Comments on: Checkers & Pogo

By: Duane

Duane — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:05:24 +0000

I think the coach’s name was Regner. Anybody recognize it? Maybe some of my old teammates? Can’t remember the team name but there were the Bankoh’s, Misseleers.

By: Duane

Duane — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:03:43 +0000

Just looking at Google Earth and seeing how much the old places have changed. Some streets have been moved and some are just no longer. All of the housing that I lived in in the 10 years we were stationed there are all GONE. The baseball field next to the tennis courts on Catlin Drive in Catlin Park is gone. I remember playing on that field. Probably the other field I played on is gone but I can’t remember exactly where that one was. Seem like it not far from a major road or highway. Our coach was a Marine by the name of Reigner. His son played on the team. All I can remember is all the laps he made us run!

By: David Matney

David Matney — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:30:12 +0000

My father was stationed at Schofield Barracks from 68-72. I went to Hale Kula Elementary and lived on Dawson Rd. (walking distance from the school). Those are years that are a little vague, but ones I can’t forget. I liken them to “paradise” as I others have said in this forum. I was on the Checkers and Pogo show for my birthday, and remember dropping my cake! I also remember the Pearl City Tavern with the monkeys behind the glass, something called “crack seed” that we ate that was real sour, and going barefoot to school among many other things.

To Kate G, sorry for your loss. As others said, he was a fond memory from our childhood.

By: Debbie (Pool) Clanton

Debbie (Pool) Clanton — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:08:07 +0000

My brother sent this link to me and I had so much fun reading through all of the memories. So many things I had forgotten! It was wonderful to have it all brought back. As Butch said, my dad was stationed at Camp Smith from 74 - 79. I’m afraid I was one of the “wild ones”. I remember groups of us drinking Strawberry Hill wine in the dugouts of the baseball field at the Manana housing area while smoking Kool cigarettes we had bought from the 7 day store for 35 cents a pack. I went to Catholic school for 8th grade and remember rolling up the waist band of that hideous blue plaid skirt trying to make it shorter. My girl friends and I would get up at 8am on the weekends to walk to the city bus stop with our bikinis and straw mats so we could ride the bus to the beach and spend the whole day checking out the cute guys. When I went to Pearl City High School, I remember buying my prom dress at Liberty House in the mall and going to See’s candy store in the same mall where we would buy the square caramel lollipops. The high school was a closed campus which meant we couldn’t leave for lunch, so I remember walking up the hill to the end of the chained parking lot where a truck would be waiting to sell us noodles, manapua and almond cookies. I also remember my brothers playing with Jimmy Carter’s daughter, Amy, the summer we stayed in the cabins at Barber’s Point. We still have a picture of the three of them around here somewhere.

By: Butch Pool

Butch Pool — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:00:47 +0000

My sister and I have been searching everywhere for Yick Lung rock salt plum and we found this blog. Wow! what great memories I had forgoted how much fun it was to grow up in Hawaii.

My dad was a Marine stationed at Camp Smith. ‘74-’79 We lived in Manana and went to the pool everyday we could. I remember the big hill we would slide down with cardboard for a sled. We then went to the 7 day store and bought wacky packages withthe funny stickers.

Our boy scout troup used to go mud sliding at one of the parks, we would haul water up and then make a trench and slide down, covered in mud,what fun! My brother and I played pop warner football and we would always go as a team to get the “Zoo” at Farrels. A few other memories were Red Baron Pizza in Waipahu, C&P, S&S saimen, Kikaida, Rainbow man. Adam I can still remember that toxic smell unwrapping that Kikaida doll….heaven. We would play Kikaida for hours! Barbers Point beach cabins, Malasadas, manapuas, fried rice. The skating rink.

Great memories, thanks to all!

By: adam

adam — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:08:15 +0000

I was in Hawaii from 72 to 76 and I went to Aliamanu Middle School. I remember one of my teachers was Ms. Wakimoto. I think we lived on Enger Street in Military housing.

Checkers and Pogo and that jar of pennies! We must have recreated that at a birthday party or something because I so vividly remember trying to get my hand out of the jar but I couldn’t so I had to drop some pennies. The joke was on us because you really couldn’t grab that many and still fit your hand out of the top of the jar. I remember seeing Checkers in that Cadillac at the airport and I thought I was seeing Elvis or something! I was so excited to see the biggest star in my world. It was the first time I had ever seen someone that was on TV in real life. Whenever I eat saltine crackers I always try and whistle a little bit just to see if I can do it.

Kikaida: I lived for Kikaida. My mother bought me a Kikaida doll and to this day I can remember the smell of that sweet, toxic plastic figure when I first opened it. From then on I have never opened something that smells like plastic without thinking of Kikaida. A few years ago at the San Diego comic-con I bought some Kikaida DVD’s and break them out every once in awhile. That show was really cheap and really good. The flute made him crazy but he always found a way to break loose and kick some foam rubber ass.

Does anyone remember those two floating platforms off of Waikiki? My brother and I would swim under them and breathe the air that was trapped in the spaces underneath. We would reach out and grab the tourist ankles as they dangled their legs over the side.

I went on a 5th grade field trip to the Big Island and Parker Ranch too. They had us put our fingers out so the calves could suck on them – freaked me out. That calf about sucked my whole arm in – gross. I remember we all wore matching shirts and shorts on the trip.

Manapua, Spam, Polynesian Cultural Center, Yick Lung (orange peel, lemon peel and rock salt plum were my favorites) Saimin, Sky slide, Farrels Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor, PearlRidge - all these things I remember and when I moved to California in the 6th grade no one knew what the hell I was talking about. It was a real culture shock to leave Hawaii and suddenly be around people that I had nothing in common with. I even spoke funny with a Pidgin English accent.
Thank you everyone for bringing back all these great memories.

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:15:05 +0000

Wow - I stumbled upon this site by accident - I was trying to find a website to order rock salt plum! I lived at Schofield Barracks from ‘73-’77 as my Dad was finishing up the last of his 20 years in Army. I went to Solomon Elementary School and loved watching C&P after school! A friend of mine (a fellow army brat) got to be on the show in a Lemon Twist competition. Remember those? You put the loop around your ankle and it had a plastic “lemon” on the end that you would rotate around and jump over it with your other foot. My favorite place to go was Sea Life Park - as a kid I thought it was a really big place and I loved watching the hang gliders! I went back to Hawaii in 1997 with my husband and took him there - it’s actually really SMALL!!! Thanks to everyone who posted - It’s nice to read how many other people out there have the same fond memories - spending a part of our childhood in paradise - we were so lucky to have that experience. I’ve always felt I have a better understanding of different cultures and perspectives because of it!