The greatest lesson I ever learned in the Army.

Skysoldier

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I grew up as a Juvenile Delinquent.......

To describe my youth, all I can say is that the movie "The Outsiders" was my life story.[rofl]

I broke out of the W.J Maxey Boy's Training School in 1966 and hitchhiked into Detroit and joined the Army.

The Fort Wayne Induction Station in Detroit.....what a joke!

The induction station was filled with college educated pussies trying to not get drafted, and here I was....wanting to join.[smile]

We stood in line in our skivvies.....nurses sticking us with needles, and doctors grabbing our balls and telling us to cough!

Then we did the written tests......and I never finished the 10th grade......but those question were so easy![rofl]

When all was said and done......the Recruiter asked me....."You have good scores, what do want do in the Army?"

" I want a guarantee for Airborne Infantry!"

The recruiter looked at me like I was crazy........

So I went to Basic Training at Fort Knox.

2/3rds of the company were draftees from Williamsport PA!

I was treated like a king...because I enlisted.[smile]

Basic training was a blast...that shit was easy!

Then I went to Infantry AIT at Fort Gordon.....more easy shit!

Then Jump School at Fort Benning in the spring of 1967.

Jumping out of planes was easy..well worth the extra 55 dollars a month, especially when you were only making 128 bucks a month![rofl]

Then I got assigned to the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell in June of 1967. Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion of the 187th Rakkasans!

That was when I learned what a Cherry was!

I remember that first Saturday formation......we had passed Barracks inspection, and after the Saturday noon formation we were free till Monday morning.

Time to get drunk and have fun...right?

Platoon Sargent inspects us...dismisses us for the weekend....and says...."Boxing starts at 1300 hours!

I start walking away from the formation......and three guy's grabbed me....."Where do you think you're going Cherry? You are boxing today!

The next thing I know, they are putting gloves on me and sending me into the ring.

I was just skinny white boy and I was scared as shit!

I get in the ring against a big guy that looks like he wants to eat me for lunch!


I will never forget my Platoon Sergeant telling me that day......."You have to get in the ring....it's what you signed up for. But remember, that we are all in the ring with you
and we all have your back. Now get in the ring and kick that ****ers ass. And if things go bad.....we will jump in the ring!"

I would like to say that I jumped back in the ring and kicked that guy's ass.....but at least I jumped in the ring, and I didn't let him kick my ass!

Being fast and skinny helps you survive![rofl][rofl][rofl]
 
We eventually went to Vietnam in December of 1967......I got wounded during Tet of 68.....about a month and a half later, and came home.

I often wish I knew what happened to them.....

Our Company Commander was named James Bond....no shit!......we told a lot of jokes about him!

And First Sergeant Humphries.........one incredible sonufabitch.........I wish I could find them today and have a beer with them........[smile]
 
I grew up as a Juvenile Delinquent.......

To describe my youth, all I can say is that the movie "The Outsiders" was my life story.[rofl]

I broke out of the W.J Maxey Boy's Training School in 1966 and hitchhiked into Detroit and joined the Army.

LOL!
I have a number of friends who ended up in W. J. Maxey (Livingston Co.). Being fast and skinny is the only thing that kept me out.
 
Thank you for your service.

I bet with the internet and technology today you could find those guys pretty fast.
 
We eventually went to Vietnam in December of 1967......I got wounded during Tet of 68.....about a month and a half later, and came home.

I often wish I knew what happened to them.....

Our Company Commander was named James Bond....no shit!......we told a lot of jokes about him!

And First Sergeant Humphries.........one incredible sonufabitch.........I wish I could find them today and have a beer with them........[smile]

Kim have you tried using the buddy finder on military.com? It's a long shot but maybe.

Edit - I did a quick search on military.com and I found 4 retired E-8s named Humphries (George, Luther, Richard, and Scheaffer) and two more that made E-9 (Henry & John).
 
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You know what the Army taught me?

When it comes to food, sleep, sex, and alcohol, get as much as you can whenever you can, because you never know when you're getting any more!
 
Enjoyed the story!

Funny, my Dad (from Detroit) also did basic at Ft. Knox, then went to Ft. Gordon (MP school there, I think). But he discharged in '66. Always remember the date he told me he discharged...6-6-66.
 
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When I got my "Greetings from the President of the United States", back in Dec '66, I knew the handwriting was on the wall . So instead of getting drafted for 2 years, I enlisted for 4 years. That was a great plan, huh?

The recruiter looked at me like I was crazy........

my recruiter was licking his chops as he got more points for enlisting nuts like me.

What you said about being an enlistee was right on. In my whole basic training company, there were 4 of us who enlisted , the rest were draftees, reservists or National Guard. The four of us were immediately and publicly made platoon leaders, because we 'wanted to be there'. [rolleyes]

The recruiter looked at me like I was crazy........

well, you were and for that matter, still are. [smile][smile]


ETA: the greatest lesson I learned while in the Army is NEVER park un the Commanding General of the European Command's parking space, no matter if its 4 o'clock in the morning.
 
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A friend of mine told me he defended one of his troopers in an Article 15 hearing about a fight at an EM club by saying, "Sir, they're paratroopers - they're supposed to fight."

Fast forward two years to 3-7 Cav and one of my young soldiers gets in a fight with a cabbie because he insulted the girl he was with. We go in front of the CO, and I get my turn to speak "Sir, if we reprimand every soldier that gets in a fight, we'll have an Army that won't fight."

The CO ponders this, then brings the young trooper back in and throws the book at him - month suspension of pay restriction to barracks, etc etc.

Then suspends it "Because you were defending the honor of a woman. But you'd better not so much as spit on the sidewalk for the rest of your tour."

The Squadron Commander? LTC Eric Shinseki, later Army Chief of Staff General Shinseki, who famously told Congress that we had enough forces to defeat Iraq militarily, but not enough to secure the country. Rumsfeld disagreed immediately - guess who was right?
 
i learned;

Never ask permission, and never get caught.

if you expect to do something stupid, or possibly get caught. wear running shoes... and know where the bail money is!
 
A few lessons I learned while in:
1) you'll only find out if you try
2) you worst ennemy is a commissioned ocifer with a map and a compass
3) old sergeants grew old for a reason
4) excuses are for pussies
5) being in a good shape is part of the job. Failing a PT is the worst failure, period.
6) complaining and whining does not make a situation better, so there's no real point in doing it.
7) never, ever, ever, ever, ever, volunteer. For anything.
8) the Brazilian whores in French Guyana are not all female, even if they look like one.
9) take care of your buddies, and they will take care of you
10) getting shot actually hurts. No shit.
 
My Dad was in the 187 RCT in Korea, badly wounded in the battles around Pork Chop Hill. Still has a crap load of Chinese grenade fragments in his sinuses.

Thanks for the great story!
 
My platoon fell under 101st in Iraq and then 4th ID when they took over. Another platoon in my company fell under the Rakasans. Let's just say they all still get the job done.
 
I did a short rotation with the Rakkasans in ganastan in May 02.
It was amazing for me to go on 3 vehicle mounted partrols wth a young E-5 or E-6 in charge. I was able to watch how effectively they worked with the locals, village chiefs etc.
"Young diplomats, armed to the teeth." America F***Ya..
They were departing and the 82nd was going to take kandahar area.. They figured the 82nd would screw it up when they took over... LOL.
 
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