Morning came and we were herded to the mess hall. We were serve creamed hamburger on two slices of cold toast end with two cold hard boiled eggs, cold coffee served in a tin cereal bowl. If you didn’t want coffee you could get a bowl of “Panther piss.”(Kool Aid) Now for our walk to the staging building where the entire train load reassembled. That’s where I developed diarrhea and got permission to go to the “John.”
When I came out the only person there was the clerk. “Where’s everyone?” “You, Courtright, your platoon has been picked and you’re listed as AWOL. “ No I’m not , I’m right here”. “You’re AWOL! Get you butt outside and hope you find your damn group. Your going to get your (blank) locked up.” I went outside and there was the big brown bear of a staffing Sargent counting. All of a sudden he spotted me. “Boy are you with this group?” “I think so.” “Don’t you like my people? ” “Yes sir” “Are you queer boy?” “no sir”. This exchange went back and forth several times. “All right boy, I never want you within ten yards of my people, plus you will never wear the same uniform as my people. If we are in khakis you will be in utilities, if we are in utilities you will be khakis. Understand?” So there we go, them walking in a group (haven’t received instructions on formation or marching yet) and me straggling behind. As we passed other units their D.I.’s would shout, “Hey Sargent West, what’s that you got following you?” “That’s my @$!&@$ ugly duckling”, would be the response. One of the happiest days was when someone else fouled up and stole the limelight. Weeks later unbeknownest to me I would be right back back in the D.I.s crosshair sites. Only this time as the Hollywood Marine.
Edwin's Ramblings 