THE ARMY YEARS 8

Me in my office at the Avionics course.

I have been over the schools and being chosen as an instructor.  Being close to home allowed Dave and I to go home most weekends.  I was asked a few times what kind of political influence I had to get stationed so close to home.  Just lucky.  Some guys wanted to go to Europe or Asia but I couldn't remember any reason for me to go anywhere.  After all, that was the reason for my planning and volunteering for instructor.

Some of the guys must have resented Dave and I going home many weekends.  I say that because we once got back about 2 am from a trip home and found both of our bunks stacked three high.  Not any problem, really, just climb up and go to bed.  We did have to remember the next morning not to just swing out of bed.  After chow we unstacked the bunks and were back to normal.

I had a flat tire on my 47 Ford as we were heading back one Sunday evening and I had it patched at a service station.  The attendant must have tightened the lug nuts with the weight of the car on them and left them a little loose.  We were driving back on Hwy 278 in Green County, GA and I noticed a grinding sound and felt it in the steering.  I slowed down and we were just inside the city limits of Greensboro, GA.  The left front of the car dropped down and there were sparks flying.

I managed to get it over on the shoulder of the road.  We got out and found that the left front wheel had came off and caught under the fender.  The lug bolts were cut off like they had been turned down on a lathe.  While we were standing there a police car came from the direction of town and he circled around and parked behind me with his red light on.  (Yes, they were red back then and not blue.)  

The officer looked the situation over and told me to get my hubcaps and spare tire off so they would not get stolen and he would get it towed in to the local Ford dealer the next morning and he gave us a ride into town.  He told us to try to hitch a ride to Gordon while he put my stuff up.  We had our thumbs up in the air as some cars with post stickers passed but no offers of a ride.  The officer locked my hubcaps and spare tire in the city hall and came back out to see how we were  making out getting a ride back to post.  He said not to worry that he could get us a ride.

Another car with a post sticker came by and he officer turned on his light and siren and stopped the guy.  The officer asked the guy if he knew what the speed limit was in town and the Guy nervously told him the correct speed.  The officer looked at him and he had his ticket book in his hand as he told him that he had a couple of guys who needed a ride back to Gordon and asked if he could take us.  The guy said "sure fellows, get in" and we were driven back to our barracks.

The cop did get the car towed in to the Ford dealer and fixed for me.  I thought that they would take advantage of a stranded soldier and I was expecting a big repair and towing bill and I had borrowed all the money that I could from my friends in the barracks.  I called the Ford dealer on Thursday to see if it was fixed and what the bill would be.  I was all ready to be cheated and when the dealer told me that they had towed the car, replaced the lug bolts, aligned the front end, fixed a slow leak in the spare, and road tested it.  It was ready. 

Shame on me for thinking the worse of folks!  I don't remember what the bill was but it was nothing compared to what it should have been.  Those good folks in Greensboro, Ga knew that I was a GI and took care of me instead of taking advantage of me.  When I picked the car up on Friday evening, I told them that I really appreciated their treatment.  I know that a few years later during Viet Nam Some members of the public were disrespectful of the military but I bet that was not true of the great folks in Greensboro.

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.
John Adams 
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