Jay-Firestorm wrote:This episode is a favourite with many fans, and I have to agree it is a very good one. Seeing Magnum breaking every rule and law imaginable to plan the killing of Quang Ki is excellent (although he must have been *really good* to walk onto a Military base undetected!), and the moment at the end where he can’t bring himself to take a pot shot at Ki, realising the political implications it would have in the P.O.W. return programme, is a powerful one.
Getting in an American military base located in the United States is very easy, at least in the 1980's.
When I turned 16 and got my drivers license, a friend told me that in the military they did not observe the rule that a person must be 21 to buy beer, and the shop on a military base will sell beer. In the USA the liquer laws are that you must be 21 to buy alcoholic beverages. The military did not observe this law.
I drove to the gate of the military base and told the Military Police gaurding the gate that I was looking for someone. The MP pointed at a building where I could park my car. After getting on base, I was free to drive and walk anywhere I wanted. Nobody stopped or questioned me. I drove to the military base shop, purchased 2 cases of beer, and then decided to walk around the base.
I was able to walk into an area where they kept military helicopters. They were unlocked. One mechanic asked what I was doing there, I told him I was "exploring" the base, and he told me to "explore" elsewhere. But at no time was I kicked out. I walked a little longer and saw where they kept tanks, but they were behind a fense. Anyone could climb that fense, but I didn't.
There is a story of a man who walked into a military base in San Diego and entered an unlocked tank and drove it in downtown San Diego. I believe the police shot and killed him later that day.
Getting on a base is easy if you are an American. This may have changed after 9/11.
I remember one more memory from my childhood. I was vacationing in Greece with my cousins who are from Europe. We walked down the beach into an area that had a sign that said forbidden to go further, there is a military base. I saw the American flag and was excited to see my nations military in Europe. I ran full speed towards the gate. Unlike the version of military bases in the united states that look welcoming, this base in greece had barbed wire and I could not see any MP standing to welcome visitors. Instead it appeared like there were foxholes with infintry soldiers in them and nothing was visible except a little bit of M-16's and the top of helmits. I continued to run toward the base even though I heard someone yell to stop. By this time my cousin stopped running, he was scared to death, but I continued to run towards the base. I heard some yelling comming from the base, and a soldier in full BDU popped up from nowhere and grabbed me. He thought I was a local kid messing with them, but when he found out I was an American he was happy to see me. Still, no matter what I said, I could not convince them to let me in to see what the base looked like. I must have been 9 or 10 years old at the time.