Well it all started when we were told to get off of SFC. Connor's bus. We were all scared anyway not knowing what would happen next from that point on. We were unsure about everything.

We had six seconds to get off his bus and four of them were already up. He had names for us that I had never heard before. We began to fall over each
other as we began to crawl off that bus at Harmony Church, what is now where the Ranger school is held. Sand Hill had not long been built. Once we got off he had us line up in single file and open all of our luggage. He began to see things that he didn't like or allow in his Army, so then it all
began. We all had to grow up a little faster than we had planned.

None of us at the time knew that SFC. Connor was a Vietnam Vet from the Old
School Army. It didn't take long to learn what, in later days and weeks what
that really meant. I guess being raised by an old World War II Vet really helped me in a lot of ways while going through Basic Training. Our nick name for him was Bull Dog Connor. We also had a SSG. Smith and he was quite mellow compared to the SFC. Connor. SSG. Smith had transferred to the Army from the Reserves. Sometimes I think that he was as scared as we were at times. Skinny men put on the weight and the heavy men took off the weight. It's almost like he already had your resume and he could read each one of us.