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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=95 BGCOLOR="#999999" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="176005f0ermwup.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" ><B>I  Didn't  Do  It  Alone   </B></FONT><B> </B><B> </B><B> </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>|    </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="I Didnt Do It Alone "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="058a0a00.gif" border=0 width="160" height="160" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>I Didn't Do It Alone</B></div> <div> <B>Part 3</B></div> <div> <B>Boot Camp </B></div> <div> <B>     I was sworn into the Navy about 1:30 in the afternoon. The recruiting station was located on the 3rd floor of the Old Post Office Building in Pittsburgh. As soon as a group of us were sworn in, we were handed brooms and swabs. I happened to have a mop handed to me. Now if you ever saw a big swab, you should have seen this one. I bet the strings on the end weighed at least 40 pounds. When I dipped it in the bucket, it almost outweighed me. After our clean-up At about 3:30, we were told to take off and be back no later than 18 hundred hours. "That's six o'clock your time," the Chief hollered out. I met a guy who was going in the Marine Corps. We walked down the street and came to the City Morgue. It drew our curiosity so in we went. The room was tilled with several cubicles along the wall. The caretaker said they just received a new body and would we like to see him. He pulled the slab out, and on it was a big black man. He was riddled with gun shot wounds. His eyes were open with a shocked look on his face. Each body had a tag with a number attached to the toe. So much for my first Navy liberty.. About an hour later, I called home.. Mom answered. "Hi Mom, I'm in the Navy now." </B></div> <div> <B>"Are you coming home, Billy?' </B></div> <div> <B>"No Mom, they are sending me to the Great Lakes up near Chicago. I'm going by train and leaving about 7:30. They gave us a meal ticket, and I had a good lunch. I'll write you as soon as I can." </B></div> <div> <B>I could hear Mom crying over the phone. It was the second time I ever heard Mom cry. I felt bad for not spending more time with Mom and Dad before I left. </B></div> <div> <B>"Take care of yourself Sweetheart, and know that I love you", Mom said through her tears. </B></div> <div> <B>"I love you too, Mom. I should be home sometime in August."  That evening, we were put on a bus and taken to the train station. </B></div> <div> <B> We boarded the train, and the porter escorted us to the sleeper car. I was in a room with a bed that was out of this world. I didn't know how comfortable a mattress could feel. I didn't sleep that night. I just laid on the bed and listened to the sounds of click-a-tee click as we headed for Chicago. </B></div> <div> <B>     We arrived in Chicago early the next morning. As we stepped off the train, a sailor met us, and asked for our orders. We then got into a large van and were taken to the Great Lakes. At the gate, a sailor came over to the van and looked at our orders, and motioned the driver through the gate. We were taken to a large building where there were about 120 of us. We were told to shut our mouths, and listen up. A chief spoke up, "If your name is call out, step up front. You will be assigned to Company 162. The rest of you knuckle heads will be assigned to Company 163. It wasn't long till my name was called. I was assigned to Company 162. " My name is Chief Reinke. I will be your Company Commander. A word of advise: you will change yer skivvies evraa day. You will change yer socks evraa day. There wont be any scrounges in my company." We were then lined up and marched to clothing issue and given one set of dungarees, skivvies, and socks. Also, we were issued 2 blankets and a couple of mattress covers that they called fart sacks. We were told that we would get the rest of our clothing the next day. The clothes we had on was to either be sent back home, or given to the Salvation Army. My shoes had holes on the bottom. It seemed that leather shoes wore out fast on the bottom. My socks had holes. And the rest of my clothes were pretty rough. When I went to Pittsburgh, I didn't expect to be leaving that day. Is it any wonder why Mom cried when I called her? We were then marched, or should I say, herded up, and taken to ship stores for our toilet articles. We each received a ditty bag full of the necessary items. We were told that the cost of the gear would be taken out of our next payday. My pay started out $72.00 a month. The next day I was issued a complete sea bag. Most of the clothes were a bit large as they expected me to gain weight </B></div> <div> <B>     Our Company was assigned to a barracks. We were topside. Another company was below. Bunks lined each side. There was a stanchion in the center that we tied our sea bags. Everything we owned was in the sea bag. It seems that my socks always made their way to the bottom. We were issued a bundle of strings to tie our clothes to the clothes line after we washed everything in a bucket. I understand that the new recruits have washers and driers, and have lockers to stow their gear. I wouldn't be surprised if they have white toilet seats to sit on. </B></div> <div> <B>     During our breaks in the barracks, we all sat at a long table. The lids off the GI cans were placed upside down to put the cigarette buts and ashes in. Back in 49 a sailor who didn't smoke was considered a pansy. Several of the guys didn't smoke. The first break, Chief Reinke looked at the non smokers, and told us to take our break in the head. The next day, I saw the Chief coming in and bummed a cigarette. Then the next break, I didn't see him coming over to the table. "Scott, your not smoking?" I thought, Oh crap it's back to the head. </B></div> <div> <B>"Yes, I smoke Sir, but I ran out. Could I bum a cigarette from you?"   To my surprise he gave me one, and from that time on, he never bothered me again. </B></div> <div> <B>     It wasn't long until we were taught how to march. The Chief would say,"By the right flank, march.," and some would go left. Several times, we would run into each other.. It took us about a week to get our act together. We were issued a rifle - a Springfield that weighed 9 ½½ pounds. It was called a piece. We carried it everywhere. If we screwed up, we had to sleep with the damn thing. Everywhere we went, we marched. </B></div> <div> <B>     We had quite a bit of swimming at a large pool. I was ahead of the game as I did much swimming at home in the river. We had two black guys in the Company - Johnson from the deep south, and William D. Scott from Baltimore. Johnson couldn't swim. They made him jump off the high platform, and when he hit the water, he would sink like a rock. The instructor had a long poll that he would send down, and Johnson would climb up like a monkey. We called it the Monkey Stick after our good friend, Johnson. </B></div> <div> <B>     I enlisted in the Navy under the high school program. I went into Aviation. I was a High School Airman Recruit. I had two green stripes on my upper left arm. The ones going into the deck ratings had black stripes, and the engineering below deck group had red stripes. We were almost equally divided in each group. Chief Reinke was a Torpedomans Mate Chief so he seemed to favor the black stripes. He was a submariner during World War Two. There were times that he didn't get along with his wife, and would spend the night in the barracks with us. Many sea stories were told during his stay, and we came to love the man. </B></div> <div> <B>     Graduation Day was getting closer. We looked sharp as we marched doing the 16 count manual with our rifles (pieces). As we went past another company, the Chief beamed with pleasure. We won several flags that flew in front as we marched by. On graduation day, I felt a sense of pride that remained with me throughout my career. I was now a sailor in the United States Navy. After graduation, I was ordered to the Naval Air Station, Memphis. Prior to reporting, I had a couple of weeks Boot leave to go home. </B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Boot Leave </B></div> <div> <B>     After our Pass in Review, we all met at the end of the grinder. I shook hands with all the guys, and we went our separate ways. I never saw any of the guys again. I often wondered wether they stayed in the Navy, still living today, and would I recognize any of them after all these years. We became very close and then it ended. </B></div> <div> <B>     I had a train ticket to Memphis by way of Pittsburgh. I made out. I had a free ride home. From Pittsburgh, I caught a street car to Allenport. When he traveled in those days, a sailor carried his sea bag, and wore dress blues regardless of the time of year. With no air conditioning, it was hot and the sea bag was heavy. I didn't mind. I was finally going home after the longest separation I ever had from the Folks. I walked about six blocks to the house. I set the bag down and just stared at the front door - home at last. </B></div> <div> <B>     Mom, Dad and sister Martha's son, Scotty, were in the house to greet me. I hugged Mom then hugged Dad. Dad never wanted a handshake from family. I couldn't believe how much Scotty had grown. He was seven, and I didn't realize how much he idolized me at the time. I looked up several of the gang. One day was spent at the river. It felt good to be back in the murky Monongahela, again. A friend, Nick Poversentich, who I met when I was dating Edna, joined the Navy a few weeks ahead of me. He was still on boot leave. We spent one day in our dress blues and walked the streets of Charleroi showing off our pride. My dear friend, Tom Meli, got a job in the steel mill. He started dating Pat Lee, and it looked serious. I thought he would go back with Edna, but it didn't work out. The days flew by, and it was time to head for Memphis. Dad took me to the train station in Pittsburgh. We had a good chat for about two hours while waiting for the train. </B></div> <div>   </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Part 4"><U><IMG SRC="06f22250.gif" border=0 width="34" height="37" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT> <B>Next Page</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>