Oh man, Hair..Love that...this one kills me...but how many soldiers fit in that plane !?
Way too many! That video reminded me that I must have had (or still have) a fairy godmother watching over me. I've made some decisions in my life.....................one being drafted into the Army (Nam era) right out of college. I had already signed up for the next semester so my draft board gave me one more semester. I decided I'd join a branch that would keep me out of Nam. So, I talked to all branches--yes, even the Marines (told me how much pride each marine had as all of them were infantrymen--did not even wave, just left quickly). Army told me they could give me Area Studies which would fit my history degree--study an area, even learning the language and culture. Yeah--that sounds good. So, my little mind thought--for another added year (to make 3) I could keep out of Nam and do what sounded really interesting. So I joined. The Army. 1968.
Went to basic after the semester-not fun. Then on to advanced training in Balitimore, MD, of all places. My training was 18 weeks and each group had to have 50 men in it to start. So, I was in casual company for about 4 months. Not casual; did assigned duties. I was a prop guy for those undergoing Area Studies training. Good--yeah? I learned what I was to become--a spy. Where was there a need for bunches of spies-- in Nam! Fuck! Then my Fairy Godmother kicked in and the Fort commander called me into his office and told me my the next class would not start for another 4 months--would I accept a transfer to a Counter Intelligence class? Yep, yep, yep! That was 18 weeks of learning how to catch spies. Half way thru training I learned that for the last 11 classes, every single soldier was ordered to Nam! Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck! Wrote my will. Upon grad. was offered a dream sheet, where from a list of 8 areas/countries
We could pick 3; if possible we would be sent to one of them. But the prior 11 classes had had the same offer, soooo.........................I chose Japan. As did 2 others. All the rest picked Germany. 3 days later learned that all who had picked Germany got it! The three Japan pickers did not have orders yet. Updated my will. Waited a full week--updated my will again. Then the orders came and all of us got Hawaii. Yeah--Aloha!! That is as close to Nam as I got. Yeah, Fairy Godmother came thru. Lucky. If, at any time, my orders had come up Nam, I would have been on that plane. I would have gone. And I would have died--if not in body, for sure in mind. Looking back, FG has waved her wand several times. Fortunate for me. I have been lucky--and I am grateful to her for that!