Memories

I went to Sampson, N.Y., for boot camp. At 17, I was 5’2” and 100 pounds. The first time we ran the obstacle course, I came in second. My high school had every senior boy run the course three times a week. Later in the training I ended up in the rear half of the recruits as they had all gotten in shape by then!
Our company got tetanus shots, and the next day I noticed when we raised our rifle over our heads, the right arms were lower. Later in the day we went to Geneva Lake for boat rowing training. THAT took the stiffness out of our arms.
While waiting for assignment after training, I was sent to cooking duty. There was always a supervisor standing near the garbage can to make sure no food was wasted.
One day a man was eating all alone after everyone left. We asked him what was taking so long. He looked up and smiled – no teeth. They had pulled all his teeth the day before. He was allowed to dump his tray.
They had German prisoners of war working at the mess hall. We had to save all tin cans for the can crusher. I was jumping up and down on the foot pedal, trying to crush the cans. One of the big, German prisoners stepped on it with one foot and did the job. Later on he told me he was not a Nazi, and his mother and sister had been killed in the war.

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