USS Oklahoma BB-37

"Well the Black Cat was across from the YMCA on Hotel Street.

Hotel Street was sailors paradise and usually when you went in the prices at the Black Cat were about the cheapest you could find anywhere, and we would go over and eat breakfast as a matter of fact we would eat all our meals there. All the sailors knew about the Black Cat."

S/C 3/c George A. Brown

Ships Cook

Black Cat Menu

"We normally made the Black Cat,

then out to the Waikiki Beach to the skating rink,

then to the Merry-go-round

(George Brown & friends)

at Waikiki Beach and we could ride and drink beer.

We didn't go in the big hotels because they didn't particularly like sailors. I don't know if it was the uniform or rather we were too rowdy.

Alva Cremean Chet Jankowski

But that was quite an evening out if you could get to Waikiki and back. I didn't get back until about 3:00 in the morning.

Liberty was up at 1:00 in the morning.

Grant Cook BettyJames Phipps

You made your last round after 1:00, then go back to shore patrol headquarters and make out any reports you have to do, then they give you your card and you go back to the ship."

1/c Boatswain's Mate Al Holtel