Draft Dodger...1961

This could be a book....

.... I call myself a draft dodger' because I enlisted in the USAF....... no money or grants or whatever for further schooling.

Believe it or not, when in electronics class... I taught the teacher. So the Air Force was going to put me into a missile silo, except some physic decided I might push the button out of turn. Kinda like don't piss me off'....

So they sent me to extra combat training.... I went thru AIT, (Advanced Infantry Training) shot every weapon, like I was shooting rats at the dump with a flashlight. Expert!

They gave me a jeep with 23 radios, that I had to be able to fix if any part of the 'machine' IF broke down.... pack the wheel bearings, climb a mountain, fix the radios. They called me a "Forward Air Traffic Controller" FAC for short.

Spent time in Saudi Arabia in '63... nothing but sand, got a nice tan. (took 4 years to get rid of it...long story)... The trip and time spent is another long story. Turkey, Spain, Azores, I had more AIR time than most stewardess's...

Viet Nam bound, with the 1st ID out of Ft Riley, KS....... packed my jeep, (actually boarded it up with plywood, so no damage could happen to it), put it on a train for Calif to catch a ship to VN. and took my family to my parents house for a 6 month stay.

Whilst at my my folks home I'd jumped a gate because it was easier that unlocking it, felt a tweak in my stomach, not a pain.

Had a great supper, and never in my memory had Mom ever served grape juice with supper. Two hours later I passed grape juice, told myself that's not right', and if it happen's again .... as it did at 5 am, passed so much blood that in Sioux City they fed me two pints.

I'm in a hosp across from the St Louis arch....watched it be connected (the halves) (65)... lost 33 lbs in 30 days, they took out half my stomach. (Told me 4.6%) Went back after 29 days, and was told that I'd stopped loosing weight after two days there.
THEN an USAF Pilot who was going with me showed up in the same hospital, and told me that they had changed my orders to not 6 months TDY (Temporary Duty... with extra pay) to one year PCS...(permanent change of station).

He also told me that the jeep I would have been driving (65K1234)(Used to have fun with the Army numbskulls and the sequence) pulled into a Special Forces Camp to the S2 tent (Security) and as my replacement (Named William) went to put up the 32' whip antenna.. only 2 steps, the first mortar shell in his head, and 23 shells into MY JEEP.

....sorry guy, for this part of the book...............

I have my health... no wealth, but everytime I had money, somebody else wanted it... I am a survivor, and still fearless,and my kids are doing great.





The last 30 some years my rifle is a pool stick, don't own anything that uses bullets. I win when I want to... don't play for money... maybe a beer...

Teachers...

I didn't mean to impose on Rachael, excuse me. I had to be my own teacher, and having read so many books about Edison, Leonardo, Longfellow, B. Franklin... etc, I was like the robot "Bengamin 5" (sp and close I hope)....... I devoured books, learned to type back in '51... again, I had to teach myself.
SIDE NOTE... taught my baby brother how to type, and it probably saved his life when he got to Viet Nam...... Sarge in Charge (NCOIC) ask's the ranks if anyone knows how to type.... My bro was drafted, Infantry..... (Dumb Shit)...... but he could type and got an "office job".........


One thing about being smart or at least "well read", You know more than your teachers, and I've almost been always ....... One Step Ahead of THEM..........

Good books, old ones esp, biography's... are better than tv, or party'ing when your pre teen. (NOT quite right...... since I quit reading in the 9th grade) Still can ACE a test, spook the Physic's, and have my Health.........

...too much to say at one time, I'm still getting used to expanding on my feelings, and I have 'one hell of a lot to say'

Thanks, Rachael..... for encouraging or inspiring me........ :-)