What was the toughest military school

[reeb]

Most defininately,

E&E ( escape and evasion ) school in Little Creek , Va.

Only a one week course, but the first 5 days were the worse. More exercise and marching than Boot Camp, and at all hours of the days and nights.

The last two days was transferred to the fields, just a great big forest.

There was 7 of us in each group and we were given One chicken, and seven potatoes to survive on.

Just luckily we had a "Hillbilly" in my group, and he found his way the first night to a farmers land, and stole us a small pig. Really did happen. We didnt have to eat our toothpastse like most did.

We moved in the dark of night, and tried to sleep in the day.

The second night, we were told to "dig in", and the very next thing you know, is that we are captured one by one ( noone got away ) and taken to a Mock POW camp.

There I was tossed into a small pond about 5 foot deep, and about 20 feet in diameter. The bad thing was, it was full a snakes.

I am still scared shitless of snakes to this day.

Then we went to ths interrogators and questioned. I guess that is where they found out if you could be trusted or not to blab the location and mission.

I guess I passed, cause after 7 days free leave, I was on a flight to Nam.

That is the worse school for me.

enough......

[b3196]

Splummer
Did AIT at Fort Jackson SC in Aug Sept 1966 then on to jungle training from there to Vietnam. Assigned to the 18th Engs hauled supplies for the 1st 9th 25th and 196 light infantry. LOL When you mentioned the hill. At Ft Jackson they took us to this hill at night where you had to get to the bottom using only the blackout lights with both feet planted firmly on the floor (no Brakes) without plowing down any trees. One other thing......congrats
on winning, that paper cut could have been real serious
Bob K

[splummer]

I meant it as a joke because it was such a simple 5 week coarse, but then I started to remember all the problems I had there. First I had been bitten in the leg by something and spent a week in the hospital and had my 20th birthday there. Got to training 1 week late but I did get recycled another week because I rolled down a steep hill in a duce in a half. They thought I was going to roll it. I finally completed the coarse and everyone in the class got orders for Nam but me. People were saying I'd probably spend the next 2 years in AZ. I felt terrible that they were all going except me. I just wandered around the post at night depressed because I wasn't going. I finally found a sp-4 who typed orders for the officers in charge of us and for $20 I got my RVN orders. Does that mean I volunteered?? So they sent me for 4 days of jungle training there. It's tough to train for the jungle in the desert, but were Army we adapted. [or is that the Marines.] Anyway I caught newmonia and spent two weeks of my three week leave sick. PHO do I still win? The little bit of training was worthless. I never drove a light vehecle, I got put in a medium tractor traile unit.

[thebrad]

I suppose since I am not announymous on this site... and still in service... I should keep opinions to myself... let's just put it this way: I don't have any stories to compete with yours! I don't even get to drive any big trucks... and never got a single paper-cut.

But I am starting my train-up here at Engineer Officer Basic Course for Ranger school tomorrow. The Engineer Branch will be looking at my performance at the Pre-Ranger course to decide if I am worthy to represent them at Ranger school

[PHO127]

Never walk when you could ride never ride when you could fly and never fly unless absolutly necessary. Running truck convoys was no slick trick, It was tough and deadly business. They didn't call hiway 9 from Dong Ha to Khe Sahn the junk yard because there were a lot of dogs there. You got my vote. Say did I ever tell you about my Duck Story???

[PHO127]

One of my SF Sergeants retired as Sergeant Major of the Ranger School. The only way to get through Ranger School is to go until you think you are going to die, then grin because you know they can't eat the body and go some more. Let us know if you get in and we will come visit you at Camp Darby. (North Georgia Mountain Phase)

[b3196]

PHO127
duck story? Whip it on us
Bob K

[Boats]

I'd say my POW School was the thriller in Maniller!!
Mandatory had to go - no choice - Yep it was a real learning
curve there.

[PHO127]

Is best told around a campfire but here goes, I had just returned to Cu Chi Base camp from the Cambodian incursion. My first real artillery job with the 1st battalion 27th infantry. I had been originally assigned as special forces liason but they liked me and kept me as their artillery officer. I was subsequently assigned to the 2nd battalion of the 77th artillery. Having been the only artillery officer from the 2/77th to go into Cambodia and that they did not know who I was had all of the makings of a celebration. 60 some odd days with the 1/27th had pretty well done in the 2 pair of fatigues I had. The S4 was more than willing to get me some new issue so several of us went to a steam and cream and got ..... well you know. We got back to the 2/77th area and was just in time for thir little officers club to open. We went to the club to get introduced to the other officers and the BnCo, none of which I had ever met before. I remember the Bn CO was a LTC Tom Kelley who chewed tobacco, It was the first and last time I met him. As the evening progressed we had several drinks and I told them of my SF background and the time in Cambodia. All the way through evening Chow which had been hartily substituted with Jack Daniels. Much later it got hungry and there was nowhere to eat. Being a SF officer that was no problem, in the 2/77 area I had noticed there was a duck pond and several of those ugly muscovie ducks. Roast duck sounded pretty good. As luck would have it a heavy monsoon rain came pouring in just as we were ready to go get a duck, Having just gotten this new set of fatigues and didn't want to get the all wet I stripped naked and charged to the duck pond to catch a duck. Any of you ever step into a duck pond barefoot? To say it was slicker than shit would be an undestatement. We chased ducks all over the place and were throughly covered in mud and duck shit, and drunk. The 2/77th area was not far from the post generator area and the engineer guys had been setting some telephone poles along the edge of the area well they had a hole that didn't get a pole set in it and one of the duck we were chasing went into it. Probably 5 or 6 feet deep. We tried to hold one guys feet and have him reach in the hole and get the duck. You ever tried to hold a naked drunk upside down covered with duckshit?? Well we couldn't get the duck out of the hole and we knew that tomorrow the engineer guys were going to drop a pole in the hole. We had to rescue the duck. Several methods were tried to no avail, so we pondered for awhile and had a couple more swigs and came up with the realization that ducks float so all we had to do was fill the hole with water and we would float the duck out. Where to get a hose with water to the hole. Someone came up with the idea to get a water tanker and use that so off we went Drunk, Naked in search of a water tanker. we found one and brought it back With driver operator. Got the hoses connected and pushed into the bottom of the hole. Anybody have an idea what the pressure and volume of water from a 5,000 gallon tanker thru a 6 inch hose into a hole about 6 feet deep and about 12 to 14 inches wide is?? Now you get the picture? Well when the driver opened the valve on the truck we literally blew the duck into the air, God only knows if he survived. We however had accomplished our mission and went back to the officers club and proceeded to drink some more with the tanker driver as our guest. Leaving the truck there to drain 5,000 gallons of water into the 2/77th area and flooding several hooches. I left the next morning after being requested to go the the 1/27th area and not to return.

Next time boys and girls I'll tell you the rat story.

[sn-e3]

ROLFLMAO "Sid" you slay me.