Richard,
Thank you very much sir!
That oval does ring a bell ...
How did I get to SFTG in '68?
I went into the Army in December '67 and spent 8 lovely weeks at Ft. Lewis Washington learning to put on the suit and walk in line.
I was then sent to MOS school at Ft. Sam Houston (91A10). About half way thru the 10 weeks they marched us all into a training room and this Staff SGT stood up and started to speak.
I swear he was 6' 5", dressed in highly pressed khaki's (best uniform the Army every had), high shine Corcoran's (I still think he had silver BB's in the holes on the boots), silver brass and a green beret. He was the most military / STRAC looking individual I had ever seen. His message was "If your good enough .. you can look just like me"
About half the class of baby medics signed up .. to include the training Co X.O.
So off we went for about another few weeks of accelerated PT and then the physical test and the SFQT .. and waited ... about 1/3 of the signup caught orders for Jump School .. the rest (including the X.O.) got the gate.
So .. off we went to Ft. Benning.
I was one of the lucky few to catch a zero week and got to pull details for everyone on the post. They had fun with the skyborne wannbe .. (f'n legs).
Three weeks of Jump School taught me that if you can get thru Wednesdays, you can beat anything. By the end of the 5th jump is was a real knuckle dragging medic!
I found out that Jump School had been a TDY and I was the only one that graduated without a trip ticket to the next post, so I caught a ride with an escort sgt to Ft. Bragg.
I remember the drive along Ardennes ... past 82nd, 101st and to SFTG.
Checked in .. got the cherry gear and found my room.
Is it possible that "Silver wings upon his chest" was playing over the loud speaker??
Sooo ... a couple of weeks into processing and I get to a medical station and was told that my eyesight wasn't good enough .. my eyes are pretty bad. I was crushed. I asked why and the Dr said "You want to be a SF Medic .. how much good to your team would you be if you lost your glasses"? OK .. I signed the papers and waited for the orders .. meanwhile I pulled details. Of these .. one was being the honor guard for the laying of the foundation for the statue. Never mind the Seven Dwarfs and Drop Zone Lounge .. nothing to see there .. keep walking ..
Then off to Vietnam land ... open orders so I get the barn at Bien Hoa.
The processing REMF looked at my 201 and was muttering .. ummm .. medic .. jump school ... got just the job for you .. combat medic .. 1st Div.
So I said .. "Sounds fun .. but if I loose my glasses how good of a medic will I be?"
And he said "No problem .. be a pair on the next slick out"
STAMP!
"NEXT!"
And off I went..
I served with the 1/26th, 1st Inf Div from Aug to Nov '68
My last night in country has been pretty well documented by
http://quarterhorsecav.org/pg4ff.htm
So I guess I never got to wear the green beenie .. but I got kinda close.
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