My favorite memory from Boot Camp is, our Senior Drill Instructor was a Staff Sergeant who was constantly on my case. I didn't think I was any more screwed up than anyone else in the platoon, (San Diego, 465, 1953-1954), but anyway he was always all over me.

Some years later, I ran into him when I was a Staff Sergeant-and he was still a Staff Sergeant. Guess there is some sort of poetic justice, after all.

I spent Christmas in Boot Camp, but I really can't recall Christmas. I do remember New Years Day, however. Our Platoon was detailed to Field Day the base Officer's Club after a New Years Eve party. It looked like a tornado had gone through it.

One other New Years Eve party I'll never forget was on the Nationalist Chinese Air Force base at Ping Tung, Taiwan in 1958. The officers and Staff NCO's of our unit were invited to a New Years Eve party at the Nationalist Chinese Air Force Officer's Club.

The Chinese celebrate New Years with fireworks, and there were so many fireworks going off right in the club that they had to stop the dance several times to sweep the debris off the dance floor.

At one point, I left the club to go down the street and reload on fireworks. From a block away, it sounded like there was a full scale firefight in the club.

Memories..........