Biography

My Officer Candidate School Story or how I spent 1 year and 1 day in OCS on Active Duty and finally retired with 30 years of service.

I enlist in the Army on November 16, 1966 just before my draft notice was to take effect. I enlisted for being an Administrative Specialist. I began my Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina after a delay of 120 days. It was in the day that we still lived in the old wooden barracks on Sand Hill. I always remember the seemingly endless sand and pine trees.

On one of our detail days, I volunteered that I knew how to type. Yes, I actually volunteered which of course they tell you never to do. I ended up typing up a number of OCS applications from the battalion soldiers. I actually found my own application in the pile that I was given to type.

Graduation from Basic Training was on a hot day in South Carolina. I learned that you should never lock your knees for a long period of time. All I remember is falling back with my M-14 still in the proper position. I actually got up and then completed the ceremony and marched back to the unit.

At the end of Basic Training I had two weeks as a hold over until I was to ship to my Advanced Individual Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, so along with a number of other holdovers I was given a job to do. I got lucky as they had jobs such as cleaning out barracks I got to be the Company Clerk for two weeks. The regular clerk went on leave and since I knew how to type I got to take his place. I quickly learned how to prepare a morning report in multiple carbons with no mistakes allowed that I had to take to the Battalion Sgt Major every morning.

I then went to Fort McClellan, Alabama for Advanced Infantry Training. Again out in the woods with sand and pine trees. I actually enjoyed KP because I knew enough about being in a kitchen that the cooks actually let me to cook on the line for breakfast. It started when the cook jokingly asked who wanted to peel potatoes. I had noticed back in the corner the same potato-peeling machine that I had worked with in my Dad’s Burger Chef. I quickly volunteered to the amazement of the cook and my fellow KPs. The machine did all the cleaning and I knew how to take apart and clean the machine.

The other duty that I had on detail day was working on the infiltration range. After spending the day there I was able to figure out how the cadre would watch the course to capture the trainees as they tried to escape and evade. Armed with this knowledge I was able to successfully go through the course without being captured.

After I completed Advanced Infantry Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama I reported to Fort Knox Kentucky, for Armor Officer Candidate School on August 14, 1967. It would be a year and a day before I finally graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School at Ft Benning GA on 15 August 1968.

You could say that I was a slow learner. I reported to Fort Knox Kentucky on 14 August 1967 to OCS Company A-2, Class 4-68. After a short time the company was moved to another building and became Company D-2 as part of the closing down of OCS at Fort Knox.

I would describe training at Fort Knox as challenging but not something that was overwhelming. It was difficult physically for me to run, which was nothing new to me but I made it everywhere. Weapons training was easy as I had already qualified expert with an M-14. My favorite time was when we went to the range to get familiarized with several different weapons. We were given an M-79 Grenade launcher and told how to use it. The instruction was for the max range to hold the weapon down to your side so you could see through the back sight to the front sight which was very tall. I said that I could still fire from my shoulder and the instructor said OK and told me to fire at an M-4 Turret out about 250 yards. His expectation was that I would not come close to the turret. Much to both of us, I actually landed the round into the hatch on the turret. The Instructor just turned and walked away.

I also continued my typing skills by putting out the company newsletter.

Everything was going fine in my mind until the last Panel Review and I found that I was under consideration for termination from the program. Upon my arrival at the review board, I heard that there was going to be an offer for a couple of us a chance for other training besides going back to our previous position. I had come from Advanced Infantry Training as a Private E-2 so the thought of other training options was interesting to me.

After I reported to the board I was informed that if there had been another OCS Company that was in its 16th week I would have been recycled to that company. Unfortunately, D-2 was the next to the last OCS Company to graduate from Fort Knox and the only other company was only two weeks behind. I was given the choice of 3 options. 1. Go back to the Infantry as a PFC, 2. Go to the newly formed Non Commissioned Officer School for a chance to come out an E-5, or 3. Go to Fort Benning to complete OCS. However since the OCS program obviously was different at Fort Benning then at Fort Knox so I would have to start over again at Fort Benning at zero week.

I really didn’t take that long to make a quick decision. To what I felt was the shock of the board, I quickly replied that I was going to Fort Benning to start over. My thought was that I already getting E-5 pay; I didn’t want to be a PFC in the Infantry, so why not spend another 6 months in training. Of course in the back of my mind that would delay a possible deployment to Viet Nam.

This setback in my life caused a couple personal problems as I was planning on getting married just after what would have been my graduation from OCS. Luckily, I was able to get my transfer to Fort Benning delayed until after a leave to get married. I am lucky to have what would become an understanding wife. The other interesting part of staying at Ft Knox until my leave started was that I was the only Basic OCS Candidate and there were two companies of Senior Candidates. Tradition of course means that a Senior Candidate can make life miserable for a Basic Candidate. I was able to get it set up that I was off limits for any harassment and I would treat Senior Candidates with proper respect. I also started many rumors at Fort Knox that OCS was not being closed and that a new Company was being formed.

With that in place I spent the last two weeks of my time at Ft Knox working in the Supply Room. Actually this time was a great training opportunity for me as I learned how a good Supply Sergeant can operate on acquiring and dealing to have the equipment that was listed on the Property Book on hand as the unit was being deactivated after the graduation of the company. The other benefit as that I got to have all the OCS insignia that was left to take with me to Fort Benning. It amounted to about 100 sets of OCS insignia and all the rank insignias. Thus equipped with brass, I then had all my shoulder patch converted from the Armor Triangle to the Follow Me Patch of the Infantry School. I now had 12 sets of starched fatigues ready for Ft Benning.

The last interesting part of this story is that the Executive Officer of D-2, as I was leaving had an interesting conversation with me. He told me that Ft Benning was going to eat me alive. My response to him was that I was looking for to it. (More on this later).

After getting married and a short honeymoon I reported to Ft Benning and became a member of the 55th Company OCS Class 511-68. In one of the initial formations my TAC officer asked who had any prior service. Of course there were several personnel who had been in the service for several years. We were lucky in that we had one E-7 who came from the MP Company at Ft Benning and one E-7 who came from the Ranger Committee at Fort Benning. They would come to provide many extra supply items to our company and both graduated.

To be honest, I of course had to say when asked about any prior service that I had completed 22 weeks of Armor OCS. That immediately caused me to be the first platoon leader. Naturally it only lasted two days and was replaced and I continued on with my training trying to stay out of the limelight and being a good soldier.

My wife was finally able to come to Columbus, Georgia to be near me.

Of course, I was only able to see her for a short time each week in the Company Day Room. Here is her story of this interesting time in our first 6 months of marriage.

The wedding invitations were out. Graduation would be in about three weeks. We were waiting for orders. Normal, right? Until the phone call. I was visiting his parents when he called. RECYCLED. Not so bad back to week 16, right? However, Armor OCS was closing and there would be no 16th week. He had opted to go to Fort Benning for Infantry OCS and start at week 1. Like I say, I was visiting his parents. He did not tell his parents. Sooo uncomfortable, when his dad kept talking about ---well, it was uncomfortable.

Over the next few days, there were many phone calls and tears. “They don’t know when I have to be at Ft. Benning.” “They don’t know if I can get leave.” “I can get leave as long as I am still here.” “They still don’t know when I go to Ft. Benning.”

He did get leave. We did get married. We did have nine days before he left for Fort Benning. I followed the next month after getting a transfer from Ohio Bell, Columbus Ohio to Southern Bell, Columbus Georgia. They gave him 2 hours off post to find me a place to live.

I packed all of our belongings—wedding gifts basically—in my Chevy Nova with a car top carrier. On the way, I had car trouble and had to spend the night and all of my money. The motel was in a wooded area of the mountains. The sliding glass doors were covered with only sheers. It felt like the lightening was in the room with me flashing so brightly that I had to cover my eyes. The rain and hail hit the sliding glass door so hard that I feared the glass would break. All I could see outside was woods. It seemed as if there was no one else in those mountains.

I arrived Friday evening at the 8 X 30’ mobile home with tea bags, oranges and no cash. I phoned Dick from the park manager’s phone. He was leaving to go out in the field. He would leave a check in the day room, but I would not see him for three days. He left a check for $100.00 (I only wanted 10 or 20). No one would cash it—that was a lot of money in 1968. After living on oranges and tea for two days, I went back to the grocery store Sunday night. The manager took pity and said he would cash it if I spent at least 10% of it there. No problem! I had nothing.

The first thing I noticed about my trailer was that it smelled like mice. I heard so much noise at night that I started thinking it couldn’t be mice. Then, I saw it—a rat dropped off the cabinet to the floor. Yikes. I waited on my landlord to return from his job at pest control facility. I said, “There is a rat in my trailer.” He said, “Sometimes women mistake mice for rats.” I said, “I know what a mouse and a rat look like.” He said, “Sometimes squirrels get in.” I said, “This was a rat.” He went in and went under things with a broom and said, “There is no rat in there now, plug up under the sink. That’s where they are getting in.” I put cement blocks over a small opening. I worked 3-11 shift that day. While I sat quietly writing letters at midnight the rat came out from under the couch and ran under the furnace. I moved. This time, I had an 8’ x 50’ mobile home.

Finally on Aug 15, 1968 I finally completed OCS and was commissioned a 2LT of Infantry. I received my orders and was being assigned to the 24th Infantry Division at Fort Riley Kansas. Adding to that assignment was to attend Maintenance Officers Training at Fort Knox for 8 weeks prior to reporting to Fort Riley.

So aFTer 6 months at Fort Benning I was once again reporting to Fort Knox for Training. My greatest pleasure was while reporting into the Training Brigade Headquarters I ran into my old Executive Officer from OCS Company D-2 who said that Fort Benning would eat me alive. I was able to tell him that Ft. Benning found me hard to digest. Additionally, I was to attend the class with two of my old classmates from D-2.

Finally after 18 months of training: (Basic Training, Advance Infantry Training, Armor OCS, Infantry OCS and Maintenance Office Training) I finally arrived at a TO&E unit and became a part of the functioning Army where I would serve for a total of 30 years, seven years on active duty and 23 years in the Army Reserve.

My first assignment after finally completing schooling was with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division then stationed at Ft Riley in Kansas. I reported into post on Monday morning and quickly made it to my company. I was told to gather my TA-50 field gear as on Tuesday morning we were going on a field problem for 3 days. Welcome to the Army.

I survived this quick introduction into a TO&E unit and also my additional duty of being the company motor officer of a Mechanized Infantry Company. This proved to be more a challenge then being a platoon leader as we were preparing to go on Reforger 1 exercise to Germany in February.

We had to draw our vehicles in Karlsruhe Germany and then convoy the wheeled vehicles across Germany to Garenfer. I had the pleasure of being the last Jeep in the lead column. We quickly found out that I had one of the only two radios that would communicate the length of the convoy. However this would not be of help as the last two trucks in the lead sector of the convoy began to have trouble. They were both old M49C 2 ½ ton gas tankers. After a couple of stops for repair we were left behind the rest of the convoy. Lucky for me, my driver had been in Germany then the 24th had come to Fort Riley and know the way to where we were going.

We made it to the field exercise and I managed to come down with pneumonia. They evacuated me from the field in an old Jeep Field Ambulance. When they got into town they had no idea where the Army dispensary was so they stopped at a Gas station to ask for directions. I finally made it to the hospital in a German ambulance. I did get a nice scenic ride back to our barracks when I was released from the hospital, which was after the end of the field exercise.

My biggest challenge in Germany for Reforger was to become the Assistant Battalion Motor Officer at the end of the field training. This was at the request of the Battalion Commander who for some reason liked me. I had the challenge of getting the entire track vehicles of the Battalion running, loaded on a train, moved to the storage area across Germany and get them properly prepared for storage. The biggest challenge in this process was that the Battalion wheeled vehicles were being worked on in the Motor Pool Buildings which had some heat. I was given an open filed where the tracks were parked. I told the Battalion Commander that I would do the job as long as they provided me a shop van and a Herman Nelson heater for it so that the mechanics would have a place to be able get warm when they needed to.

After getting all the vehicles but one lonely M-114 command track accepted for storage I was personally driving it (Without a license) to find out what was wrong with it, it was quickly fixed and accepted. I was told to pull in behind the M-60 tank in front of me and move to the storage area. Of course without a driver’s license which no offer in those days could get it wasn’t legal but I took off anyway. I didn't think it would be a problem but as I pulled out of the maintenance yard, there cam the Battalion Commander to check on the status of the vehicles. Of course he saw me but didn’t stop me at the time. We did have an informal discussion later about me driving. It was a challenge but the mission was accomplished with time to spare.

After returning from Germany it was more field problems and then getting ready to go to Viet Nam in May of 1969.

My time in Viet Nam was in 4 parts. First as a platoon leader in D/3/8th Infantry of the 4th Infantry Division, then a platoon leader in B/3/12th Infantry of the 4th Infantry Division, then Liaison Officer between the 1st Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division and the 23rd ARVN division in Bam Me Thout, Viet Nam. My final assignment was to the 1st Brigade S-3 where I became responsible for the Brigade sector of the Division Base Camp Bunker Line first at Camp Enari and then at Camp Radcliff.

My time spent as an Infantry Platoon Leader was uneventful. There was only one time on one firebase we had built that we came under a small attack on the other side of the perimeter from me. This base was on a hill that was really one big rock. We could not dig foxholes and had to use shape charges and cratering chargers to made adequate holes in the hill. I was put in charge of the engineers who were doing the work and managed to put holes in every poncho on the base as well as the mess tent. Actually not everyone, my poncho was next to the mess tent and never got a hole in it.

After returning from the field with a bout with malaria I was assigned the dubious position as Executive Officer of E/3/12th which was really just in name only. Actually I was working for the 1st Brigade helping to supervise the Brigade sector of the Bunker Line around Camp Enari. This lasted until the first part of December when I was given the temporary assignment to be the liaison between the 1st Brigade Headquarters and the MACV Team working with the 2rd ARVN Infantry Division at Bam Me Thout. The 1st Brigade was working in the area I had to attend the daily briefings at both commands to relay any needed information.

I was lucky as the 1st Brigade was billeted at the local airfield, which was in a field of red clay and I was living at the MACV compound in Bam Me Thout. The billets were actually a hunting palace built by the last emperor of Viet Nam so life was really good there. We had maid service and even a real phone in my room that I could use to call home via the MARS network.

All was well until just before Christmas an individual who was living in the newly added buildings to the side of the Grand Bungalow decided to cook his meal on a Coleman stove. He found out it was not good to try to refill it when it was still hot. Unfortunately the edge of the roof to his building was under the eaves of the Grand Bungalow so the fire quickly spread to the main building. I happened to be there for lunch and when I saw what was happening I was able to retrieve my gear form my room which was in the 3rd wing. I knew that they weren’t going to get the fire out.

Since I had lost my place to stay there I moved into an unused office in the 23rd Division Command Bunker where I got to spend Christmas. We had a great feat prepared by the Vietnamese staff. The only thing I recognized was the shrimp and didn’t ask about the rest.

To assist the MACV group, the 1st Brigade sent a group of engineers to work on the cleanup and put me in charge of them since I was already there and knew the MACV personnel. One of the things that helped them was that the PX there of course burnt down, but the newly arrived stock of beer which was about 25 pallets was stacked next to the building. The inside cases were not damaged so we were able to provide afternoon beer breaks to the workers.

This duty ended the first of the year and I returned to Camp Enari in January of 1970 again to work on the 1st Brigade sector of the Bunker Line. This was decent duty as I worked in an office that consisted of a collected on CONEX containers linked together with a roof over the top. One part of the job that was interesting was that in our sector of the line was a gate that went out to the rifle range which was outside the perimeter. One time we had a special team come in from the States that had Starlight Scopes that we really improved on for use by snipers. They fired them off the top of a bunker top an aluminum sililoute that was on the range. You got hear if you hit the target. I was able to fire it and did really good with a weapon I have never touched before.

The other fun time was when the guards in the bunker at the gate wanted to fire the M42 Twin 40mm Duster we had by the gate at a small hill out the gate we fondly called banana mountain. I called to get permission to fire and was told that we couldn’t because it might scare the guards. I finally convinced them it was the guards who were already scared that wanted to fire.

Later in 1970 we moved the 1st Brigade from Camp Enari to Camp Radcliffe outside of Ane Khe. One of my challenges at Camp Radcliff was to get the bunker line back into shape. It had been constructed by the 1st Cav Division and the line was becoming overrun with brush and bamboo. For several months there was a continuous seen of black smoke from the bunker line were diesel fuel had been spread and then lit to remove the growth. My challenge was that my sector of the bunker line ran over the side of a finer with a very steep road. You couldn’t drive a jeep up it as it would spin out because of the degree of the road. Looking for assets to help with my problem I found that a friend in the Cavalry unit was having trouble keeping their wheeled vehicles running and was using their APC’s to make runs to the trash dump. I worked with the Brigade Commander to have on a rotating basis one of the battalions provide a 2 ½ ton truck each day to the Cavalry unit and in turn the would provide me with a M548 Cargo track and they mounted two 500 gallon fuel pods in along with a 100 Gallon per minute pump. I now had a way to get my diesel fuel up the hill.

My next problem was how to get f the fuel I needed to the track. They didn’t think it was a great idea to drive a track vehicle into the tank farm to refuel. I had learned that my former Battalion Commander from Ft Riley was now the Division Support Command Commander and he arranged for a 5000 gallon tanker trailer to bring a full load of diesel fuel each day that was parked along the bunker line where I could draw the diesel fuel I needed. The biggest lesson that I learned here was the need to maintain a network of fellow officers who in various ways could help or assist you with a problem you faced.

I then came home and was given command of Company A, 16th Battalion, 4th Training Brigade at Fort Knox. I was to become the commander responsible for the training of 220 new soldiers coming into the army. I was somewhat surprised when the Battalion Commander asked me if I was ready to win an Emmy. The reason was that a civilian film maker was making a documentary of Basic Training with the Army’s permission and my company had been selected to be the company he filmed. For 8 weeks Fredrick Wiseman an Emmy Award winning producer (And now an Honorary Oscar winner) along with two helpers followed the training of the company. This even included my promotion to Captain where my wife, son and my mother were present. Little did I know that a year later the documentary would be show on Public Television? I got to be part of a reality show in 1972.

To make it more interesting someone told the Chief of Staff of the Army, General William Westmoreland that there were paid civilian actors in the film. I had to watch a special viewing of the film on Ft Knox TV and sign a letter attesting to the fact there were no civilian actors in the film. I wanted to say that there were certainly a number of unpaid military actors but I didn’t think that would have gone over well.

After a year of commanding the company I was reassigned to the Post Director of Plans and Training assigned to the ROTC Basic Camp Planning Staff. This group was me, a Colonel, a senior Captain, a secretary and a driver. This quickly evolved to the Captain, Secretary and me. For the next 11 months we worked the coordination of conducting the ROTC Basic Camp at Fort Knox. Captain Lucas, my boss had the advantage over me from being a military brat and knowing a number of the senior officers on post. My contribution was that my landlord of my off post house was the Director of the post Supply Division. With this connection I soon learned the importance of the civilians who supported the Army. This would continue throughout my military career.

Finally in 1972 in the cutback of the Army it decided that I was one of 20,000 Captains who were no longer needed and I was release from active Duty.

I left Active Duty in June and found an assignment in the Army Reserve in September. I joined the Headquarters of the 83rd Army Reserve Command in the G-3 section, become the Headquarters Commandant with a 9 month break to attend the Armor Officer Advance Course at Fort Knox. I moved on to the DSLOG Office. Then I began a 7 year continuous period of command time starting with the 367th Public Affairs Detachment.

With this unit I got to spend 3 summer training periods at the National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry Ohio. Here my unit provided Public Affairs coverage for the military participants during the matches. Meeting many of the military’s top current and past shooters and learning what they have to go through to reach this level was inspiring.

My next assignment was to command the 326 Military History Detachment for the next 4 years. Being an avid military history buff this was a dream assignment. My first Annual Training was training conducted by the Center of Military History for all the Army Reserve History Detachments. This was the first time it happened and was held at Montana State University in Bozeman MT which gave us access to Custer’s Battlefield. During my 4th year the training was held at Carsile Barracks Pennsylvania which got us to the Gettysburg Battlefield.

After 7 years of command time I then transferred to the 2078th USARF School where I was the Audio Video Instructional Training Officer. Basically I was the librarian where I was responsible for insuring that the instructors had all the materials and Audio Visual equipment they needed.

When my promotion to LTC came through I was then made the Operation Officer of the School which was a challenge of getting everything organized for various training and the instructors needed for that training. After 2 years in this position I was given the opportunity to become an instructor of Command and General Staff College. Here I spent the final 3 years in a paid Army Reserve assignment. I taught Phase III which at the time concentrated on tactics.

It was during this time that I had the opportunity to become the Site Librarian for the Command and General Staff College training site located at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. My school being located in Columbus was selected to be the host school for the entire 8 weeks of training being offered. As the site Librarian I was responsible for having all the training materials, care keeper of the tests and the most fun providing the instructors with training materials they may request. Most were routine but others were like wanting an audio copy of Gen MacArthur’s Farewell address at West Point. That was actually easy since I had met the Historian at West Point during my time commanding the 326th Military History Detachment. The other fun was that I had to provide at that time VCR players for any tapes being shown. I had an extra set of VCR machines with one that would record that I used to make copies of any tape that was interesting. I have a large collection of war movies and special programs. The classes were during the time of Desert Shield and I would get tapes about Armor Operations from Fort Know a week after they were made.

One of my pleasures being involved in this part of my service was being selected to participate as one of a group of 20 USAR School staff members to meet at Ft Leavenworth and provide input on the next reorganization of CGSC program.

Finally after 26 years of receiving pay from the army either on active duty or in the reserves they decided that I was no longer needed in a paid reserve slot and transferred to the Inactive Reserve. This only last for 3 months when I got a call to ask me if I wanted to again be attached to the US Army Reserve Forces School in a non-paid status just accumulating retirement points to work on a history project. I was given the task of writing the history of the 2078the US Army Reserve Forces School which turned out to produce not only a history of the school but provide the basis for the history of the 83rd ARCOM/Infantry Division and Fort Hayes.

This project also provided the information I needed to help with a special project with the Columbus School Board. The Fort Hayes High School in 1995 was putting on a celebration entitled a 50th Anniversary of D-Day and Salute to all Veterans who had spent any time at Ft Hayes. My research helped to provide a Visual presentation on the history of Fort Hayes, which was the home of the Armed Forces Induction Station for many years.

Because of this project I am still today giving history presentations about Ft Hayes from what I initialed learned doing the initial project. The latest presentation was in 2016 to a group of art students who were going to do a project on their interpretation of Fort Hayes.

My history research during my last 4 years has also proved to still be of use as I just finished a project for the 100th Anniversary of the 83rd Infantry Division which was formed in Ohio in WWI.

I have continued to be involved with the Military as the State Historian for the Reserve Officers Association of Ohio, former Volunteer for the USO lounge at John Glenn International Airport and how I am currently serving as a volunteer for the new National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus Ohio. Back

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