Camp Lejeune Traffic Circle

I would like to comment on the article by John Vaughn in this week's (August 22nd) newsletter.

John mentioned that he never heard the term "swooping circle".  I, too, was at Camp Lejeune from Feb 1965 to October 1965 and clearly remember the "traffic circle".  I never heard the term swooping, either.  I don't remember the details of exactly where it was located, but it was central to the base and all Marines who had automobiles and were traveling for the week end would pull into the circle (as I recall, it was more of a parking lot) and one of the MPs would call out to those of us who were looking for a ride, how many riders the car could take and where they were going.  I think the standard price was about 1¢ per mile.  Riders were dropped off anywhere along the route the driver was passing and usually met him at the same place on the return trip back to base.

I don't remember either how far we were allowed to travel, but nobody paid any attention to the limits.  I traveled to Boston one time for a regular week end which was well outside the limits permitted.  By today's highways it is over 770 miles and it was much more in the early 60s. 

As John mentioned, some of the cars of that day weren't exactly the most reliable, but we always managed to get to where we were going somehow.  When I think back, I often wonder how.  Another trip I made a few times was to Beaver Falls, PA with a friend.  We traveled on four slick tires and carried two slick spares.  We took turns sleeping on the trip and when we heard a loud bang, we knew that we had to wake up and change the tire.  At the next exit, we would look for another used tire to replace the ones we blew on they way.

Thanks for refreshing my memory, John.