My Army comrades and I suffered the lamest military basic training regime you'll probably ever hear of. I was in basic from November and December 1969 into January '70. We never saw the obstacle course, though obstacle courses are most important aspects of military training worldwide. Our 5-day bivouac camping out in pup tents was canceled. The 20-mile forced march was whittled down to a mile-and-a-half, on a heavy snowing day. We never ran more than 10 miles total for the 8 weeks. The drill sergeants told us that each basic training company must follow their scheduled turns at those training days, and it was too cold to do the training due to previous trainees sticking one or two of their fingers out of their heavy gloves or toes out of their sleeping bags to cause frostbite injuries that would require finger or toe amputations then medical discharge so they did not have to go to Vietnam - though few basic trainees were already going to be assigned to Nam.
What the drill instructors had us do was a lot of repetitious hand-to-hand combat moves or knife fight training with rubber knives in the barracks. On our very first session at hand-to-hand combat training, the drill instructor told us that the moves were mostly worthless in real fighting, and to first try using a helmet, belt, or anything you can find to beat down enemies. But it kept us up out of our bunks and occupied.
It was to be my first Christmas away from home, and I told myself that other members of America's military are spending their holidays in the war zone of Vietnam, many members who were not in the war still had no chance of going home for the holidays, others served the same way in all of America's military services, and it was then my turn so deal with it.
It gets deeper. Right smack dab in the middle of the 8 weeks of training, we were made to take 2-week leaves home at Christmas holiday time. I heard that the general in charge there at Fort Dix, New Jersey had shut the training down so he and his family could have a two-week holiday in some warm & wonderful southern vacation destination. You need to understand that in basic we were banned from having possession of or access to: TVs; radios; record players; musical instruments; phones; candy; soda; snacks of any ilk; magazines; newspapers; books; civilian clothing; comfortable chairs or sofas; and all our food was served at 3 meals a day by the Army. You stay on base right wherever they tell you to, while no visitors are allowed. Then we go home for 2 weeks to eat and drink a whole lot while doing tons of TV watching, music listening, and reading, being with family, friends and the lucky guys with lovers, but not exercising or doing rifle target practice.
I wanted to learn my capabilities and limitations as a soldier; to be pushed till I was exhausted and well-trained.
Throughout my youth, I anticipated serving several years in the military and was determined to do my natural duty. Basic training was a miserable incomplete in my life. Same as it was for most of my fellow soldiers who shared the damned experience.
Ever since, I have wondered how bad it was for basic trainees who went on to advanced training where they needed to know how to bivouac, run an obstacle course, etc that we were not trained at. I know some men went to war without proper training and did that precipitate any injuries or deaths in combat. I once took my basic training yearbook list of men in my barracks and compared it to the list of Killed in Vietnam and none of the guys I had lived and trained with for 8 weeks was on it. That is a relief.
The United States Army owes an apology to me, all the fellow basic training veterans from Fort Dix along with their loved ones who suffered that, plus to all Americans for doing that.
It demoralized us trainees and completely destroyed any trust that the Army does what is right. It still sickens me, which is why I have never before been able to write it out though for decades I've been planning to.
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