Golden Era Mail call

I still remember not to long ago, recruits having stress cards. If you said something not so nice, they would offer you this card.
One day while walking with a 1SGT colleague of mine and walking through a recruit training area on our way to a deployment training area, we saw a recruit walk right past a field grade and not salute him. My 1SGT friend halted him and ordered him to the position of attention. After patiently questioning him if he was yet taught how and when to salute. The recruit stated he had. When the 1SGT questioned what the rank of the field grade Officer was. He knew and recognized his rank. When he began to question why he failed to salute the Officer (raising his voice noticeably, the recruit became very nervous and handed him this stress card. The card was a plastic laminated business type card that said; “please forgive the bearer of the card. And that the act of handing the card should excuse whatever behavior the individual failure.
My buddy said what’s this, read it, became very agitated and asked where he or from whom did this card come from? He put him in the leaning rest position for 20 and proceeded to tear up the card (unsuccessfully). He took out his belt knife stabbed the card through and threw into a near by tree. He was beside himself and it was all I could do from busting out laughing.
Even the recruit cracked a chuckle.

LOL!!!

I remember the drill sergeants trying to smoke us and saying that 'pain is weakness leaving the body'.
I went to basic training at 31 years old. I got prepared by doing push-ups, sit-ups and running three or four miles every other day. I also practice 8 Laps on the track. Since I ran cross-country in high school and in Community College, running two miles was no big deal.

I had no problems passing the push-up and sit-up. On the run time, I ran a 12 minute 2 Mile and I was a second fastest person in my company. After basic training, I kept but my PT and my last PT score before they got rid of the APFT was 299. I also was able to pass the acft right before retirement.

I was the oldest soldier who passed basic training in our class. Little did I know that two years later I met one of my drill sergeants as a staff NCO in the MP Brigade when I came back as a second lieutenant time. I went to Fort McClellan Alabama for basic training and for my officer basic course.

Sgt (Join to see) MSG Roy Cheever