(So...) Bill vs. The Navy

Yes! Our Navy!

So... if you've never been to Key West, understand, it used to be a major military command base.

It still is home to U.S. Naval and Coast Guard forces.

Then... there's the Truman Annex. This area used to be "on base," now it's "off base," but frankly... the demarcation can leave a bit to be desired - at least that was our experience last week when Mary and I barely escaped being shot... or at least charged with federal felonies!

(*GUFFAW*)

OK... ok... perhaps a bit melodramatic... BUT...

(*PAUSE*)

OK. From the top...

The USCGC Inghram is berthed within the Truman Annex. The civilian part of the Truman Annex, that is. The actual gates to get through to the Annex property are still there... lovingly maintained... but unmanned. (At least during our visit they were!)

So... we drive (daylight) to the Inghram. We enjoy the happy hour. (Actually happy 90 minutes!) And... as one would assume... post-sunset it's... er... dark. Night-time!

We get in our trusty rental car... and we follow the arrows.

(THE ARROWS ARE IMPORTANT!)

We could have turned around. We could have left via reversing our steps. But... we followed the arrows. We followed the arrows around the dock area to ANOTHER gate. We knew this was another gate... BUT... it was a twin to the gate we had come in through. In fact, not only was it a twin... but it appeared to be unmanned... AND... as with the "in" gate, our apparently "exit" gate had the right lane unblocked - the "bar" raised.

So... we precede to "leave" the Annex. In fact, as we're going through the gate we see what appears to be a Key West Police car. (Indicating to us that we were indeed leaving the "public" Annex area and entering "Old Town" Key West proper.)

OK... now here's where it gets a bit dicey: As we're going through the gate and (apparently) entering (what we believe to be) "Old Town," I hear a guard who must have been in the guardhouse "office" shouting out something to us. Well... I figured he was just wishing us a good night! As it turns out... he wasn't.

(*CHUCKLE*)

Anyway... we make a left in front to the (apparent) cop car and drive down the street looking to find our bearings. Before we'd gone a mile we thought something seemed a bit off; there was no other traffic. Then... we came to a sign that said "Only Authorized Personnel and Residents Beyond this Point." That's when we knew we'd goofed!

Oops!

We immediately turned around and headed back to the gate. Upon arriving a gang of Navel Police were there. I opened the car window and said, "Er... I believe we made a wrong turn somewhere!"

(*GUFFAW*)

Well... these guys weren't so amused. Indeed, they had us drive the car beyond the gate, onto "regular" Annex property, and asked us to please step out of the vehicle.

I told 'em... "Guys... it was an accident; we just followed the arrows... I didn't see anyone at the gate - the bar was up... there was a cop car across the street - and we thought we were LEAVING the Annex area."

The guard however was a bit teed off. As he put it... "YOU BLEW RIGHT BY ME!"

Now... folks... we're talking REAL Navel Police here... automatic weapons... camo... (Did I mention yet that Key West is a SEAL base as well as air/naval base?)

Well... at this point profuse apologies and absolution seemed to me the better part of valor. So... I immediately took responsibility from the guard (via not mentioning "no bar down" and not mentioning "guard not in view") and "explained" that we live maybe 14 minutes from West Point and that we were used to a more "open" security and truly did mistake his gate for the exit and not the entrance. As to "blowing on by him," we explained that we truly didn't realize he wasn't just shouting out a "good night," but was ordering us to halt.

(Quite frankly though... the BAR should have been down; the gate should NOT have been open.)

Anyway... finally the duty officer made it to the scene. We showed our ID's... gave him the paperwork for the rental car... explained exactly what had happened and how and why... and then waited while they followed protocol. (I wonder... SHOULD they have shot our car - and us - full of holes rather than let us "run" the gate? What if we HAD been terrorists...???)

Part of the protocol included bringing in the Key West cops... but the officer was cool about everything. (No awkward questioning about the Inghram's Happy Hour!)

(By the way... the cop car "inside" which we had taken as a sign were were "outside" - it was an empty Naval Police car.)

Well... we ended up with a warning and no doubt more details added to my files at the NSA...

(*GUFFAW*)

Seriously, though, it COULD have been a real problem. Had they wanted to they could have arrested us on several federal felonies - specifically trespass and failure to follow a lawful order to halt.

(*SHRUG*)

All in all, another good story for the ages, though! Apparently our "trespass" DID lead to the entire base being put on security alert!

In the end, though... no harm... no foul!