The morning sun shone upon the waters of Pearl Harbor that day, some seventeen years ago, warming the deck of a visiting Chinese ship moored to one of the docks. An unexpected visitor, seemingly unnoticed by the ship’s uniformed service members, deftly navigated the ladder from a deck below. She had already made her way onto the ship’s deck before her mission was discovered by naval crew members of of the People’s Republic of China. They quickly rushed to surround the unlikely intruder, confiscating her camera amid the shrill sound of whistles blown in alarm.
It was enough to shake up even the most seasoned spy, but if the visitor was unnerved, she did not let it show. Instead, smiling warmly, she welcomed the Chinese sailors to our country just as she had welcomed many a newcomer to her restaurant back home in North Carolina.
“Hi Ya’ll!”
At least, that’s how my mama likes to tell the story about the day she invaded China.
When you live on a military base, etiquette and protocol are a way of life. You quickly learn that there are rules for everything and to think twice before acting in an unfamiliar situation. And if you’re planning to have guests visit you on post, it’s probably a good idea to fill them in on a few of the more important tips too.
I learned that lesson the hard way after neglecting to inform mama about proper etiquette when interacting with international visitors to a United States military installation. You have to understand that Mama, bless her heart, could be the pin-up-girl of friendly Southern hospitality. If the DoD ever needed a Welcome Wagon lady, they’d want my Mama on the job. Nobody makes a body feel more welcome or at home than my mama.
But I digress…
It all started so innocently. We were stationed in Hawaii and my folks had traveled out for a visit. They struck out on their own one morning to get in some sight-seeing at Pearl Harbor, where they were thrilled to see a Chinese ship, flag flying high, docked at the harbor.
My step-dad (whose Air Force training must have temporarily slipped his mind) determined that the ship would make a nice backdrop for a photo. He suggested my mama stand on the first rung of the ship’s ladder, which floated conveniently next to the dock, and she was only too happy to oblige.
As Mama posed – my stepdad snapping away with the camera – she got it in her head that it would be fun to climb that ladder and say hello, introduce herself and maybe get to see a little of the ship. Now, once my mama gets it in her head to pay a visit to a new neighbor, there’s no stopping her. Good intentions in-hand, she forged ahead, and in no time at all had scaled the ladder and stepped onto the ship’s deck – and right into The Peoples Republic China.
Now it’s a well known fact that my Mama is the epitome of Southern hospitality, and I can just hear her saying, “Hi y’all!” as she waved at the first folks she saw when she boarded that ship. I imagine she was a bit taken aback when her warm smile not returned by the swarm of uniformed Chinese military who met her, especially when an interpreter arrived quickly to inform Mama that she was no longer in America – she was in China now and would be dealing with the Chinese government.
“No,” Mama said, politely (but gently) correcting the interpreter, “I’m in Hawaii, and there’s my husband right over there,” she proclaimed with a smile as she waived down to my stepfather.
She caught on pretty quick to the severity of the situation though, and as worry set in that her little social call might not end well, she did her best to convince the interpreter that she had only wanted to say hello and see the ship. Finally, after what she said felt like a lifetime – she surely must have worn down the interpreter — Mama was escorted right off that ship and back to my stepfather to be officially released back into the United States. (After they confiscated the film from her camera first,…much to Mama’s chagrin.)
It’s important to note that this all happened a while back – pre 9/11 – and thankfully, Mama was able to tell us the story herself that night at the dinner table rather than us learning about her escapades on the nightly news. So, in the spirit of “all’s well that end’s” well, I have to say that this is one of our favorite stories to tell visitors to our home before they head out to see the sights.
And Mama? Well, let’s just say that these days, before she heads on over to greet folks visiting from other countries, she first looks around to make sure that the only official flag she sees flying high anywhere is Old Glory.
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