I know those who served in the military, branch no matter, have humorous stories that are never forgotten.
My first vision of what was to follow began on my very first day of military service. I was inducted into the United States Army at the Military Entrance Station, Oklahoma City on April 6, 1966. I had been married two days and my thoughts, mostly worries was how was I going to provide for a new wife on what they paid at new recruit.
There was a lot of confusion, reported at 8:00 a.m. and it was 7:30 p.m. before they decided where to send us for Basic Training. They did feed us lunch however, but there were a lot of tired and hungry young men.
Two Greyhound buses arrived and we finally departed for the next venture in our commitment to our nation. Shortly before departure a Army Captain swore us in, he was very unhappy being there after normal hours and the last words he spoke was warning us we were now in the Army and subject to military law, "Don't Screw UP".
To Will Rogers' Airport, on aircraft not knowing where we were going, tired, hungry, confused and there were no "friendly Skies". Storms as we flew and finally were told by the "Group Leader", holder of all the large envelopes, one for each recruit that we were en route to Fort Leonard wood, Missouri. After a bumpy flight we landed at Springfield, Missouri.
Off the aircraft, onto Army buses and on to the Recruit Reception area. Off the buses, into the building as it was raining. Speech by a mean looking Sergeant First Class, who was interrupted and departed for about ten minutes.
He returns, orders us outside and back on the same buses. No explanation, but suddenly we all realized we were on the same roadways as before, but going in the opposite direction.
Arrive at the airport, ordered into the terminal as it was raining harder. Wait of about two hours setting on the floor in a area apparently under renovation.
Finally back on an aircraft and again not knowing where we were going. The storms cleared and the sun was rising and looking out the window I suddenly realized we were flying over Oklahoma City where we began this venture.
Continued and landed in Austin, Texas. Thinking logically I believed we were now going to Fort Hood, Texas.
WRONG, back on another aircraft and again we are en route, destination unknown. I did, using the sun realize we were flying west and soon we were definitely in West Texas. It was after noon when we finally landed, REALLY HUNGRY, REALLY TIRED AND REALLY CONFUSED, finally determined we were in El Paso, Texas and we were going to Basic Training at Fort Bliss, Texas.
I will only say, there is no place on earth in my twenty one years of life that I was more happy to leave. HOT, dry and just a miserable place. Ten weeks and our training went just as our venture getting there. They opened an old World War II training area as there was a massive influx of inductions due to the escalation of the Vietnam War. Our training staff was unprepared, the training area was over crowded, the Mess Halls were packed, you attempted to eat meals with a Drill Instructor screaming, "hurry, hurry get it down, there are more men to feed".
I did however end up at Fort Wolters, Texas, the United States Army Primary Helicopter Training Center at Mineral Wells, Texas where I remained until release from active duty. My wife and I and new born son lived in a garage apartment in Weatherford, Texas 22 miles from post as that is all the the housing we could find due to the massive influx of military personnel and their families as the war stepped up and the demand for helicopter pilots increased.