I enlisted in the Army (WAC) in late September, 1962.

Going through Basic Training at Ft. McClellan, Alabama was a chilling affair for someone who grew up in Miami, Florida. I became so cold standing Reveille that I came up with a solution (I thought). We stood Reveille in our dress uniforms, which meant only stockings, with seams, between us and the cold, and it was pretty drafty underneath our skirts.

I had a wonderful pair of red and blue plaid pajamas, and my solution to the drafty situation was to wear the pajama bottoms under my skirt, rolled up so they wouldn't show.

As I was standing Reveille, at a command inspection, I could feel my rolled up pajama legs slipping. Standing at attention, there was nothing I could do. I'm not sure how many demerits this brought, but it taught a good lesson.

I did finish Basic Training. And I went on to serve five years in the WAC.