Drafted in US Army at the height of the Vietnam War and two weeks after I got married in 1968. Basic training in Ft.Lewis Washington and DSTE (card punch computer) school at Ft. Gordon, Georgia. A man in our class said his dad was a General in the Pentagon ....Yeah Right !! So we told him to ask his dad where our class of 12 would be stationed. Most were going to Okinawa, Korea or VietNam. After 2 weeks he said he talked to his dad and was told we were all going to Hawaii. Yeah Right again!! We graduated the class and all 12 were sent to Oahu, Hawaii. Eleven of us ate crow. We never did know if his dad was a General in the Pentagon.
There were 3,000 of us trained to run that computer and yet the one we trained on was the only one the Army had. There was nothing for us to do in the field. I was detained in Georgia as a company clerk for a few months before going to Hawaii and was a clerk at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii for the duration of my time. Some other class members worked in the motorpool or were lifeguards on the Air Force beach. My wife spent 6 months with me living offbase on Oahu's north shore and I was discharged a Sp4 in 1970. Thanks to all who served and thanks for the appreciation we receive from those who did not. . . and yes, God Bless America !
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