When I started basic training in 1968 at Ft. Leonard Wood, I was 19 years old and 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing in at 145 pounds. Our company, C-4-2, was made up of 240 draftees from the St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit areas.
Our senior drill instructor was Sgt. 1st Class Medina, who had recently returned from his second tour in Vietnam. In our first formation, he told us of his plans for us for the next nine weeks. He said by the end of basic we would all probably hate him but he didn't care. He said his job was to do whatever he could to help us survive in Vietnam and he would do it, and when we graduated from basic training, we would be the Honor Company.
Two things stand out about those nine weeks.
The third week was training with M-14s at the rifle range, 8 miles of gravel road from the company area. All the other companies rode there in deuce-and-a-halves—not C-4-2. We got up two hours early and marched there. We also marched back in the evening. We were learning to hate Medina.
Week 7 was a week of bivouac. The other companies rode out 20 miles in deuce-and-a-halves—not C-4-2. We were forced to march carrying 65 pounds of equipment. A lot of guys fell out on that march and after 12 or 13 miles I didn't think I would make it. I heard Medina cussing us and telling us to step it up. I had learned by then to really hate him, and I told myself that if he could do it, I would or I would die trying.
I made it somehow.
Guess who was the Honor Company at graduation: C-4-2. My weight was down to 128 pounds. It wasn't until about 10 years later that I realized what an incredible leader Medina was. I would have enjoyed the opportunity to tell him.