I joined the Army in 1957 in Puerto Rico. I didn't speak a word of English, but I passed the English Proficiency Test and as a result, I was shipped to the USA to start Basic Training at Fort Dix, NJ.

We were a group of 12 English speakers,(that's what they called us). Truly, there were only eleven. Anyway, we arrived at Ft. Dix on a hot summer afternoon and since I always loved to sing, I started singing a popular Spanish melody in the barracks.

No sooner had I started singing, than who came in but the Field First Sergeant, SFC Karst, (I will never forget his name), who right away told me to speak English and to go outside and do 50 Squat Jumpers in my Khaki uniform and in the 85 degrees New Jersey heat.

I finished my punishment and swore never again to "sing in Spanish". I'll never forget my first encounter with a bigot because he knew we were Puertoricans and spoke Spanish mostly.