Retired effective 1 Feb 2014. Plan to travel,fish,work around the house and visit my grand kids. 2017 still fish and work in my yard . Had to stop travelling on our trike and just sold it . Haven't seen my grand kids in Colorado for three years . Bad feet and knees on many meds , old age sucks !
August 2019 I had a stroke and lost the use of my whole right side and speech . I have come back to getting around without a cane and can talk fairly good . I can drive and do most things only slowly . I am still getting better and feel half normal .
Other Comments:
Retired from Oklahoma Teachers Retirement system 1 Feb 2014. Drawing Social Security,Retired from Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in 2006 and retired from the Army in 1988. My hobbies are my yard now getting my main attention. Really enjoy going to bed and getting up whenever I feel like ! I still do some bass fishing once in awhile . Still do a few local Bass Tournaments .
Best Moment Graduation day of course ! Getting out of there and a two week leave .
Worst Moment There were many of these . The worst was when I got put in the hospital for measles , flu and a infected left foot . I was so affraid of getting recycled . They cut me slack and after four days missing training somebody made the decision to keep me in the company . I guess I was doing good enough that they thought I could keep up . If I missed any important stuff they covered for me I'm sure .
Instructors Our SDI Sfc Douglas was tough and seemed mean , only I don't think for real . He would call you a girl or baby and yell in your face . He got at the end of my bayonet one time during drills and asked if I wanted to kill him , yelled that is . I knew what he wanted so I yelled Yes ! SDS ! and he moved on . My DS was really a E-4 acting E-5 and we didn't know it until near the end of cycle he got promoted in front of us . We had some that were only through Basic and Infantry AIT then picked for DS school . I roomed with a E-4 in 2/54th Inf , Gray Ground , that had gone to DS school with my DS in Germany later .
Other Memories I was the platoon ammorer and one night as the weapons were turned in we were one bayonet short . It was from a Pvt that said he didn't know where it went ? I cross checked all of them for their number and found his in another Pvt's slot . So that brought hell down on him ! He was shock down by DS's and they found alive round and the bayonet . He got some company punishment so it didn't get him in much trouble which was lucky for him . All in all basic was hard in some ways and easy in others and sure made a guy feel great when it was over and ready to move on with more confidence . I had lost fourty pounds during the eight weeks . I had to get my greens taliored when on leave .
