Where’s The College Guys?
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame and then earning a master’s degree from Northwestern University, I was pretty cocky! But back in the mid-1960s after completing college, I was subject to the military draft, so I enlisted in the United States Army Reserves in Fort Wayne. A month later when I stepped off the bus at the U.S. Army installation center in Kentucky called Fort Knox, any remnants of arrogance or pertly self-assertiveness didn’t last long.
As I recall there was just one other recruit in my platoon who also had attended college. His name was Mike, a graduate of the University of Kentucky. We hung-out together like brothers. As evidence of the “respect” we were not going to receive, one day the drill sergeant shouted out to us assembled recruits in formation, “Where’s the college guys?” After Mike and I slowly raised our hands, he asked us to come forward and show all the other “uneducated” troops how to pick-up cigarette butts.
I think every young person, male and female, should undergo about three months of military basic training following high school, college, or trade school. They don’t have to be solely trained in warfare, there’s lots of other skills and opportunities a young person can learn. And the organization, discipline and structure of the military will help them when they undertake their first civilian job and throughout their lives.
Basic training is challenging and meant to help recruits develop mentally and physically, and to overcome things they didn’t think were possible. A person also will realize the military drill sergeants are not there to break them but to become the best version of themselves. The training varies by branch, but includes intense physical drilling, academic and skills instruction. Military service instills strong values, selfless service, and loyalty – desirable attributes in an employee.
Military discipline definitely was an eye-opener for me because that’s when I realized I needed to grow up and do it fast. I acquired new “skills” while in basic training, like shining shoes, making my bed, mopping floors, scrubbing toilets, and keeping my belongings neat and tidy. I learned how to be part of a team who took pride in themselves and each other, respecting every person I met, regardless of how they looked, where they came from or the color of their skin. A philosophy that has continued to serve me well throughout my life.
To cope with all the rigors of training and discipline, it often helped me to look for humor in many incidents. But in my case, I had to learn when to laugh and when to hold it in and remain serious. We had a master sergeant who looked like the great Charles “Sonny” Liston, nicknamed “The Big Bear,” an American professional boxer. He’d get right in your face and try to “break you” by making you smile. I survived nearly all of his inspections – my boots were shined, my bunk was made, my uniform was well-pressed, and I was clean shaven. But, one morning he got an inch or two away from my protruding nose and then glanced down at my name tag. I could tell he was having trouble trying to pronounce it.
“La-Bar-ber-a” when he asked, “La-berry?” I couldn’t hold it in and let out an explosive guffaw! He finally got me!
My inability to not laugh got the better of me again during a rifle inspection. (By the way, I still remember my M-14 rifle serial number: 1094937!) We were supposed to clean every piece of the weapon thoroughly and present the broken-down parts to the drill sergeant on a clean, white pillowcase so he could rub the disassembled pieces on the cloth to see if there was still any grease, oil, or dirt on them. If he found anything, you were sent to the rear with instructions to reclean it. I had made sure my rifle parts were perfect! This particular drill sergeant was of Spanish origin and spoke broken English with an accent, calling every individual,
“s—head!” After finding something on the weapon of the nervous soldier in front of me, he asked, “Did you clean this weapon, s—head?” The frightened recruit answered, “I tried, sir!” The sergeant retorted, “You tried very few!” I couldn’t help it, and I laughed out loud! He sent both of us back to the end of the line.
The pride I initially experienced after completing college and earning two degrees had mellowed, due in part to the military fulfillment and experience I received on active duty and in the local Army Reserves for six years. It’s not all about one’s educational background, but more about being proud to have briefly been among those who chose to serve our country and who may have given their lives for that purpose. Think of them and all military service members as you observe Flag Day on June 14.
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