I arrived at Fort Ord July '62 and assigned to USATC Infantry, Company D, 1st Battle Group, 1st Brigade (D-1-1).

I was a fresh-faced 19 year old, not yet shaving, and used to sleeping 10-12 hours a day. I enjoyed my own single bunk, with no one above me, on the wall just inside the main barracks doors.

Each morning, at about 0430, at least one Drill Sgt. came loudly thru the door and, standing near the foot of my bunk, began screaming for all troops to "rise and shine" though not quite in those words.

There began a mass of troops quickly jumping up and racing to the latrine for their morning "ritual".

My reaction to this rude awakening was to stir, look up and then go back to sleep. In my young, civilian mind "I was special". I had no need to shave or fight the crowd for a sink or other space.

So I lounged in my rack and got up in time to dress and be in formation. No problem. Right? NOT!

I think I so "lounged" for 2 mornings. On the third morning I was literally bounced out of bed and looked up from the floor at Sgt.(E-5) Stump (if my memory serves).

Some nearby later told me had picked up the foot end of my bunk, raised it high and then dropped it violently to the floor sending me to the concrete floor.

The Sgt. was standing, hands on hips, and yelling at me. What a surprise when he seemed uninterested in my perfectly logical reasons for "sleeping in".

He stood by while I gathered my shaving gear and he then led me to the latrine, standing by while I shaved. He gave a very understandable lecture about how I would now join my fellow troops each morning and shave whether I needed to or not. He met me at my rack the very next morning to make sure I had gotten the message.

I spent 3 years in the Army and credit it, and Sgt. Stump, with helping a young, naive college dropout find a successful path in life.

Jim Howe
Medford, OR