I was drafted 21-Dec-1965 and was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. At the Induction Center I received $25.00 advance pay, given my first military haircut, issued GI Clothing, shots, and giving written aptitude test.
While standing in line for shots several men passed out from just the smell of the rubbing alcohol or the fear of the shots. These men were administered smelling salts and moved to the head of the line.
After completion of the written aptitude test we were interviewed about what we would like do while in the Army and what results of the test showed we were qualified for. I don't remember the interviewee even mentioning what I ended up being trained for. I was raised on a farm and operated equipment, did manual labor, and construction work. My MSOS was 31N20 a Radio Relay Carrier Operator. After completing my two years in the Army I felt I was very lucky to be given this MOS.
On 28-Dec-1965 three bus loads of new inductees were sent to Fort Riley, Kansas from Fort Leonard Wood for Basic Training. Other inductees were sent from Fort Dix, Fort Knox, Fort Polk, and Fort Ord to fill up the Basic Training unit.
Basic Training started 3-Jan-1966 and graduation was 26-Feb-1966. It was cold, the wind blew and the ground was wet. Because of the snow and mud we didn't do to much crawling on the ground. I do remember of crawling under live machine gun fire one night as it was snowing. Due to the distance to the rifle range we usually rode in dunce and a half trucks. This gave us a chance to get and extra half hour sleep each way.
On 1-Feb-1966 the 9th Infantry Division was reactivated. We became part of the 9th Division and were told that we would be deployed to Vietnam. How strange to be training in the winter to be sent to a Jungle in Southeast Asia. On 2-Feb we were to take part in a parade to celebrate the reactivation of the 9th Inf. However it was decided that it was too cold, 10 below zero.
After Basic Training I was given two weeks leave and returned to Fort Riley waiting to be sent to Fort Gordon, GA for AIT. It was seven weeks before I was sent to Fort Gordon. These seven weeks were spent raking leaves, cleaning barracks and dining halls that had set empty after the 1st Division was sent to Vietnam, and helping build a mock Vietnamese Village. My older bother was part of the 1st Division and was sent to Vietnam in Oct. 1965.
After AIT, I returned to Fort Riley where we trained and waited for our deployment to Vietnam. The 9th Division men and equipment were sent by ship to Vietnam in December of 1966 and Jan. 1967.
Roger Noel
Co. A 9th Signal Bn.
9th Infantry Div.
APO 90307
