Marcia asked her uncles for their thoughts on their experiences with their military and/or alternate service. You can read her original letter here: http://johnbgoering.com/?p=41
Harry D. Goering
Littleton, Colorado. 80123
Dear Marcia,
Gosh, what a great idea and worthwhile project. I will be very interested in reading the final project when completed. You just might have a best seller. Here goes with the information I can think of at this time, and I will provide you more later as my somewhat depleted memory bank kicks in.
I was laid off at Boeing in March 1958. At that time I knew I was facing the military draft in approximately 6 months. I was not successful in finding new employment mainly due to the fact that I would be drafted soon. I made a decision to volunteer for the draft. I called the draft board and was drafted April 24, 1958 for a two year obligation. It was also a good decision because I was at a time in my life when I needed to grow up and learn a little bit about discipline.
I served 10 days less than 2 years, getting a discharge from active duty April 14, 1960. I was given my physical and inducted at Kansas City April 24, 1958, after a train ride from Marion to Kansas City. Marion County was the county seat of my draft registration. I was bused from Kansas City to the Induction Center at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. After 10 days they assigned 31 of us out of 400 to take basic training with the 32nd Engr. Battallion, 2nd US Army Missile Command at Ft. Hood, Texas. That was the furthest overseas I got in the Army, no pun intended. I was in Texas until May of 1959 at which time our total unit transferred to Ft. Carson, Colorado, where I was discharged in April 1960. I will now share some of my experiences over that period of time and how it impacted the rest of my life.
We arrived at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., by bus at 3 a.m. We were issued bedding and had a class on making a military bunk. We were awakened to Army life at 5:30 a.m. and marched to breakfast. The SOS wasn’t bad. SOS is really beef chips and milk gravy over toast.
I learned in the Induction Center you never volunteer for anything. One morning a request for typists was made and I volunteered. Myself and the other volunteers spent the rest of the day moving rocks. Aptitude tests were given in the Induction Center and about 10% of us were offered a chance to go to Officer Candidate School. I rejected the offer because I would have had to extend my tour of duty over 2 years.
My next duty was basic training at Ft. Hood, Texas. What a thrill that was. There was a lot of hot days and rattlesnakes. I was in the first squad of first platoon and during basic training we did every drill first. The only real trouble I got into during basic training was on a night firing drill. The first squad was asked to leave their weapons on the firing post for each of the following squads to use. As ordered I left my M-1 for use by each soldier who would use my post for the rest of the drill. When the last squad finished the soldier on my post returned my weapon to me. All weapons were to be cleared before this transition. As the Army trucks were loaded and we were on our way back to the barracks I closed the bolt along with everyone else on the truck and pulled the trigger. There was a round in my rifle and I shot a hole through the top of the truck canvas. I was scared!!! Well, you know. It could have been tragic. Thank God I was pointing my file upward.
I thought for sure I was going to be court martialed. Even though it was the other guy’s responsibility to clear the weapon, I was at fault because I didn’t check it and it way my weapon. The following weekend was the only weekend off base passes were issued during basic training. My punishment was restriction to the barracks and I didn’t get a pass.
The second eight weeks of basic training was mostly dedicated to Engineering type activities. We dedicated most of our time to building and tearing down different types of bridges. I discovered immediately I wasn’t cut out to be an engineer. After completing that phase, they decided to send me to Clerk Typist school for 8 weeks. Most guy that were sent to a school got a chance to go from one base to another base. I had to go from one end of Ft. Hood to the other end. The thing that I didn’t get out of the service was travel.
My next job was Finance Clerk. I had the responsibility to handle finance records for over 150 enlisted men and about 30 officers. I was in that job the rest of my service time and advanced from an E-1 rank to a Specialist E-4. My beginning pay was a whopping $72 per month and my pay when I discharged from active duty in April 1960 was a whopping $122 per month. Of course you did get your meals and lodging, but buddies and I ate dinner off base most of the time instead of eating in the mess hall.
Our whole unit got orders to transfer to Ft. Carson, Colorado, in May 1959. That was my first trip ever to Colorado. Ft. Carson is near Colorado Springs. We convoyed taking 4 days and 3 nights. I drove a jeep and we traveled at 45 mph. I didn’t think we were ever going to get out of Texas.
Colorado was a good move and that move was instrumental in what happened in curbing the rest of my life. Joan and Tony and John and Orletta lived in Denver, therefore I had family close. Joan and Tony would come down sometimes on weekends and we would go out and have lunch or do something. When my buddies and I would go to Denver we would stop by for a visit and something to eat. We went by Jo and Tony’s quite a bit on the way to football games in Boulder.
After active duty I decided to stay in Denver and pursue employment. I arranged for a Civil Service test the day after I was released, April 14, 1960. Joan and Tony put me up until I could get on my feet. Three weeks later I was hired by Martin Marietta Company in the finance department. I was offered a job by the postal service, but declined as I was already hired by Martin. I spent 31 years with Martin working my way up to management in Finance, Property, and my last 6 years was a Computer Resources Manager. All of this was a result of my service experience and my lovely wife whom I met in Denver in May of 1961 and married in February of 1962. I would have never met Gene if not for the service.
I wish I could have had more than 28 years with her, but it wasn’t met to be. I miss her more than anyone knows. She was so instrumental in my Martin Marietta career and our tax business. Without her I probably would of ended up in the gutter. I also got Russ and Nona with her. At this time of grief I don’t know what I would do without their support.
In 1975 I told Gene if it was alright with her I would like to do a few tax returns. One of her bowling friends told her I should contact Barker Financial Services, which I did. The first year I did 48 tax returns which has now ballooned to a business in excess of 450 returns, therefore I was able to retire from Martin Marietta at age 55. I would have never been able to accomplish this without Gene and my military service was directly a part of it.
I met a lot of good friends in the Army. I kept in touch with some of them for a long time. I had this one friend from Missouri who looked just like Gomer Pyle. He lived close to I-70 between St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri, and we stopped every time we went through. The kids got a bang out of him. His name was Bill Crayne. Some of my other buddies were from Michigan and Indiana, close to where Gene was from. I would look them up periodically when in the area.
The service taught me a lot about responsibility. If it wouldn’t have been for the service and Gene, I probably would never have grown up.
I would not change a thing I have control of. The only thing missing in our long range plan was not of our choice, but I know I will see her again.
I would advise most Americans to perform some kind of service, military or religious, whatever fits.
Marcia, I would be real interested in reading the final product, as we all had different experiences and it should be an exciting final product. Thank you so much for this. I also found out I actually do have something left in my memory bank and will try to think of other things to provide you at the reunion.
Love, Uncle Harry