Fort Jackson SC - End of Basic Training 1951

Some of training went into advance basic so it latest a little longer. For example we went out for firing 60mm mortar. What we did was just a demonstration but it did prove to be an interesting morning.When one round was fired it fell short. Very short but no one got hurt,,We went in the room where tear gas was let in and were told not to put on our mask, as soon as it got to us we were let out,The idea to let us experience what would happen with out a protective mask on,,there other demonstrations but then came the day we would be physically put to test, We would go on a 20 mile force march with full pack on our backs. Now do not think we walk at a regular pace we were pushed. We started early lucky the weather was good. It was an extra rough day.What I remember is when we finally did get back to the barracks got up stairs and I stopped and fell asleep standing up. I woke up after briefly sleeping and got to my bunk.

The Obstacle Course.

There was one last thing we had to do to pass Basic training. It was called the obstacle course.It made everything we had done so far pale in comparison. The idea to give you a feel what it would be like in real combat.If you did not make this you did not pass basic.I had long gotten over my fear of noise but this would really put me to the test if all I hear was true. As we got close to the Obstacle course The sgt told us to take off our watches ,,and he held on to them,.It was night time when we arrived by the course.It was a huge oblong pit. All we had to do was crawl the length of the pit, but as we crawled real bullets from a machine gun would be firing over our heads and as we crawled TNT would be exploded to simulate shells falling. We got down low as the machine gun started firing and crawled over the sand bags in to the pit. How high were those bullets? They could have never been high enough. As I crawled in the dirt down the middle of the pit small explosions from TNT went off this continued until we got to the end, then we crawled out and the firing stopped. The Sgt gave us back our watches. We had passed basic.

Sent Overseas

We had a special ceremony for graduation.In all that time in basic I never received one letter and of course no one at the graduation, I had been in the barracks a couple of days. One day I came back and everybody was gone shipped out, I went with another group. Then I went to Florida before I would go over seas. I would stay with my Foster parents for a few days, I would be going to Korea.

Fort Jackson SC - January 1951

Basic Training 1951
The first thing we were taught as recruits was to stand at attention,right face, left face about face, then marching, left right. I did very well except when we were standing at attention we were told we could not move for any reason. Well I found a reason, as I was standing at attention a bee started to buzz around me. Without thing I took my hand and tried to brush it away, big mistake. The Sergeant saw me and I spent the rest of the day washing stoves. I learned when at attention that is what it meant.

In the mean time the mess hall offered me some adventures, one for example when I went to breakfast I would eat get out of the Mess hall and get in line again so I would eat breakfast twice, many a meal I ate twice, however that was nothing to what happened to me one day. We sat at tables that would be equivalent to a picnic tables, I was sitting at the first table on the left side of the mess hall up by the serving line. I will not forget. As I ate my noon meal I noticed a bottle of ketchup which had been put in a glass jar, I tried to pry off the top. It was on tight. So I banged it on the table, the top came off. I put the ketchup on my food. Now in those days I ate my food fast. Down went that food but this time as I gulped down my food I felt a pain on the sides of my throat. I was taken to the hospital immediately had swallowed a piece of glass that lodged in the side of my throat just bore it would have gone down,when I hit the bottle to loosen up the top I broke a piece of glass. The Doctor advised me to eat more slowly. I did.

One day I was walking down the company street I was going to go on sick call because my neck hurt me. The officer saw me,he ask me what was wrong, I told him He said move you head left and right, I did, he sent me back to duty.

One does not forget K.P duty or Kitchen Police. It was very early in the morning you would arrive at the Mess hall and the work began. One duty was to go out and fill the bucket with coal for the fire, it was a hard days work. The Mess hall was immaculate clean before we left. When the coal fire was burning out side soot would fall so you had to be careful not to get it on your uniform.

My first pay we went to a place in Fort Jackson called "Tank Hill" . There was PX there and I bought my first cleaning equipment, razor blade a razor, soap, etc and a watch plus had money left over.

Our place for entertainment was the Snack bar and the Service club. In those days I liked listening to Western music, Hank Williams, Gean Autrey, The Sons of The Pioneers. The snack bar floor was wood.

Soon the basic would get find me doing things I thought I could never do..