US Army 1971-1973 (volunteered for the Draft- may as well, couldn't get a good job as 1A, draft was officially "on hold")
Texas Nat'l Guard '73-'76, Beaumont, Tx
Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, Basic
Ft Sill, OK ; Arty 105's, Alert Orders for Nam, then Nixon started pullout so was sent across base to
train as a Weapons mechanic on M110, M109.
Feb 10 '72 to May 24, '73 - sent to Augsburg, GE 1/36 FA M110s (8 inch arty) -retrained OJT in FDC, last 10 mos as Pts Clerk/ Motorpool.
ETS in '73, stuck in Annual Trng, Texas nat'l Guard (M109s) until '76
In GE, it was the Blacks/Puerto Ricans( 75% of Reese kasern) against the Whites/Chicano (25%). Funny thing was, we all got along great UNTIL
the Army decided we need a "Race Relations Class". Unfortunately, it was taught by an Angry Black Man Colonel. It stirred up a hornets nest, big...boogie...time! I just wanted to get along...no dice. After hours, if you went outside, you had to travel in groups of at least 3 to keep from getting your ribs kicked in. It was so bad I tried to volunteer to be transferred to Nam. Couldn't do it...was a 2 yr waiting list, so many wanted out. Baader-Meinhoff gang was blowing crap up in Augsburg; We missed our Track & Field events we had tickets for ('72 Olympics 45 min train ride away in Munich) when the Arabs killed the Israeli team. We also were "close" to using/or being hit by Tactical Nukes during the Easter Offensive over in Nam (April, '72)...Warsaw Pact always massed on the Border when there was a big push in Nam. It was a "Stand-Off, Balance of Power" thing...We read about and were heartbroken when Barbarella went Traitor and became Hanoi Jane! Booo! Hisss! Skank!
We still 'enjoyed" REFORGER though, running all over GE, playing war games with NATO for 9 days each year. I loved/hated the place, if that makes sense.
When I got home I found so many of my relatives, old friends/acquaintances ( I stopped counting after 50!) had been killed/shot all to hell over in Nam...I felt guilty that I had NOT gone to Nam myself! Crazy...but has haunted me for years.
On the Bright side- one of my twin daughters (born in '74) spent 12yrs (2000-2012) in the full time Utah Air Guard as a Spanish Linguist for the Spooks. She spent a month over in bagram, A-Stan (which "torqued me up") She married a Marine who spent two tours in Iraq in First Force Recon ( great guy too!) I'm very proud of my Service, I later tried to join as a Chaplain ( I'm an Ordained Minister now, 30yrs) but was too old at the time. Oh well...:)

Last edited by Jim_Knight; 06/26/18.