Eight years ago, I went by myself to the Presidio of Monterey Museum park in California and really found some hot action!I was an Air Force student at the Defense Language Institute here, from October 1978 to May 1979. I took a course in Chinese and graduated at the top of my class.
In that travel, my favorite spot was this museum park, where a climb up a good-sized hill, similar to the one that Coit Tower sits on in San Francisco, gave me the best view in Monterey, by far. The large stone monument, dedicated to the founding of California, is on the top of this hill.
The museum is next to a large grass field, and wild grasses grow on the hill, mostly barren with only a few pine trees. Planes, landing only about one mile or so away at the Monterey Peninsula Airport, fly directly over the monument. Next to the monument, there is a parking lot/heliport, that has a gate at the far end of it leading onto the base, and you can see several buildings, including the base gas station.
I was there one day, when a man yelled up, from next to the museum below to the hilltop. I came down quickly in curiosity. I had come just on the day, when a rare tour of the base is given to any visitor or tourist. They even had cake. We had refreshments and drove all around the base in a large van.
There were several days I was there, when large groups of military students from the base came down in gym outfits to the lower grass field, to do exercises, stretching and to sound off in cadence. One time I got there when there were students everywhere, playing football and Frisbee, with some watching.
Nevertheless, I was still surprised when, one day, about 35 soldiers with their sergeant or NCO/instructor came to the field in uniform and came also with their rifles! They formed up for a short time, and then went to prone positions, following the NCO's commands. They found several different spots to congregate. (There's also a much smaller monument to Father Junipero Serra near the lower fencing, which separates the park from a long city underpass).
I watched them intently for about thirty minutes, but the light began to fade and the park closes at sunset, so I went down the hill and got in my 1970 Plymouth Duster. After a moment or two, there they came. I saw them getting down, around, and behind my car. Well, what's cooking? One soldier with glasses came running towards me, with his rifle in front, between my car and another I had parked next to.
Fortunately, I didn't start the Duster up in that instant they decided to closely involve me in their exercise. The overly rich and pungent exhaust might have made them chuckle.
Right! I waited for them to get up and disperse. Not seeing them anymore, I started her up and had a sweet ride home!
