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LT:
Yeah, they probably were doing that as Ft. Polk graduated an entire battalion of Infantry every week I think, most of whom went directly to Vietnam. I was in A/4/3 (or A/5/3?), and the battalion had 5 companies. All but one got orders for Vietnam the day we graduated.
It was us. We all went to Germany, except for some who left for specialized training such as dog handlers school, jungle school, jump school etc.
Polk was a busy place in late ’69 and early ’70. There were 5 training brigades there (2 BCT, 2 AIT and 1 CST). Most of the brigades had 5 battalions and the battalions had 5 companies. Add that up and it comes to about 125 training companies. Since training companies were much larger than line companies, that’s a LOT of trainees!
Bill,
My Infantry AIT was at Ft. Dix, NJ also. I was in C/5/1 Pulliam’s Panthers. I do not have real fond memories of what was called Infantry Walk. 1st off I don’t remember walking on it and it was loose sand which made it harder than heck to run on!
Gary,
They were apparently hurrying to get you ready for your tour in Nam! I took an OCS and a short tour at Fort Hood before they sent me over the pond. When they were ready for me to go they decided to make a mistake on my orders for Jungle School so when I got to Charleston SC the SGM there said my class had already started so they cut new orders for me to go to Oakland and then Vietnam.
If you didn’t get your AIT at North Ft. Polk, you didn’t have AIT at all. 🙂
Ft Dix, NJ had AIT for me.
OTIS REDDING
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay
yes russ that is where i had my induction to the military way of life both basic/ait the white stips and all
Larry….No not the animals.
But did anybody else take AIT at ORD..? They had a place called Stillwell Hall on base, as I remember. Just a big old bar where we’d go and drink 3.2 Coors and listen to “We gotta get out of this place”……..over..and over…and over. The DI’s would kick our buts the next morning at PT…or force marching in that sand. Repetitive torture and somehow we got in shape.
Russ:
The way you guys are talking was your favorite song “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Eric Burdon and the Animals?
Terry,
Well said.
Thanks
I NTERESTING COMMENTS TO THE MUSIC ‘ I GOTTA GET OUTA THIS PLACE IF IT’S THE LAST THING I EVER DO’ SEEMS TO STICK WITH ME. AS TO THE PTSD DEAL. DURING MY LONG LASTING [ 5 YEARS SO FAR] ORDEAL WITH THE VA, MY WIFE OF NOW 39 YRS. AND MY OLDER DAUGHTER BOTH WROTE LETTERS ABOUT ME WITH THEIR OBSERVATIONS OF ME OVER THE YEARS. THIER LETTERS COMBINED WITH ONE FROM BEN BUEHLER BLEW THE PSHYC’S MIND AWAY. MY RATING WENT FROM30% to 70%. IT STILL BOGGLES MY MIND. BUT IF YOU CAN ACCEPT WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY,AND THAT CAN BE HARD, YOU AT LEAST HAVE A CHANCE TO CONFRONT YOUR SITUATIN WITH THE LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU TRULY NEED. AS MY WISE GROUP COUNSELOR HAS OFTEN SAID TO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM WITH THE ANGER DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN EVER BE CURED OF PTSD, BUT AT THE VERY LEAST TO UNDERSTAND IT MAY HELP YOU TO MANAGE THOSE FEELINGS. I KNOW THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN A GODSEND FOR ME. THANK YOU MY BROTHERS FOR THE HONORABLE PEOPLE YOU ARE.
Gary,
I doubt they played Country Joe on AFVN and I’m pretty sure I never heard of him until I got back home and heard about Woodstock. But, “be the first family on your block, to have your boy come home in a box”, never struck me as grunt material.
Wasn’t CCR or Norman Greenbaum……but I’d a played them too. I don’t think Norman Greenbaum had much of a repertoire past Spirit in the Sky.
Short Round….That was “Fortunate Son”…. and it was one of the best, most appropriate song for a grunt that I ever heard.
how about “favorite son” –i ain`t no generals son–etc
Russ,
It wasn’t something by CCR was it? My favorite song of my time there was Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky”.
Russ:
For those of us who arrived late in the war, Country Joe was an icon. Someone was playing “The I Feel Like I’m Goin’ To Die Rag” on a tape recorder at Chu Lai once and all the lower raking EM’s who heard it cheered. It totally pissed off the “lifers” and someone quickly ordered it shut off.
it’s not Country Joe and the Fish…for sure. For the Woodstock aficiondo’s.
I knew you’d ask… I know I don’t have the deck any more, but I might still have the tape…..and MP3, of course. My favorite song on the album is too appropriate to the topic and I’d probably give it away if I gave you a clue.
But ya know, maybe it’s good fodder to start a pool going for the reunion. Proceeds can go for the reunion refreshments…..or other such worthwhile causes..
Russ,
Pray tell what was that one tape you had? That might tell us if something was wrong with you or not!!
does this mean there might be something wrong with a grunt that kept a tape deck back in the rear (HH); only owned one tape and would check the deck out of supply every time he came back in on bunkerline……and listen to that tape —- over and over a hundred times………?
It’s still therapeutic today. Brings back some bad memories, but some real good ones, too.
In the words of the T.G Shepherd song, ” War is hell on the homefront too, God only knows what a woman goes through”
Bill:
I used the think the same thing and often wondered what was wrong with everyone else.
Then…it occured to me that the nuthouses are full of people who think they’re sane! LOL
Ben,
I never consider them idiosyncrasies but signs of my superior intellect. I was normal and everyone else was off center.
Clay:
If you’re really interested, e-mail me and I can walk you through the system.
Of course, the REAL issue isn’t getting disability payments. It’s getting help for crap we think is normal, but the rest of the world recognizes as more than a little odd or even downright dangerous.
At one point, I asked my kids how I was as a father, when compared with their friends. I asked them separately and at different times, but they ALL THREE began with the exact same phrase…”Well…..you were different.”
That was an eye-opener!
One of the neatest things about reconnecting and the reunions is when the wives get together and compare notes. They find they have a lot in common when dealing with our idiosyncrasies.
I told my wife about this discussion and she described some things I do but wasn’t aware of or do in my sleep, or didn’t think was a big deal. She also described several of them to a lady she golfs with who happens to be a local veteran’s rep. She told my wife I’m a clear candidate for PTSD disability at some level. I thought we were all normal and the Remfs and civilians were just a little geeky. At any rate I’m getting pressure from those two and an ex-Marine I know to get down there and apply. More tips from you guys are always welcome.
Gary,
It will be interesting!
Bill:
Eye opening, isn’t it? When my wife did that, she began with the words, “Living with this man has not been easy,” and went on for eight more pages! LOL
I never knew I’d done all that.
Gary,
When I ask my wife of 44 years to write a letter here words were I will give them the “biting truth.” Not sure I want to see it. We were married when I was there so she knows the before and after.
have made reservations for reunion hope to see u all
Gary,
Thanks for the input.
Chuck,
I don’t know if your comment was a compliment or insult even if true. Will take it as a compliment.
Bill:
Have you had your wife write a letter in support of your claim? If not, do so right now as it carries a lot of weight. Have her describe what it’s like living with you, not what you experienced during the war, then send it to the person who signed the letter allowing you 10%. Include a cover letter explaining that this is additional information on your claim (you can do that anytime) and be sure to put your name and claim number in the upper right hand corner of each scrap of paper you send the VA. And NEVER, NEVER, EVER send an original document! Send copies and keep the originals for yourself as you may need to re-submit something. Things DO get lost at the VA, so be prepared to replace everything you send them.
Additionally, get your kids, your parents (if they’re still alive) other family members, co-workers, supervisors and friends to write letters in support of your claim too and send them along as additonal information.
Also, if you haven’t already done so, go down to records release at your local VAMC and get copies of your entire medical history at the VA. Select those pages relevant to your claim and highlight any diagnoses and GAF numbers. Send those too. The VA Regional Office is supposed to get those for you, but they don’t always do it, so send them yourself as additional information.
Never forget this: A diagnosis of PTSD is ENTIRELY based upon what you tell them. It is symptomatic as there is no physical evidence one can point to and say, “You have PTSD.” So, whenver you talk to a therapist or Psychiatrist or anyone else at the VA, be honest and forthright. You do your claim no good service by holding back something or by exagerating your experiences. In fact, you’ll hurt yourself if you do that.
And, a VA adjudicator knows NOTHING unless you tell him! If the packet of papers which lands on his/her desk doesn’t lay out the whole case and include everything relevant, the chances of a refusal increase exponentially. That adjudicator is under NO obligation to research your claim any farther than requesting your medical files. It is up to YOU to prove your case!