"A PASTLY PAST"..("PART ONE")
"He Was At The Age Of 17 And 1/2 Years Old At The Time............He Had Just Gotten Through From Coming From The Office Of A local ("I Want To Join The Army Registration Office") That Was In His Local Downtown Area.He Was Not 18 Years Old Yet...So?... In Order To Be Able to Join The Army At That Age?...He Needed A Signed Notarized Form From The Army That Gave The Army The Proof Of His Parent's Permission For Their Son To Join The Army.
With That Done? There Was A One Week Period Of Waiting Until He Was Called To Come To An Auditorium Type Place In Quonset Point In Southern Rhode Island.
And Then? He Got A Telephone Call Advising Him Of A Date And Time To Be At A Place That Was Designated.
When He Got There"....He Walked Into This Auditorium... There Were About 100 Other Guys In There Already
They Were All Standing Around... And Waiting For Whatever That Was To Happen Next.......And Then?...A Guy With A Sergeant's Rank? ...Walked Into The Auditorium..........And This Is What He Said Right Off Of The Bat.
"Most Of You People Here?.....Are Here... Because Uncle Sam Has Picked You To Serve This Great Nation Of Freedom"........."And Some Of You People Here?...Have Decided That You... Voluntarily?...Have Come Here By Choice"
"Those Of You That Have Voluntarily Joined?...Can Still Change Your Mind Before The Oath Is Taken And Walk Out Of Here Right Now"...."Is There Anybody Here That Has Changed Their Minds?
(Not A Word Was Heard From Anybody In That Large Room....Including This Guy)
"Okay Then" (Said The Sergeant)...Everybody Raise Your Right Hand"
"And Repeat After Me"
"I Do Solemnly Swear, That I Will Support And Defend The Constitution Of The United States, Against All Enemies,Foreign, And Domestic"
"That I Will Bear True Faith And Allegiance To The Same"
"And That I Will Obey The Orders Of The President Of The United States"
"And The Orders Of The Officers Appointed"
And? Right After This Guy Had...(Along With The Rest Of The Guys) Repeated What The Sergeant Had Said?
All Hell Broke Loose
The Sergeant Started Yelling..."Get Your God Damned Asses In That Bus Right Now..... And Pronto!!!!!!!!!!
(As He Was Kicking All Of Us In The a**)....... As We Were Being Loaded Onto The Bus
And Thius Guy Thought To Himself
What Ta Hell Did I Get Myself Into?!!
