I joined the Rhode Island Army National Guard in 1970, and four months later was off to Army basic training at Fort Campbell, Ky. Prior to leaving for basic, I had a drill where the unit was required to perform weapons qualification. I never fired a pistol in my life, but here I was standing at the head of the line, 75 feet from the target, with a .38 police special in my hand. The order was given to load six rounds in the chamber. The next order was to fire when ready. I raised my weapon to fire, and all six rounds landed at my feet - I had forgotten to close the chamber! Talk about embarassment! I can still hear the snickering to this day.