# Hey Vets             Do You Remember FIGMO?



## Lon (Sep 30, 2017)

When we were waiting to go home from over seas or awaiting reasignment there was a attitude that we adopted and we called it FIGMO

There was a different and not very nice word that many used instead of toilet or tissue paper. Remember it?


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## Manatee (Oct 1, 2017)

When the end was in sight we were "shortimers" in the Navy.   There were rude names for many other things.


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## Marblehead (Oct 1, 2017)

Lon said:


> When we were waiting to go home from over seas or awaiting reasignment there was a attitude that we adopted and we called it FIGMO
> 
> There was a different and not very nice word that many used instead of toilet or tissue paper. Remember it?



Yeah, Lon, your mention of FIGMO (FYIGMO?) is bringing up some long forgotten memories. I was in Japan in USAF for two years ('63-'65). Most 4 year enlistees were up for discharge on return to the States and FYIGMO was a big deal with us. We also had a FYIGMO chart of squares on a calendar overlayed on a beautiful Japanese josan's form so we could mark off the last 30 days. And there was the envy-provoking custom of wearing the Seagram's VO ribbon by one's name tag to designate you as a short-timer. Returning home I can't ever remember seeing a sweeter sight than that of flying low over San Francisco en route to Travis AFB. Can't remember if we had a GI designation for TP.


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## tnthomas (Oct 1, 2017)

When I was in the Army at Ft. Eustis,VA some of the draftees used the acronym "FTA".


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## Pappy (Oct 2, 2017)

Can’t forget...SNAFU.....


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## Falcon (Oct 2, 2017)

I must be dense.  I never heard of it and can't figure out what it means.


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## tnthomas (Oct 2, 2017)

Pappy said:


> Can’t forget...SNAFU.....



I haven't heard that phrase in a month-of-Sundays...


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## hangover (Oct 2, 2017)

"Boocoo"


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## Marblehead (Oct 2, 2017)

Falcon said:


> I must be dense.  I never heard of it and can't figure out what it means.



F______ you, I've got my orders. We even had one squadron commander (Lt. Col.) who threw a FYIGMO/retirement party for himself, all troops and all ranks invited. The beer flowed! Our unit in Japan kind of resembled *MASH* the TV show. The "Book" was invoked rarely and only when absolutely necessitated....unlike the SAC squadron I spent the prior 18 months in.


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## Falcon (Oct 2, 2017)

Thank you  Marblehead.  Now I get it.

And  BTW....:welcome:  to the forum.


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## Manatee (Oct 2, 2017)

Pappy said:


> Can’t forget...SNAFU.....



And "fubar".


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## Butterfly (Oct 2, 2017)

Fubar happens a lot, both then and now.


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## Trade (Oct 4, 2017)

FUBIS=

F U Buddy I'm Short. 

At Cam Rahn we used to refer to our unit, the 483rd USAF (US Air Force Hospital) as The United States of American Fing Hospital.


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## Trade (Oct 4, 2017)

Vietnam slang. 

Numba one = Good

Numba ten = Bad

Numba ten thousand = Real bad.


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## Trade (Oct 4, 2017)

Lon said:


> There was a different and not very nice word that many used instead of toilet or tissue paper. Remember it?



We just called it "Shit Paper." Was there something worse? 

When I was in basic there was a rumor going around that we were only allowed one sheet per person, per day and that if we used more, we would run out of our ration and not have any for the rest of basic. It was a lie.


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## tnthomas (Oct 4, 2017)

Ha, when I worked the jails here in San Bernardino County some tightwad brain surgeon had the idea to limit the inmates access to toilet paper.   Naw, just let 'em keep their butts clean, OK?

The county can save money some other way, like initiating a 3 1/2% pay cut for employees.  Yea, that was _warm & fuzzy_.  : p


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## Marblehead (Oct 4, 2017)

Trade said:


> We just called it "Shit Paper." Was there something worse?
> 
> When I was in basic there was a rumor going around that we were only allowed one sheet per person, per day and that if we used more, we would run out of our ration and not have any for the rest of basic. It was a lie.



I know that you Nam Vets had it way worse but my biggest and baddest memory of overseas service was the lack of basic privacy. Our barracks were prior WWII Japanese army/air force and consisted of 4 huge bays with each bay housing about 20 guys (yeah, just like Basic). We were stacked like sardines. The latrines had open toilets with no partitions and no privacy - I never used them, crapped at the BX or bars downtown. The whole barracks used the same huge groupie shower which was located downstairs a half mile away from my bunk. Mornings were chaotic in that place. On the upside we had houseboys who did all the work usually associated with military life (for $3 each per troop per month) and we were pretty much spoiled playboys in our off-duty hours. Compare that with the USAF-Yokota AB that I witness today on the Web videos. High rise barracks with small private rooms for all, beer vending machines in the barracks and fast food establishments on and off Base. Down-town Fussa-machi is up to date modern and the infrastructure seems to be better than here in my home town. Been thinking about visiting the recruiter.


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## oldman (Oct 5, 2017)

My Dad told me that when he was in WWII, they were only allowed two sheets per day. I never knew whether to believe that or not. When he told me that for the first time, I told him that I thought his company must have smelled really ripe.


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## tnthomas (Oct 5, 2017)

Pity the poor b@$t@rd who was put in-charge of enforcing the 'two sheet" rule....


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## oldman (Oct 5, 2017)

I remember us being in the s__t for 3 hours one night. After the smoke cleared and things settled, I think we all lined up at the latrine. Most of us were still wired when one of the guys standing in back of me said loudly that he hoped we had plenty of bark. I turned around and said "Bark? What do you want bark for?" He said, You know, toilet paper. What do you think it feels like?" Then he said, "That paper we have had to have been made from the tree bark." It kind of gave us just a moment of normalcy.


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## Pecos (Aug 19, 2019)

And 
BOHICA

Bend over here it comes again!


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## squatting dog (Aug 19, 2019)

Manatee said:


> When the end was in sight we were "shortimers" in the Navy.   There were rude names for many other things.


When it was time to go home for us, it was simply "short".  That and a simple hand signal. Pretty tame I guess, but all we wanted was outta here.


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## johndoe (Aug 19, 2019)

What was your DROS? Mine was 21AUG68.


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## Trade (Aug 19, 2019)

johndoe said:


> What was your DROS? Mine was 21AUG68.



We called it DEROS. Date of Estimated Return from Overseas. 

Mine was 18 August 1971. 

But when I got my orders my flight out of Danang was for 15 August. 

So I got a 3 day early out!


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## johndoe (Aug 19, 2019)

How about taking 6 and going airborne when it was time to re-up, meaning taking six cents a mile and flying home to get the hell out.


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## Llynn (Aug 19, 2019)

Remember short timer's chains? That may have been just a Navy thing.


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## jerry old (Aug 21, 2019)

Yea, good thread.  I had forgotten  how bitter I was regarding the army, starting at initial replacement center.
You remember?  Ours was about ten days where your issued clothing, taking  test, then available for
'details.'  "Here's the shovels boys, that's the sewer line-dig..."
Go Potty, 
Barracks-120 men, two, count'um two commodes, no partitions,
 six urinals.  The commodes were in the community bathroom (can't remember what we called it).  Many of us has  problem going # 2
in the full presences of others.  As in all things army, you get used to it.

Field:  In the field, the c-rations supplied enough toilet paper to wipe a flea's butt.  Yea, I want'a re-up
Cuss 'um guys, but without the GI Bill I could have never gone to school,  still the army of the sixties was filled with NCO's
that should have worked on the 'ignorant farms' far away from the public.


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## jujube (Aug 21, 2019)

Sales of toilet paper, razor blades and men's white undershirts were "restricted" at the AFEX on our base in Turkey.  The cashier had to make a notation in a book of your ID number when you purchased any of these.  Buy "too many" and the serviceman was called in and had to "justify" the purchase.  That happened a lot on the base as new dependents living out on "the economy" inevitably got "The Sultan's Revenge" and bought a LOT of toilet paper.  I guess those items were hot on the black market then.....


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## fuzzybuddy (Aug 27, 2019)

I was stationed at Bethesda Naval Hospital, outside of DC in the late 60s. The full title of the place was the  National Naval Medical Center. It was close to the end of the fiscal year, and we maxed out our toilet paper budget. Despite our fancy name, we were unable to order more. Not only us sailors were affected, but most of the military in the DC area. Sons & dads were calling home asking for toilet paper. Because of the shortage, local stores also ran out. Pretty soon, it was hard to find. Everybody had a roll hidden some place. There was talk of a special appropriation in Congress. But a new year came, and the TP god bestowed his wares. I could never figure out how you could run out of toilet paper for about a month.


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## john19485 (Aug 27, 2019)

I was on my own, I did't want to come back to the States, my wife and myself had plans to move, her mom had land in France, I was sent home from the Hospital for six months , the medical board made all the decisions for me. I was confused and messed up, took me two years to get to where I could work again. Time just stopped for me Vietnam 1968.


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## squatting dog (Aug 27, 2019)

john19485 said:


> I was on my own, I did't want to come back to the States, my wife and myself had plans to move, her mom had land in France, I was sent home from the Hospital for six months , the medical board made all the decisions for me. I was confused and messed up, took me two years to get to where I could work again. Time just stopped for me Vietnam 1968.



Welcome home Brother.


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## fuzzybuddy (Aug 30, 2019)

I have to say one of the things that always bothered me was my last hour in the US Navy. We were told we could wear civies and to be a a window at 0900. Got to the window and a guy handed me a form, then closed the door. That was it ,I was discharged from the Navy. Didn't even know it. It took a while to find someone, who told a bunch of us that we could go. There was no little ceremony-nothing. Just someone handing you a form. After 4 years, and quite frankly, all the bull shit we had to put up with, not even a word of thanks. I felt hurt.


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## squatting dog (Aug 30, 2019)

Heck, when I came home, I was plucked out of a fire-base, helicoptered to the airbase, set on a plane and away I went. Landed in Ca. and was never told anything. I just got walked over to  another ticket spot and got on a plane and landed in NY. still in my jungle fatigues. (startled my buddy pounding on his door that rainy morning)  Come to find out, I was supposed to check in and be de-briefed but nobody ever told me.


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