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 arriving at our drop-off point and marching up these higher east hills, we realize that's it's not hills anymore but mountains as is the case on the eastern side of Korea. We are now tied in with the 38th Regiment Inf. units of the 2nd Division. We set up and almost immediately began sending out patrols. the weather is now cold again since we are now in a higher elevation. One special 22nd day in May my Platoon leader orders my squad to go on a C.R. patrol (Contact and Report) which means we are to go on a northerly direction avoiding any contact with enemy patrols while trying to locate large concentrations of enemy troops, reporting back to our C.P.s for possible Air and/or Artillery attacks. When word gets to the Company Commo Chief, Sgt. Munsey our newly found buddy, that I was going out on patrol, He volunteers to go with me himself in stead of sending another commo guy. We go out and after several hours of up and down tracking and avoiding the obvious trails we came across this long flat hill with thick brush and looking over it notice a whole valley of enemy troops with huge lines of tents and even vehicles of all sizes, with a C.C.F. Flag flying in the center. Roy say's, "Jack Pot" I'll call it in and gets busy on his Field 300 Radio from his back. We all get in comfortable positions laying on the hill side overlooking the enemy camp refraining from moving or talking to not get discovered and after what seemed an eternity we get jerked out of our comfort with this huge thunderous explosive sound of our F-80 Jet Planes fly over our heads so low that we all dropped our heads even lower banging the ground as they unloaded a stream of rockets following with Napalm bombs, a blinding site to behold and I ordered "OK, lets move!!" as we head back the long return journey. It's at this time I make a second announcement, " By the way guys, today is my 19th Birthday", and Roy was the first to repond, "Happy Birthday Billy Boy, I had no idea, you were still a Boy, Mr. Squad Leader".
