It was August of 1959 when I decided to join the Army and leave the comfort of my small town environment. I remember going to the recruiter and finding a military occupation specialty I could live with and being told that I would get training to do the job, see the world and when I finished my three-year hitch, I could go to college at their cost. At the time I felt like I was being set free, since I just graduated high school in June and did not have the resources to go to college.

My first experience was an eye-opener. After spending several hours waiting, we were loaded on buses, which took several hours to take us to Fort Dix, N.J. We then were unloaded and kept waiting again before being indoctrinated. After what seemed like a lifetime, we met our training instructors, seasoned soldiers who seemed like they were indestructible. The discipline and physical condition of each of them was something I had never seen before.

The first assignment I was given was to scrape paint off the second floor barracks. This was to be done before I ate or slept. My first reaction was to negotiate the assignment, but after being sternly put in my place, I understood that orders were non-negotiable. As time went on, I learned to respect the need for following orders and being a team player. My experience in the Army made me a better person, and I was honored to be part of Armed Forces of the United States.

Army 1959-1962