ROTC Summer Camp Summer of 1964 – 6 weeks duration

1.  First airplane ride was to Ft Bragg
   1. Had been in car wreck on Brush Creek Rd just a week or so before start of camp. Left hospital to go to summer camp. Bruised chest made breathing hurt and bruised knees made it hard to sit. Had permission to stand at summer camp as needed.
2. Came back on the train
3. Machine Gun Sloan
   1. Commands were Ready on the right, ready on the left, ready on the firing line, the flag is up, the flag is waving, commence firing.
   2. Cadet Sloan began firing after ready on the left. Thereafter known as Machine Gun Sloan
4.  Lightning struck tree near us on rifle range
   1. Loudspeaker told us to get rid of steel helmets and lie flat
   2. Next year another strike at same range killed several cadets
5. Tank Gun Incident
   1. Demo of armor/inf combined in the attack. Let us walk around to ask about positions chosen ,etc.
   2. Cadet from Armor ROTC unit climbed into tank and buddies asked how to shoot the main cannon.
   3. He proceeded to take off the safeties and fire the cannon. The blast struck several cadets, knocking one unconscious with bleeding from the ears and nose.
   4. Major Waldrop, my platoon tac off, was running beside the Medic Jeep beating on the fender with a stick he carried screaming faster
6.  Fall down Stairs
   1. Starting fullback for Ole Miss fell down the stairs ruining his knee. Never hurt in his years of football through high school and college.
7. Cadets from Florida State University
   1. Many were in a program to produce circus performers
   2. One of them was a catcher for a trapeze act and could do push ups with one (either) hand, and situps forever. When a cadre member told him to Give me 10 cadet — His response was “Which hand?” And he made it stick.
8. Reena Reagan
   1. Cadets from GA asked me if I knew her. She lived in or near Oneata, AL and was famous for hosting parties. Jody had gone to some of them so I had heard her alliterative name and remembered it,
9. Wrestling
   1. Tubby cadet turned out to be the GA state champion in boxing and wrestling for his weight. He and Robyn ?? from Mobile wrestled on packed sand, throwing one another to the ground with numerous thuds.
   2. One of the cadets could sleep standing up in the cattie cars we rode in. He was also a tubby guy but turned in one of the best times in the mile run.
10. I only left the company area once, to go to the FSU cadet/cadre gathering at the Officers Club.
11. COL Reese broke his leg while saluting as he ran down the cable after jumping off the 34 foot tower.
12. 34 Foot Tower
    1. Said to be psychological breaking point for jumping out of an airplane.
    2. Rocks on the ground came at you very fast.

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