I had a college deferment and was drafted into the Army in 1968, two months after graduating.

After completing basic at Ft Dix, NJ, I made PFC. We were allowed to roam the base while awaiting transit to our AIT designations.

One night on the way to a beer hall on the base, my buddy and I came upon a large group of new recruits standing in formation at attention. The sergeant in charge of the recruits had gone into a near by building.

Stepping to the front of the formation and flashing my new stripe I yelled "at ease, smoke em if you got em". The recruits pulled out their smokes and started puffing away.

My buddy and I walked away from the group and waited for the sergeant to return. "Who gave you permission to smoke" the sergeant shouted. "The private" came the reply from the recruits. "What private?"

My buddy and I had disappeared into the darkness. The last thing I heard while laughing myself silly was "drop and give me 20".

Bruce Smith, Cape Coral, FL