Missing bed

In June 1965, I was in my first few weeks as a basic trainee in Charlie Company, 2nd Training Regiment, at Fort Dix, N.J. My company was billeted in a relatively new building. I was on the third floor in a room with seven other trainees.

One morning returning from breakfast, I went into my room and saw my drill sergeant, Staff Sgt. Peterson, standing in an open area where my bed was formerly located. When I approached my drill sergeant he informed me that he noticed a wrinkle in my blanket on my bed. Consequently he was compelled to remove my bed, frame, springs, mattress, sheets, pillow, pillowcase and blanket and toss them out the window.

Of course I was not allowed to have anyone assist me in bringing the bed and linen from the ground to the third floor.

I laugh when I think about what happened more than 50 years ago. From that day until I graduated from basic training my drill sergeant never did find another wrinkle in my bed.

« Previous story
Next story »