Many years ago my best friend and I received our notice to report for pre-draft physicals on his birthday, 3 September. We took our physicals about 10 days later. We both got our draft notices on my birthday in October, and we left for Ft. Ord, CA. the day before Thanksgiving. Those days before we left went by so quickly! I urge you to make the most of the days you have before you go.
We didn’t plan to go through basic together, (hell, we didn’t plan on being drafted), but tried to stay together as much as we could. Our service numbers are four numbers apart. We ended up in the same battalion, the same company, the same platoon, same squad, and then he had the top bunk and I had the bottom. We have been friends since the second grade. Going through this ordeal together made the whole experience much easier.
When I got out in July, almost 2 yrs. later, the Army owed me about $3500.00, and for about three months all I got was the big run around. Then in October, I got a notice to report for active reserve duty in December. Since I had just done a “Tour 365” in the RSVN, I just really didn’t want to play helicopter crew chief/door gunner anymore. I called my congressman, Mr. Jerry Pettis, and told him what was going on. I did not write, I called. I told his aide that I wanted to speak with him personally. He called me back almost immediately. I had my money in less than a week, and the orders were canceled almost as fast. You may want to call your rep.
In the Army, we didn’t have those shoe guys. In fact our dress shoes were in our lockers. All we had out under the bunks were our spit-shined boots. Each guy was responsible to keep his own straight. We also spit shined the center four tiles in the floor the whole length of the barricks. Nobody walked there. IG came for the big inspection, he looked at the floor, refused to walk on it, and said there was no need to look at anything else. We were the honor platoon. We didn’t have any PLOs either. Everyone got to share that joy. Maybe because most of us were conscripts, the DIs didn’t go out of their way to harass us, as long as we did what we were told. When they asked for volunteers they always (kind of) explained what the mission was. The first time they asked for a V, they asked if anyone was a body and fender repairman. One very reluctant hand. That guy got to bang the dents out of all the trash cans, inside the warm, dry building, while we did the double time around the track, in the rain, for a couple of hours. During the first week the Chaplain came to let us know about church services. He also asked if anyone wanted to assist in services. Trust me, do not volunteer if someone outside of your unit command asks for a volunteer. It’s not that the Vs weren’t allowed to go participate, let’s just say that on Sunday morning they were much to tired to get up to go. And don’t try to be funny. The DIs do not have much of a sense of humor, unless they are making the jokes.
Have fun, this will one of the biggest adventures of your life.