Oldest grandson shipped out to Fort
Benning this morning. Enlisted for Infantry.
When his mother and my son married, her
daughter and son asked,
“What should we call you?”
“Whatever you want”, was my reply.
“Can we call you Grandpa”, they asked?
“Sure”, I said. I’ve been Grandpa every
since (and happy to be so).
He will have a couple of things going for
him. Army brat, and a high school marching band sousaphone player.
With him towering at 6’9”, this cynical
former EM expects him to end up in the weapons platoon lugging a mortar base
plate.
The young man has a temper problem that I
hope doesn’t derail him. If things work out will be there to see him graduate,
basic or A.I.T, depending.
His biological father was both a Marine
and Army but couldn’t hack either. Fervently hope his son does better.
9 comments:
It's a crucible in which our metal is tested.
Yeah, I can see him humping the M3 MAAWS (Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle). It's a beast, but very useful.
Back in my day under arms, nobody over 6'6" was eligible for enlistment: none of the clothing issue fit, the bunks were too short, their heads stuck out of the foxholes too far, just too many things that tall guys had trouble with. Then David Robinson (7'1") joined the Naval Academy, tried out for the basketball team and things changed.
LL
Not sure they even use mortars now.
Fredd
1963 went thru Basic with some taller men than me and I was 6'2".
Best of luck to him! I bet he will be just fine. Comes from a good line of grit.
Good luck to him! Please let us know the outcome!
Will do.
At least he is going for a group of 1%'ers, the elite of our youth. Wish him the best.
A couple of years ago he was going into the Marines. Got cold feet and didn't show up to take the oath. That is why skepticism about his future prevails.
Fool: in 1963, nobody over 6'6" was allowed to enlist. Sure, lots of guys were taller than 6'2", but nobody was 6'7"+. That's why West Point's basketball team always sucked back then.
Post a Comment