# The new recruit



## Rocky (Oct 29, 2013)

This is for all we service people who remember our first guard duty.

A young recruit was walking his guard post at the motor pool late one cold, dreary and drizzling evening. He saw a form in the distance and challenged, "Halt! Who goes there?"
The form responded, "General Connor, the Post Commander."
The recruit thought, 'Yeah, sure. The Post Commander is going to be out on a night like this' so he said, "Well, I'll tell you what _General. _Place you ID card on the ground, back off 10 paces and come to attention."
The form complied and the recruit walked over, picked up the ID card and shined his flashlight on it. To his utter horror, it _was_ General Connor!
Not knowing exactly how to handle the situation, the recruit stood there, trembling, flashlight shaking in his hand for a few long minutes.
The General got impatient and shouted, "Soldier, do you intend for me to stand here at attention all night?!"
The recruit replied in a shaky voice, "N-N-No S-S-Sir. PAAA-RADE, REST!"


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## ShawnDTurner (Oct 29, 2013)

I remember those days in the Navy


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## jamesngalveston (Oct 29, 2013)

dang , i remember something like that when I was doing guard duty in stuttgart, germany...and it was cold, and it was snowing...
later i got caught napping in a furnace room....thank god my lieutenant was a poker playing buddy.


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## bkisel (Oct 29, 2013)

Wow! 51 years since I was a Marine Corps recruit. This post brings back memories... 

As as young Marine boot on guard duty, after having halted the figure, I would have yelled out "SGT. OF THE GUARD! POST NUMBER X!". Let the Sgt. deal with it.

Years later when I was a Sgt. and got guard duty I found most of the challenges we're for Marines who had a little to much to drink and and were taking short cuts back to their barracks.

THANK YOU FOR POSTING!


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## Rocky (Oct 29, 2013)

Thanks for the replies, fellows. I remember my time in the Army as a very positive experience and the Army was great for me. I was the kind of kid that never finished anything when I was an adolescent and teen. Things came fairly easily for me and I became bored. I think I realized that I could not go on this way and I thought the Service was something I had to finish. It made a major difference in my life. I was discharged in January, 1967 and went back to college. I had squandered my previous educational opportunities and had to start over as a 1st Semester Freshman (at age 25) with 8 credits "advanced standing" for ROTC. I was married by this time, had a child on the way and it looked like an uphill climb. Somehow I made it and along the way earned BS, MS and MBA degrees. I owe everything to the lady pictured to the left here. We are well into our 48th year of marriage and it continues to be wonderful.


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## bkisel (Oct 29, 2013)

Rocky,

Thanks for sharing. Would the lady pictured be your Mom? For the past 5 months since I joined here I assumed it was you.


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## Rocky (Oct 29, 2013)

Bkisel, not my Mom, that is my Bride! The occasion was my 70th birthday party in 2012. She was getting something out of the oven and I said, "Smile!"


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## sour_grapes (Oct 30, 2013)

bkisel said:


> Wow! 51 years since I was a Marine Corps recruit. This post brings back memories...



bkisel, I posted this in an earlier thread of mine that you were kind enough to contribute to. I doubt you saw it, so I am reposting it here. I was curious as to why your avatar insignia listed VMFA -- why the F and also the A? I hadn't seen that before, so I had to look up the history of your unit; it is clear now. Very interesting history.

Anyway, I also wanted to relate that my late father was in VMA-131, which was the last unit to fly the A-4. In fact, I had the "pleasure" recently of finding a way, as I was cleaning out his effects, to dispose of some 50 mm cannon shells he had "liberated" from the base. Let me give you a Semper Fi from him.


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## bkisel (Oct 30, 2013)

Rocky said:


> Bkisel, not my Mom, that is my Bride! The occasion was my 70th birthday party in 2012. She was getting something out of the oven and I said, "Smile!"



Yes of course your beautiful bride. And you turned 70 in 2012? You make me feel like a young man, my being _only_ 69.






BTW, are you still lifting those 6.5 gallon carboys or have you gotten one of those AIO pumps? Though I still exercise regularly, including weight lifting twice a week, I think about how easily it'd be to drop a full carboy as it is being moved around and lifted up.


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## bkisel (Oct 30, 2013)

sour_grapes said:


> bkisel, I posted this in an earlier thread of mine that you were kind enough to contribute to. I doubt you saw it, so I am reposting it here. I was curious as to why your avatar insignia listed VMFA -- why the F and also the A? I hadn't seen that before, so I had to look up the history of your unit; it is clear now. Very interesting history.
> 
> Anyway, I also wanted to relate that my late father was in VMA-131, which was the last unit to fly the A-4. In fact, I had the "pleasure" recently of finding a way, as I was cleaning out his effects, to dispose of some 50 mm cannon shells he had "liberated" from the base. Let me give you a Semper Fi from him.



Hi, for those reading and might be interested to know...
V=Heavier than Air; M=Marine; F=Fighter and A=Attack. 

[Our squadron's first missions in Vietnam were all "attack"/ground support missions. There may have been some missions late in our tour into North Vietnam but I don't remember any of our crews mixing it up with Migs. I'm speaking of VMFA-542's first deployment to Vietnam spring of 65.]

The A-4 was an awesome bird. Did your Dad fly them or like me worked on the ground to keep them flying?


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## sour_grapes (Oct 30, 2013)

bkisel said:


> The A-4 was an awesome bird. Did your Dad fly them or like me worked on the ground to keep them flying?



He was ground support (mostly avionics). He did pursue his private pilot's license; he soloed, but never finished his license.

Interestingly, he was activated for two wars: Korea and Desert Storm! He saw heavy action as a grunt in Korea, and was a Casualty Assistance Officer in Desert Storm. Very fortunately, did not have much to do in the latter job!


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## Rocky (Oct 30, 2013)

BTW, are you still lifting those 6.5 gallon carboys or have you gotten one of those AIO pumps? Though I still exercise regularly, including weight lifting twice a week, I think about how easily it'd be to drop a full carboy as it is being moved around and lifted up. 

Bkisel, they do seem to be getting heavier, but I can still manage them.  It is a lot of time and work to use the pump instead of just lifting and siphoning. Can't lift the demijohn so I use the pump on that! I consider lifting the other carboys a "squat." I hold the neck with one hand and put my other hand under the carboy, do a good squat move (back straight, lift wit the legs). _Ecco fatto!_


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## vernsgal (Oct 30, 2013)

I have to show your post to my husband. He's turning 65 in a few months and I want to show him I still expect him to lift my carboys well into his 70's  Guess he better keep up with his squats!


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## bkisel (Oct 30, 2013)

vernsgal said:


> I have to show your post to my husband. He's turning 65 in a few months and I want to show him I still expect him to lift my carboys well into his 70's  Guess he better keep up with his squats!



I think it is as much the awkward hold on the carboy as it is the weight itself. Maybe some kind of reward for your husband each time he lifts a carboy for you would lighten his load?


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## vernsgal (Oct 30, 2013)

bkisel said:


> I think it is as much the awkward hold on the carboy as it is the weight itself. Maybe some kind of reward for your husband each time he lifts a carboy for you would lighten his load?


 I showed this post to my husband. I think you've made a friend


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## 1ChuckGauthier (Nov 1, 2013)

Bum ticker and all and I am still lifting my carboys at almost 75........just wanted you all to know there is still life after 70 so enjoy it...........

Most memorable guard duty........Great Lakes Ill, navy boot camp, Feb 1959..............2 AM .......Stood guard, 4 hr watch on a Dempster Dumpster in the middle of a blizzard........spent an hour in it just to get warm out of the wind


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## Rocky (Nov 1, 2013)

1ChuckGauthier said:


> Bum ticker and all and I am still lifting my carboys at almost 75........just wanted you all to know there is still life after 70 so enjoy it...........
> 
> Most memorable guard duty........Great Lakes Ill, navy boot camp, Feb 1959..............2 AM .......Stood guard, 4 hr watch on a Dempster Dumpster in the middle of a blizzard........spent an hour in it just to get warm out of the wind


 
That is a good one, Chuck. The only time I was in a Dempster Dumpster was in college during hell week (with people banging on it with baseball bats)!


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## Fordguy (Nov 1, 2013)

Enjoyed reading this thread.
I spent 6 years active duty AF and 15 years in the Air National Guard.
You guys that are in your 60's and 70's are quite an inspiration.
I am a mere 53 years old.

And thanks for your service.


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## Logwerx (Nov 1, 2013)

Nothing like stupid guard duty for the sake of guard duty. I still can remember sounding & security duty in .............................. wait for it ........................ DRYDOCK.

USN 1983-1989,

USS Marvin Shields FF-1066
USS Missouri BB-63
USS New Orleans LPH-11


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## Rocky (Nov 2, 2013)

Logwerx said:


> Nothing like stupid guard duty for the sake of guard duty. I still can remember sounding & security duty in .............................. wait for it ........................ DRYDOCK.
> 
> USN 1983-1989,
> 
> ...


 
Wow, Logwerx, the "Mighty Mo!" That is something to be proud of and a memory for all time. Thank you for serving Our Country.

You mentioned guarding a ship in dry dock. We used to stand guard in Germany at an ammo dump with an _empty rifle!_ What were we supposed to do, use it as a club?! Even when I was Sergeant of the Guard and carried a .45 Automatic, it was empty. The only time I carried a loaded weapon was when I had to escort a prisoner to Frankfurt. He was on his way to Ft. Leavenworth!

These are all things we laugh about now, but I look back at my time in the Service as some of the best years of my life. The friends I made, and I was discharged in 1967, are some of the best I ever had. Now, almost 47 years later, I still hear from many of them although, sadly, fewer as the years pass.


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