If I could Change One Thing about Gate duty at U-Tapao RTAFB, it would be this ... Curly-tailed dogs. Yes, that's right, curly-tailed dogs that were the most vicious mutts I've ever seen in my life.  They used to come by the Main Gate late at night in packs of 10-15 dogs, usually fighting among themselves.  Great entertainment until some lone airman comes into close contact with this mob!

One balmy and particularly dark 'eve, I had to draw my weapon and run with drawn .38 toward the unlit far end of the gate-island (very long and sometimes lonely out there).  On my left was an advancing pack of snarling-brawling, angry, and probably very hungry dogs, all with upraised, eager-looking curly tails.

Like an advancing dark cloud of yelping anger they came! And to my right marched the party-hunting and ever-randy American GI -- eyes riveted on a Katoy (young, cross-dressing boy).  I started running to the end of the island, yelling, "Dogs, look out for the dogs." Late nights many of the Katoys (cross-dressing homosexual boys) trolled for drunk GI's returning to base opposite the Main Gate.

Most GIS, after pulling long and strenuous duty in and around the bar scene in downtown "Free Town," were hyper-ready to call it a night and catch a taxi to their concrete bivouac for much needed rest.  But there always seemed to be those special few guys who, after alighting from the Baht Bus or Taxi, would immediately begin eyeing the great-looking "girls" lounging seductively across from our post, then start wandering over to those beckoning stars of the night!  I have to admit, some actually looked pretty good and I was sober.  But we knew what they were.

When we would see some young, bright-eyed, and randy Airman coolly strolling into the quite black night with one of these vixens, we would blow hard on our whistles! go to the end of the extended island far beyond the gate, yell and otherwise very aggressively try to get the mark's attention. Hardly ever, though, were we able to divert their riveted sexual attention from the "date." And, as usually occurred at some point in their amorous trixt, the "girl" would turn into a male thief and either assault and roll the drunk airman for his goods, or simply wait until the poor guy passed out!  Then take his goods.  Serious injury was not out of the question!  I always felt good when I could rescue one of our Airman from that fate!  Enterprising individuals they were, those Katoys.  Those were the days, eh?

Anyway, that night's victim Airman never even glanced at me, but by that point in my tour, I was used to such drunken behavior.  As I got to the end of the island, I finally got dog-meat's attention and he stopped in his tracks.  I told him, "Don't move!"  And, like some moving angry wind those dogs departed the area.  I honestly thought I'd have to shoot our way out of that one!

As a side note, the roosters in any SEA village are extremely vicious too.  Skinny and aggressive, I've seen them kick curly-tailed dog's butts who thought they'd be an easy meal!  I'm just glad the roosters never ran around in PACKS near our Main Gate!   

I've since come to realize that you cannot be a proper dog in SEA without a curly tail. Curly tailed dogs eat everything in sight (except roosters).  Ah, memories....