Quote:
Originally Posted by roscoemac
Joined 77th in Dec 1954. Assigned to FB 11 under a Maj. Dawson, FB Team Sergeant was Msgt. De Sota. Some high lights for me were: Summer 55 TDY to Fort Carson Col. for 50 days of mountaineering training including 2 and 3 man party rock climbing training and a week of survival training in the Rockies. Also spent time at Camp Hale for mule packing training with the only Army mules still left in the Army inventory. January 56 submarine infiltration training at Norfolk on the beach and on the Sea Lion, a sub used by the Marines. We could only get the sub in the Winter time since the Marines at it tied up other times. Colder than hell and only had fatigues, no wet suits or such. Maj. Dawson FB 11 team leader finally relented after some exhibited signs of hypothermia and let us build fires on the beach to warm up after ingresses and egresses through the surf. Unforgettable experience. Most of the time at Bragg was spent in the field as opposed to in the barracks. Also spent significant time at MacCall. In retrospect, the SF training at the time was unique in the Military much as it is today. Although the training today is much more extensive and difficult than we ever experienced. One other item that I recall is that we had a fair number of "Lodge Bill " personnel, i.e. foreigners who enlisted in our Army for 5 years to gain citizenship. Thus we had an instant multi-language capability. However, even with all that we could not come close to the SF capabilities and training of today. De Oppresso Liber.
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roscomac,
Major Dawson rings a bell, also remember a Msgt. De Sota. Most of the Lodge Bill guys I recall where the Hungarian ones who were quite upset when the s**t hit the fan in their country and we didn't help them. They said (especially when you tried to understand them) that we pumped them up on "Radio Free America" broadcasts and did nothing when they fought the Russians and they expected us to come and help them. I remember that Ike put us we on alert and standby but nothing happened. Where you at Bragg at that time?
GB TFS 
__________________
I believe that SF is a 'calling' - not too different from the calling missionaries I know received. I knew instantly that it was for me, and that I would do all I could to achieve it. Most others I know in SF experienced something similar. If, as you say, you HAVE searched and read, and you do not KNOW if this is the path for you --- it is not....
Zonie Diver
SF is a calling and it requires commitment and dedication that the uninitiated will never understand......
Jack Moroney
SFA M-2527, Chapter XXXVII
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