Roman, Thomas, 1SG

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE ARMY.
My Godfather, who was an Air Force MSG at the time, talked to me for as long as I can remember about a career in the military. He became my Godfather when I was 4 years old. Senior Master Sergeant Howard E. Nelson who served from approximately 1946 to 1967. Sadly MSG Nelson Passed away at the Age of 38 from heart Failure. One could never meet a better person or a stronger supporter and promoter of a Military Career.

My reason for joining the Army Vs other services was not exactly a smooth road. I joined the Army 30 days after my 17th birthday. In 1965 the Air Force required that all enlistees be a High School Graduate, something I had not achieved, at the time i wanted to join, or shall i say others wanted me to join.

My next option was to join the Navy as my brother had joined the navy in July of 1965. I started the process just prior to my 17th Birthday and all was proceeding ok until i short circuited the process. As young boys will do on occasion i got to feeling my oats one night and drank a little too much corn. After seeing the Judge and my Dad, and that was a bad combination. Living in the country had its pluses in 1965, so the Judge and my dad worked out a deal, since the only one who was actually effected by my adventure that night was me and my car. Dad took my drivers license and was not to return them to me until i was leaving town for the military. The Judge told Dad, if I joined the military there would be no record of the incident. The Navy decided I was too much trouble for them.

The Army was my next choice as I had friends who had joined the Army, and returned home with their stories. I didn't get to leave on my 17th Birthday, as planned, the Army had me get a GED prior to joining. That was no problem, as I had a catholic education, where not learning was not an option. The Army took 45 or so days to complete all the required documents for juvenile delinquents.

I departed for Ft. Polk, LA on 10 November 1965 which started my 20 year adventure in the Army. FYI, Dad returned my drivers License as i boarded the plane, and not one minute sooner.

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BASIC TRAINING AND WHAT UNITS, BASES OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
I don't think it was the Path I took, but the Path the Army sent me on.

When I joined the Army I had requested that i be in communication. My brother had joined the Navy 4 months before me and was in communications. Now my brother was still in training, but had told me about his training and the job he would be doing. I decided that was the job i would like to do in the Army. Good luck with that one. This was 1965, once you raised your hand, you belonged to the Army. I was a 17 year old, who didn't know much about the world.

So it was off to Ft. Polk, LA. This was where i would take my Basic Training, beyond that, I had no idea what else was to follow. At Ft. Polk we first where sent to a reception area. At the reception area my training began on the bus. There was a very large Drill Sgt that got on the bus, and informed us we had about 10 seconds to get off his bus, he did not seem happy about our use of his bus. My first training lesson, " Speak only when spoken to."