I remember getting a hug and shaking hands with my dad as I left Milwaukee, Wis. in 1970. I was the first family member on either side to enlist. Getting to Fort Campbell, Ky., I remember getting issued all the olive drab clothes and two pairs of shiny, black leather boots. All our personal gear and new clothes were packed in canvas duffel bags that we carried to our barracks. Our new drill instructor lined us up before our new housing, told us to lift the duffel bags over our heads and throw them down on the concrete in front of us.

Before this, we had been told what items not to keep. Any glass item, such as cologne or after shave, was forbidden. There were a lot of crashes and smelly bags. If anything broke in anyone's bag, he was told to pick it up and throw it down again.

I remember getting woken up in the middle of the night for fire watch and falling asleep on the concrete stairs. I hated the loss of sleep. One morning I was caught sleeping, leaning on the guy next to me while we marched to class—more physical training.

Physical training was not hard even though I was with kids four years younger than myself. When I turned 22 that October, I could not even go out to the PX to have a 3.2 percent beer. I did receive 30 birthday wishes from my sister Linda's grade school class.

On the day of our vaccinations (in both arms)—with guns, not needles—the entire battalion was sick. Some of the biggest guys passed out before reaching the medics giving the shots. I was very disappointed to learn that I could not apply for the paratroopers because I had a skull fracture in college.

I found out that even though I hated to run, that I could march all day with someone calling cadence.

I never ate Jello again because the same Jello was served every day until it was gone. It always had the previous days fingerprints on it. My dad wrote me a letter (first ever) but my mail did not catch up to me until I graduated from advanced infantry training and returned home on leave.

What I like most was the food. Three meals a day and all the chocolate milk I could drink. SOS for breakfast. All the food I could eat as long as I cleaned my tray. I was always hungry. I was 6 foot 2 inches and 140 pounds.

The weapons training was easy and fun for anyone who had ever shot before. I thought that the M-16 was more like a toy that could kill at 300 yards.

After basic, it was on to Fort Polk, La.