sailor. TOO LATE. HEAVE sounded.  The potatoes left the Sailors hands, sailing majesticlly through the air and landing square in the bottom of the boat with a resounding thud.  The boat lowered, and a
little water came over the gunnels, the deck boards of the parted briefly allowing another substantial amount of Hong Kong Harbour to enter in a small gyser fashion. there was now enough water in the boat to wet down their feet to ankle depth and thoroughly 'dampen' the their 'cargo' and completely piss-off all of Mary Sue's girls.With that, they sculled off, busily bailing water, still jabbering away in a non-complimentary fashion, and looking back over their shoulders to render that internationally known one digit gesture. Never to be seen again along side of Segundo during that Port Call.
   For the remainder of our stay all T and G had to be hauled to the pier. 
 Prok...