At last, it is announced at Monday Morning Training formation that, starting this Saturday morning, there will be an Inspection every Saturday morning which will include; personal, weapon and barracks after which for those who pass, a weekend pass all the way to 0500 hours the next Monday morning.
OK, the Field First Sgt. tells us, this means every "Friday night G.I. party" everyone restricted on Friday night to preparing which includes scrubbing clean, the walls and floors and all personal belongings including ones self, to be ready for Saturday Morning.
I couldn't help but notice Leroy who always was ahead of everyone else in well organized foot and wall locker layouts, well starched uniforms, shined shoes, brass and clean rifle and too, was always helping
the others who lagged behind in their preparation, shining their brass and shoes all
with a smile on his face. That was Leroy was always helping someone or picking up
trash throughout our area of responsibility.
And on Saturday morning, of course, everyone passes, we'd kill anyone who didn't,
because if one failed, the whole squad would be restricted and "no pass" too.
Thanks Leroy, you are quite a guy. After every Friday night barracks clean-up,
Leroy would walk through out the whole place cleaning little spaces that was missed
or or overlooked, never complaining or critisizing any one, just picking up and
looking after the rest of us, always with a smile on his face, that was Leroy.
1949 Cadillac
Friday G.I. Party
After traveling all day and night sometimes, stopping for fire-wood and water we came to a town named SUWON and loaded on trucks with no tops and a 50 cal. Machine Gun mounted on the front end just behind the driver. That gun was full loaded with a long string of red tipped bullets. We drove thru a gate named "3RD INFANTRY DIVISION REPLACEMENT" CENTER" and were unloaded and called to a formation as the Sgt. ordered, "At-eased" and a older Sgt-Major stepped up in front and again commanded, "At-Ease men and welcome, You all have been assigned to the First Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment third Infantry Division and in case you didn't know it, The home of Audie Murphy, the most decorated war hero in the United States of America of the last War. You are to remember that, but know this, Real Heroes never try to be heroes and unlike Lt. Audie Murphy most die in combat, it just happens that way. So don't any one of you try to be a hero and die, as you can join us in this war and make us proud of your service, by being good soldiers who follow orders and follow the rules of combat. The rules are basically everything you learned in Basic and how well you follow the orders of your Squad and Platoon Leaders, they will guide you the rest of the way. Thank you for your attention".
And the other Master Sgt. called us to attention and marched us to a building dismissing us for a meal after which we were guided into another building as another Sgt. called of our names and units to be assigned to. I was assigned to Company C along with Abel while Joe and Leroy went to B Company and Luey to A Company. They didn't waste no time for first thing the next morning we were on the Breakfast Jeep slushing up the snow covered hills to where our Companies were dug in what would be our sleeping quarters or should I say "Fox holes" for that is what they were just plain snow filled holes. After our Jeeps left, there were no vehicles in sight and we quickly found out, We would walk every where from now on, The way of an Infantry soldier.
Traveling with the 1st Battalion, 15th Inf. Regiment, 3rd Inf. Division across the snow mountains hunting down the enemy and finally settling down and waiting for the counter attack around the 1st of Feb. 1951, Uijeongbu, Korea.
