Recently I looked at the date on my computer and it read April 9th. Memories came gushing into my mind.
On April 9th, 1951 I was inducted into the United States Army. My pay for what seemed like a twenty-four hour, seven days a week schedule was $52.50 a month. I believe it was an additional $15 a month when we came under fire from the enemy in Korea. Of course, from that sum we had to provide our own shaving materials, tooth paste, frequent haircuts, cigarettes, laundry and most often a dollar would be deducted from our pay for the Red Cross. The rest we squandered on villas, booze and wild women.
I must admit the Army provided our food, our clothing and most often shelter. I can recall, while training at Fort Bliss, getting dressed up in my Class A summer uniform and riding in the back of a truck into El Paso to discover that the civilian workers on the El Paso garbage trucks were all wearing the same outfit I was.
The food was… well here is a story to describe it. A private on KP sees this big truck pulled up behind the mess hall. He goes in to the sergeant and reports, Sergeant, there is a garbage truck outside.” and the sergeant says, “See if it is a pick up or a delivery.” Nuff said.
“What did you do in the war, daddy?” “I did my time, my children. One Year, ten months and 27 days, with time off for good behavior.”
Oh, those were the good old days.
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