In March 1955, ending my sixth week of basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia and a very bad case of athlete’s foot.
After about a month and my release from the hospital, I went back to where my unit was, and of course everyone was gone.
Master Sergeant Smith said he didn’t know what to do with me, as I had no orders to go anywhere. For a few days I did some light duties, and he asked me if I could handle a platoon of new recruits coming in to start their basic training. I told him I would do my best.
He said, “Well, being just a private might be tough. Go get some corporal stripes and sew them on your shirts.” I did.
For a few weeks, everything went quite well, and then I got orders to go to another unit to finish my last two weeks of basic training. Some of the cadre had come back to take over.
Well, the corporal stripes had to come off, and it showed where they were on my uniform. I got many questions!
About 14 months later, I was able to sew those corporal stripes back on when I was with the 25th Reconnaissance Battalion, Fourth Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas.