Military Stories

[August West]

The setting: Fort Benning Infantry School basic training in July at the “Sand Hilton”.

A drill sergeant stands in front of a group of trainees that just spilled out of a cattle truck. “The Army, in its infinite benevolence, he declares, is offering slots in a PhD program. Any of you smart guys wanna volunteer?” At least a dozen raised their hands. “Outstanding”, the drill sergeant bellows, as he proceeds to make a piercing whistle. Up rumbles a deuce and a half and each volunteer is shuttled aboard and given a post hole digger. All day digging in the Georgia sun putting new fencing around a makeshift ammo dump at a firing range.


You got any good ones?

 

[BarberDave]

Oh my:
One week before graduation from basic we were given liberty on the weekend with the expressed rule of no drinking. There is a local pizza joint not to far from Lackland AFB. Now once there our flight wanted to get some beer. As dorm chief as said it was not a good idea, but at 17 (yes i went in early) I did not want to be a killjoy, so I just told them we needed to mKe sure we covered out butts. What we did not know is that most of the command staff, families, and contractors were regulars.

Monday morning comes, everyone had a good time. That was about to change. DI Simms, a beast, and still a good friend. Anyway he came in and “told” us we had Command call. We had no idea why, but it was hinted it was the drinking. So we all got together got our stories straight

Long story short, as dorm chief I was to go last. I should have known something was up when each of the flight went in, came out, would not say anything etc. it was my turn, and when asked I of course have honor, and lied my butt off as we had agreed.

I was led out and then asked back in to see the Colonel.
“Airman, we are really proud of what you have learned here, and your leadership qualities”.
“So much so that we are honored that you will be spending another 16-weeks with us”
Turns out they all got scared and sang like canaries. Dave meet the under side of a bus

Lesson learned. Haha

 

[Blade-meister]

I can't share any that belong to me, but my grandfather was a vet of WWII and who else came and needed a jeep serviced but Ronald Reagan. He was watching my grandfather take apart something and my grandfather told him "This is the Jesus pin." Ronald Reagan asked him why it was called that and my grandfather replied "Well, it's so small that if you lose it you say 'Oh Jesus help me find it'" Reagan thought that was just the funniest thing and chuckled. My grandpa knew who he was and Reagan bought him a beer later. I heard this same story all my life without the slightest little change in detail, so I believe it was true.

I knew of an EOD Marine that was very good at what he did. He was instructing some special operations guys on how to turn an Humvee tire on it's rim into an antipersonnel device. He did his thing and this Humvee tire went flying with great force, heat, and much boomage. Well, this thing caught the forest on fire and well, let's just say it made the local news as it was being battled. Didn't turn into a major forest fire, but it sure did give him notoriety. Oh how he laughed later about it. He's gone now, but I'm sure I'm not the only one telling this story today, so he lives on through it.