How about a positive story?

[solo1]

I don't believe that I ever posted this.  True story and sticks in my memory


                                             Hopalong and the Troops

His real name escapes me, I only knew him as "Hopalong". How he got drafted ,we didn't know as he had severe mental problems. All of us were in the same boat in basic training but Hopalong was in his own boat. It was really hard for him to train like the rest of us. However, instead of ridicule, the DI and us, the trainees, realized that this guy was doing his best and so, everyone 'adopted' him and helped him to get through basic.

So where did Hopalong get his nickname? Well, he was always out of step when we marched so he soon learned how to do the half step skip to get back with the rest of us but it didn't last. On every march it was"Hopalong, half step!" It seemed to help him when we did the "Jody cadence" The rhythm of "Sound Off" helped him some.
On our 'graduation day" our company did the full honors, Marching band, colors, banners, pass in review, etc.It was a bright sun shining day in VA and we were proud!

Hopalong was in my column that day. As we passed the reviewing stand with the general in salute,, the command "Eyes Right!" was given. We smartly turned our heads to the right and, low and behold, one leg in the column belonging to Hopalong was doing its own thing..the opposite of all the others. The General must've been in on the secret as nothing was said. I heard that 'Hopalong' was to be discharged but he gave his best.

The good that is in us, sometimes shows up in unusual places and times.

[Serk]

(This is a positive post.)

Thanks for your story, always love your writings...

[The emperor has no clothes]

It is heartening that even some 18-19 year old kids can have a heart. 

[sandy]

That's one of the effects of basic. Teamwork. A trait to keep all your life.

[Hooter]

  Good on you guys Wayne!   

[3fan4life]

Good story.
BTW: At Which post did you take basic training?

[solo1]

BTW: At Which post did you take basic training?  QUOTE by 3fan4life

Camp Pickett, Va. in 1952.

[old2soon]

Basic or boot camp IS the foundation for the rest of your time in one of the Armed Services. Good story Wayne as always. Had the flip side of that in in Company 114 in Feb 1964 at N T C Great Lakes Illinois. Had a guy that wasn't too particular about his personal hygiene. The D I had Exactly One "talk" with this guy. Still a no go. He had Exactly one talk with the Company with the guy in attendance. Took the guy two G I showers to git the message.    While both men needed help it was opposite sides of the coin. RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

I went through an abbreviated officer basic for direct appointment judge advocates (and a couple medical and reserve types).  We marched like 6 times, and it was pretty Monty Pythonesque marching to say the least.  I had learned to march in boy scouts from a Marine DI at a small naval air station some years earlier.  But one guy out of 48 who could actually march was not going to make us a drill team.  

We had an E6 drop dead blond hottie USAF female TI (DI) with a campaign hat and custom tailored (tight) uniforms who could bark like a Paris Island DI, but all the barking in the world was not going to do us much good.  She was exasperated, and I felt sorry for her (aside from having many wonderful impure thoughts about her).

No, your other left you dufus.  My 80yo grandmother can march better than you people, and she's been dead for three years.

One big dufus who could never get it right was right in front of me, and I kept trying to help him out, but no joy.  Finally I stepped on the heel of his shoe and he marched out of it (on the burning hot Maxwell ABF AL tarmac runway in summer).  He gimped along in one shoe and one sock, until the shoe appeared at the end of our flight.  Our TI (DI) called a halt, picked up the shoe and held it up and growled... OK, which one of you dummies is marching barefoot?  The laughter didn't help.  

[3fan4life]

BTW: At Which post did you take basic training?  QUOTE by 3fan4life

Camp Pickett, Va. in 1952.

I thought that it might have been Pickett.

I am very familiar with Fort Pickett.

Spent quite a bit of time there training as a reservist.

I can promise you that the barracks were still exactly like you left them.

[Oldfishguy]

Ft Dix NJ for myself, (1980)

Three years later coming back from a few years stationed in Europe  I out prcessed from the Army at the same base. Those few days there I walked past the Basic  billit's a few times and just felt exellerated at so many things: feeling of accomplishment, personal growth, and happy would be an understatement.   The DI's strutting around barking at the new Privates still brought fear to me though even though most were my rank, E5.

To come full circle.

[scooperhsd]

I went through NROTC - however - I did my first 2 years of college at my local community college first.

I had successfully competed for a scholarship - but I still needed to make up those first 2 years. Well, the navy had a 6 week "catchup" course for those of us entering as juniors - 6 weeks at Newport R.I.
The summer I was there, we had 6 companies of candidates, each had a LT and a Marine DI . Believe me, we could march within 2 weeks . In addition to the physical training / marching, we did the academic equivalant of 9 - 12 semester hours, plus learning some basic seamanship in simulators and yard patrol (YP) craft.  When we went home, I was probably in the best shape of my life.

It was a good way to spend a summer. And I was ready to go on with the other juniors who had entered ROTC as freshmen.