In many ways, the assignment in El Paso, Texas was true bliss. As a young married soldier with a baby I was eligible for on base housing. The houses were identical 2 bedroom units that cost around $40 a month (I was earning maybe $200 a month). Helene was able to substitute teach and 2 days of work would pay our rent. We were rich as compared with most of the others in our housing tract anyway. We hung out with 2 couples on our street who also had babies and life was pretty good.
One incident sticks in my memory. I had some friends from the month I lived in the barracks over for cards one night. After they left we had gone to bed and I woke up suddenly to see a man standing at the foot of our bed. I yelled at the top of my voice and jumped up. He ran out the back door and I gave pursuit, screaming all the way, that is until I realized I was buck necked. Oops, had to give up pursuit. We still suspect that it was one of our guests who had some history of breaking and entering. I tried to track him down, but he shipped out shortly afterwards.
Which brings me to a related story. Mickey, the next door neighbor had seen a peeping Tom one night and suggested that we try to trap him. I agreed and sat in our darkened kitchen until late at night with my shotgun. Mickey had a pistol at the ready. Around midnight I gave up, went to bed. Shortly afterwards I hear 2 gunshots and Mickey yelling "halt". I said, "damn, he got him", grabbed my shotgun and ran out (dressed, lol). Mickey had his violently shaking gun trained on the guy, who was begging him not to shoot. I held him with my gun while Mickey called the mp's, who arrived quickly and hauled him off.
There was no more excitement after that. I took an upholstery class and did a thrift store sectional couch for the class project. It eventually ended up back in Missouri in my grandparent's family room for many years. Bought a corvair, unsafe at any speed, from the first sergeant for $50 and sold it when i left for $50. Brother Doug visited, we went to a bullfight in Juarez, Mexico and took the tram to a mountain. One memorable excursion was driving to see cousin Mark who was in the air force in Alamogordo, New Mexico which was a fairly short drive. He lived in the bachelor officer quarters on base next to the landing strip. We had gone to college together, he a senior my freshman year. I pledged his fraternity though he lived off campus that year. He had taken ROTC, and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant upon graduation. We sat in his apartment all day, polishing off a case of beer while listening to country music. Willie Nelson was his favorite. Getting hungry he drove us to a late night bar where we ate, listened to a guy who was a one man band, and continued drinking. We were both so drunk and tired we alternated a cup of coffee with a beer until returning to the post. I slept on the couch and distinctly remember having to pee, and freezing from the open window but too drunk to get up and close the window or look for a blanket. Also, planes kept landing with a roar that shook the place, all night. Tough drive home the next day. Mark had commented that he had not given us a wedding or baby gift and shoved a handful of crumpled bills in my hand during our binge. I later found around $100 and bought Amy her first baby shoes, white leather ones.
Our idyllic stay was rudely interrupted in June 1970 after a great year. Each month a levy was posted on the bulletin board for transfer assignments. My name appeared with transfer to duty in Vietnam. Rut row. Helene threw up upon hearing the news. We made plans to travel home on leave and sold our dining room set. I attended special training in the simulated Vietnam village and reported daily about the ambushes, guys hiding in wells and behind fake walls, spraying us with blanks after we had searched the area and found nothing. A feeling of doom pervaded the atmosphere. So, a couple of days before leaving I was called into the office and informed that my orders had been cancelled. Upon asking why, I was told that my replacement had not shown up, gone AWOL. When I passed the news on at home, Helene again threw up. The AWOL soldier showed up a few days later.
Next intallment: Back on levy list
One incident sticks in my memory. I had some friends from the month I lived in the barracks over for cards one night. After they left we had gone to bed and I woke up suddenly to see a man standing at the foot of our bed. I yelled at the top of my voice and jumped up. He ran out the back door and I gave pursuit, screaming all the way, that is until I realized I was buck necked. Oops, had to give up pursuit. We still suspect that it was one of our guests who had some history of breaking and entering. I tried to track him down, but he shipped out shortly afterwards.
Which brings me to a related story. Mickey, the next door neighbor had seen a peeping Tom one night and suggested that we try to trap him. I agreed and sat in our darkened kitchen until late at night with my shotgun. Mickey had a pistol at the ready. Around midnight I gave up, went to bed. Shortly afterwards I hear 2 gunshots and Mickey yelling "halt". I said, "damn, he got him", grabbed my shotgun and ran out (dressed, lol). Mickey had his violently shaking gun trained on the guy, who was begging him not to shoot. I held him with my gun while Mickey called the mp's, who arrived quickly and hauled him off.
There was no more excitement after that. I took an upholstery class and did a thrift store sectional couch for the class project. It eventually ended up back in Missouri in my grandparent's family room for many years. Bought a corvair, unsafe at any speed, from the first sergeant for $50 and sold it when i left for $50. Brother Doug visited, we went to a bullfight in Juarez, Mexico and took the tram to a mountain. One memorable excursion was driving to see cousin Mark who was in the air force in Alamogordo, New Mexico which was a fairly short drive. He lived in the bachelor officer quarters on base next to the landing strip. We had gone to college together, he a senior my freshman year. I pledged his fraternity though he lived off campus that year. He had taken ROTC, and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant upon graduation. We sat in his apartment all day, polishing off a case of beer while listening to country music. Willie Nelson was his favorite. Getting hungry he drove us to a late night bar where we ate, listened to a guy who was a one man band, and continued drinking. We were both so drunk and tired we alternated a cup of coffee with a beer until returning to the post. I slept on the couch and distinctly remember having to pee, and freezing from the open window but too drunk to get up and close the window or look for a blanket. Also, planes kept landing with a roar that shook the place, all night. Tough drive home the next day. Mark had commented that he had not given us a wedding or baby gift and shoved a handful of crumpled bills in my hand during our binge. I later found around $100 and bought Amy her first baby shoes, white leather ones.
Our idyllic stay was rudely interrupted in June 1970 after a great year. Each month a levy was posted on the bulletin board for transfer assignments. My name appeared with transfer to duty in Vietnam. Rut row. Helene threw up upon hearing the news. We made plans to travel home on leave and sold our dining room set. I attended special training in the simulated Vietnam village and reported daily about the ambushes, guys hiding in wells and behind fake walls, spraying us with blanks after we had searched the area and found nothing. A feeling of doom pervaded the atmosphere. So, a couple of days before leaving I was called into the office and informed that my orders had been cancelled. Upon asking why, I was told that my replacement had not shown up, gone AWOL. When I passed the news on at home, Helene again threw up. The AWOL soldier showed up a few days later.
Next intallment: Back on levy list
1 comment:
Oh my gosh. I'm just amazed that they would tell you that you're off to Vietnam and then you're not! That's awful. No wonder Helene got sick. Crazy days. Can't wait for the next installment. It reminds me of the old movie serials (not that I ever saw any)! Loving it. Keep writing!
P.S. It was great hearing from you last week. Thanks again for the call.
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