Worst Moment Food poisoning. About 1/3 of the battalion came down with food poisoning. The irony is that the when I came down with the sickness, I was scheduled for KP. Didn't make it. The Mess Hall was shut down, clean out and steam cleaned over the next couple of days.
Other Memories I entered the army at the age of 23. I was also a teatotaler at the time. About the 5th or 6th week in basic training, the post (Ft. Leonard Wood, MO) was having a fair, with rides and games, etc. The Post CO decided that he wanted full participation, and so D-3-3 was marched approximately 2 miles to the fairground, and were given two hours to enjoy the fair.
Upon arrival, our drill sergeants gave a safety brief. Part of the brief was that there was a beer tent at the fair. And, while the only available beer in Missouri then was 'three-two' beer (low alcohol - 3.2%), none of us had enjoyed any beer for weeks. "Do NOT go to that tent!"
"Fall Out!"
And, of course, a full three quarters of us bee-lined to the tent.
About 1:40 into the excursion, a group of sober troops, including myself, took it upon ourselves to round up all our fellow trainees at the beer tent. Amazingly, when the sergeants called "Fall In," all of us were there! But, that was the ONLY thing we had going for us. And there was a lot of swaying going on in the ranks.
"Left Face! ForWARD, MARCH!"
And thus began the stumbling, tripping, and the breaking ranks to throw up.
Just a couple of weeks before, we had received the first female drill sergeant, SGT White (not her real name), in the battalion since our arrival at Basic Training. She, and the other male drills, marched us steadily to our barracks. Upon arrival, we opened ranks and began calisthenics and gorilla drills to 'help sweat that alcohol out.'
45 minutes later I stood there in the fourth squad, watching all of us sweating profusely, some still swaying slightly. At that moment, I was so thankful that I didn't drink. I was in pain, but I couldn't imagine what kind of pain the drunk members of the company were in. After a firm lecture by the senior drill, all of us at parade rest, the drill asked, "Are there any questions?"
Up popped a hand in one of our ranks in front of me.
"You got something to say, Trainee?"
'Yes, sergeant!'
"And what would that be?"
Our fellow Trainee turned his head toward SGT White and said, 'SGT White! I lo-ove you!'
And we then continued with more drills. I felt bad for that Trainee that night. But, not too bad.