I was assigned to a training company in
a corner of Leonard Wood that was unique, but not a country club. It was comprised of over 80% national guard
and reserve trainees and was housed in an old WW II wooden barracks with a company mess and PX.
Somewhere along the line, in Chicago,
enroute to Leonard Wood or at the reception center, I met one Chester Dryke from Minnesota. We were not
in the same company but did train
in the same cycle.
Basic was basic, but maybe a little easier
as the DI's didn't push the NG and ER types too hard, since they were civilans at heart. So was I.....I became
the bass drummer for the company and along with a couple of snare drummer types, we kept the marches somewhat entertaining.
I still carried my own rifle with whatever else was to be carried on the day.
I couldn't shoot very well (Marksman) but was a
gym rat and did very well on the PT test......which earned me a special weekend pass to go home to Indiana, during basic,
two weeks before we graduated. I flew out of St. Louis to South Bend to get home. It was my first airplane ride
ever. It was on a 727 and the pilot put it on its' tail, to fly out of a storm in St. Louis.
When advance training orders were issued, we were included in the same paragraph,
sending us to DLI in Monterey, California,advance training orders were issued, we were included in
the same paragraph sending us to DLI in Monterey, California, to study Russian. This set of orders
totally befuddled my veteran Army platoon Sergeant (to where ??? to study what ???) and I'm sure Chester got the same
reaction from his sergeant as well.
