Gonzo Station

Gonzo Station by Fernando Ochoa

Not since Norman Mailers The Naked and the Dead has there been a novel about the daily life of the American servicemen. Gonzo Station is the story about Roger Otto who is stationed aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Reeves, home ported in Yokosuka, Japan. During a two-year adventure, Roger learns that the Navy is more than ships at sea. Aside from all the girls he meets and all the bars he hits, he has a rude awaking to the facts of life and the difficulties of living in close quarters with fellow countrymen from diverse backgrounds. The crew of the Reeves is a microcosm of the American society. There are southerners from Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi, middle Americans from Kansas and Wyoming, easterners from Massachusetts and New York, and of course, like Roger, westerners from California. With so many different cultures the stage is set for conflict and interesting situations. Gonzo Station has many salient themes. The heart of the story centers on four main characters. Hopkins, Watkins, Banks and Roger come from the most diverse backgrounds and create the most conflict. Roger, of course, is the protagonist. He represents mainstream America and has lived a privileged life. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He has gone to storekeeper A school, is well spoken, and has the distinct advantage over his workmate Banks. Banks is a young Black man from Mississippi. He was reared in the Deep South without any privileges. He has worked his way out of the deck department and is the low man on the totem pole. Their relationship is like a roller coaster and has many of the same problems that plague the White/Black communities in America.

There are three main themes in Gonzo Station. There is the coming of age story about Roger. When he first goes overseas he is a boy who feels the sting of reality. For the first time, he experiences prostitutes, tries illicit drugs, sees a friend die, gets a promotion, and must deal with overt racism. The second major theme is the daily struggle of the American sailor. These are young men, thousands of miles from home, who must work as many as twelve hours a day every day they are at sea. Throughout the novel there are examples of traditions that have been passed down through the centuries. In the short Eight Bells (p. 71), the task of ringing eight bells signifies the noon hour, and in the short Hong Kong (p. 344), manning the rails, men lining the ships perimeter in dress uniforms, is observed. Also, part of the military theme is patriotism. Throughout the novel the Reeves answers the call to duty and the men respond with pride. America is the lifeguard of the sea-lanes, the good guys. In the short Hmong (p. 185), the Boat People from Vietnam are rescued, and in Rescue at Sea (p. 373) the crew of a sinking freighter is rescued by the Reeves after colliding with another vessel. These themes are interwoven in the story, but the most important theme is racism.

The Reeves is a machine. It is manned by every kind of hot shot and wise guy from across America. The ship is the setting for conflict and the drama we observe is the same conflict we experience in our American society. The most obvious clashes are between Black and White. Roger has to work with Banks in the supply department and Roger is greeted with a chilly reception. Watkins has to work with Hopkins in the deck department, where each man spews his own kind of ill-will. Watkins hates Hopkins from the moment he sees him. Although they are absolute opposites in every way they also share traits. Symbolized by their names they have a kin-ship, a kinship of hate. Hopkins is a good-old-boy, redneck from Kentucky who causes more trouble than he can handle. Watkins is a militant from Oakland, California who is the son of a Black Panther. Their relationship is the most turbulent and climaxes in the short Nigger Shit (p. 276). There is also a