A new true story not Val related.

[solo1]

Until I can think up some new stories about riding, I thought I'd write one especially for those of us that were in the Service.

This is a true story. You might have to understand that my company was a little like MASH, the TV series.  We didn't stand much on formality but we got the job done, caring for the wounded.

Here it is



                               The Second Looey and us, the non coms.

The time was just before and just after the Truce was signed 27 July, 1953.

The location was my outfit, the 618th Medical Clearing Company just north of the 38th parallel in Korea.

Our outfit was tasked with keeping the wounded overnight and then shipping them by train to the 121st Evacuation hospital in Seoul.  We lived in tents with floors so we had it better than most.

Our company commander was Captain Bigman, a doctor who was drafted like many of us.   The discipline was there but we led a somewhat relaxed  Army life until..............

A second lieutenant , supposedly fresh from West Point, was assigned to our company. He was made executive officer under our captain and now it began............. The LT was determined to straighten us out.

The very first thing that he saw as decidedly NOT military correct was the trip flares tied to our barb wire surrounding our compound.  “Too loose” he said.  Two men were assigned to' tighten them up'  That very night, a wind came up, and set off most of the trip flares. It also set off the LT.  He came roaring out of the BOQ tent, 1911 in hand, and helmet firmly attached.  He was READY!

That got us wondering a little about him. Our wonder increased when he did the next thing. We had floodlights pointing out from our compound and lighting up the area outside the barbed wire.  These stayed on until midnight when the motor/generator shut down for the night.  He had them turned so that they lighted up the compound instead.  Great. Now all of who pulled guard duty with our M2 carbines would sneak behind all the tent shadows trying to see, with our blinded eyes, beyond the barb wire, an impossible undertaking.

Fast forward a little. Now it was quieter, the Truce had been signed but that didn't get ride of the gung ho ness of this Looey. He was cleaning his 1911 in the BOQ tent (that's what I heard,anyway). He pulled the slide back, released it, and THEN removed the loaded mag.  To drop the hammer, he squeezed the trigger. The unloaded weapon, (according to him), discharged a .45 caliber 230 gr. hardball round which traveled through the tent wall, and the walls of the guard shack, missing the sentry on duty by about 3 inches, resulting in a change of drawers, probably by both parties.

By this time, it as rumored that our commander was getting a little bit concerned about this d*** LT.

As I mentioned, the truce had been signed., resulting in some carelessness on the part of the Air Force.
Most of us watched a a flight of four F-86's simulating strafing a ridge about a half mile from us .The fourth F-86 pilot was too low and he hit the ridge at about 500 mph. No ejection and no parachute. A big glob of flame and smoke.

The LT, came running up to me, the jeep driver, and ordered me to take him to the crash site for possible first aid. No objection from me , it would've been no use, and besides two up an none down doesn't cut it with a single gold bar.

When we got there, no pilot , no plane, and no objects bigger than  a milk bottle.  Lots of fire though.

It was shortly after that, when this Looey was transferred out of the company. We were glad in two ways.

We had gotten rid of him and , hopefully, because of the Truce, he wouldn't get someone killed because of his ignorance.

[Jess from VA]

I heard many stories about butter bar (2d) lieutenants while on active duty, academy grads or not  (though the stories about academy grads (ring knockers) were usually better, and funnier).

I entered active duty as a JAG with a direct appointment commission to first lieutenant (and 6 months to Capt, unless you got yourself thrown out, which did happen from time to time).  After that you were in the line, like everyone else.  Over 90% of all JAGs were (and probably still are) direct appointments, since it's cheaper to let people pay for their own 7-9 years of schooling (and to actually pass a bar exam), than for the service to pay for it (and then find out you can't pass the exam, which also happens).    

I was smart enough to keep my head down and my mouth shut for as long as it took to learn my new profession.  My first boss also told me to rely on our outstanding (legal office) NCOs (and two retired E9 civilians) before doing or saying anything stupid, and I did.  And JAGs are not put in charge of anyone for a long time until they are found senior and smart enough to run a legal office.  (not less than Majors, but usually Lt Cols and Cols).

I still managed to embarrass myself a few times despite my best efforts, but it wasn't trying to take command of anything, or accidentally shooting a gun across the base.  

Like I saluted a bird Col on his bicycle, but instead of dropping my hand, I stood and held it at attention.  He got off and stood me tall and said it was dangerous trying to return salutes on bicycles, so it was OK to salute him, but I should not expect (or wait) for a return salute.  This was somehow missed in my brief training, which did include strong encouragement to absolutely salute whenever in doubt.

Already an accomplished motorcycle rider, I didn't think it was dangerous to return a salute from a rolling bicycle, but I refrained from sharing this belief with the Col in question. (My end of this brief conversation was... yes sir, yes sir, no sir, yes sir, aye aye sir, which is all most junior officers need to be saying anyway, esp to Cols.)

Then there were my new (Jr officer) office mates who took me over to the O'club my first day for lunch, who made sure my arms were full when I walked in the door... with my hat on.  I learned that day (but not before) if you walk in the Club with your hat on, someone rings a big bell, and you buy everyone in the club a drink (of their choice).  Everyone thought this was hilarious, but it took me awhile before I found any humor in it.  I barely had enough money to pay the bill (and O'club drinks were notoriously cheap).  People usually didn't drink at lunchtime, but free ones are apparently never passed up.

There's a few more stories, but I'll spare you.  
 
One more thing.  I never served in a combat zone.  Rookie lieutenants or any other incompetent from E-1 to O-10 in a combat zone is no laughing matter.  Incompetent Jr officers weren't fragged in RVN (and probably every other war) for no reason.  A pile of the most Sr officers extant deserved fragging in WWI, and so did a number of Sr Union officers in the Civil War.

    

[cookiedough]

only 2 stories my dad ever told about Korean War front lines in army was bitter cold going hungry and guns would freeze not fire jammed up due to bitter cold and freezing to death along with he got promoted to corporal but soon got demoted back down after getting into a fight with someone.  He never said much otherwise even when I found out going thru my parents safe after he died 10 years ago that he was shot/wounded spending around 1 month in the army hospital heeling.   There are a few pics of him in military attire and even he was skinny age 19-20 or so and one pic has him on the carrier ships just glad he made it outta the water for he never learned how to swim.

[old2soon]

         Butter Bars! In Navy terms an Ensign. Chiefs-E7 E8 E9s-and senior N C Os-E5 E6-did NOT call Butter Bars dumber than dog kaka cuz they liked em!  I had minor "run ins" with these newbies that were tryin very Hard to put Their mark on the U. S. Navy. Some of the time it got way ugly but I soon learned to talk to my Dept. head or the X O. Had a Butter Bar in Japan wanted to bring me up on charges BUT the X O and the C O told the dumb ass to REALLY rethink his position as he-butter bar-wuz way wrong. Yeah-some learning curve required Before you showed you did Not KNOW diddly squat kaka.  RIDE SAFE.

[Oldfishguy]

Everybody is new at some point so allowances are the norm.

Entering the Army as an enlisted helicopter mechanic in 1980 I was a private pilot with about 100 hours of flight time in small fixed wing airplanes.  I was a helicopter crewchief serving in West Germany and after a time achieved flight status which meant a lot of test flights and just regular flights on the units helicopters.  The test flights were always with senior pilots with just the two of us on a Cobra 2 seat helicopter; think main rotor replacement, tail rotor etc. Believe it or not, these were comfortable flights . . . because of who I was flying with.

The problem came in when I was assigned to fly with a very junior pilot.  Some of them were good, but a lot were just very nervous at the controls; I could sense it.  My thoughts are it takes about twice as much flight time to be comfortable in a helicopter versus an airplane.

The last year in the Army I flew almost exclusively with Vietnam era pilots.  They were typically the worst soldiers, but the best pilots I have ever seen.  It was my first experience with someone in total control of the machine; it was an extension of thier limbs.  

As I find myself nearing the end of my flying career I wonder