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LACKLAND tells of three distinct eras in the military life of Robert Evans.
As the young sergeant returns to San Antonio, Texas, to recover from wounds received in the
Vietnam War, he reminisces about the war and how he made full circle from Basic Training in 1959 to Wilford Hall Medical Center in 1969 for his treatment and subsequent medical retirement.
Each segment—Basic Training, the War, and the Hospital—presents the often bizarre, but real, anecdotes of military life.
As the young sergeant returns to San Antonio, Texas, to recover from wounds received in the
Vietnam War, he reminisces about the war and how he made full circle from Basic Training in 1959 to Wilford Hall Medical Center in 1969 for his treatment and subsequent medical retirement.
Each segment—Basic Training, the War, and the Hospital—presents the often bizarre, but real, anecdotes of military life.
EXCERPT pages 76-79. This selection is from Chapter 8, The Movie. The protagonist is reliving, in a dream-like state, his first few days in Basic Training.
EXTERIOR SCENE. LACKLAND AFB NIGHT
The men half march and half walk to the barracks which is almost a mile away.
They have to walk, not march, none can march. They walk past the parade
field and past a row of World War II vintage two story open bay barracks on
their right as they proceed north into the squadron area of the 3711th
BMTS. On their left is the Aviation Cadet training area for parachute harness training as well as an
obstacle course. To the men walking by in the evening it looks like a shantytown filled with tarpaper
shacks. After a right turn through the squadron area past the orderly room where the CQ and his staff stand outside
to see the rabble walk by, they arrive at their barracks building 1028 directly
across the street from the BX (Base Exchange) annex and down the street from the
base bowling alley.
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
Welcome home, this is your barracks, it will be
your home for the next eleven weeks so get used to
it!
They walk up the steps to the screen door of the barracks. A
guard challenges the sergeant.
BARRACKS GUARD
Halt! Who goes there?
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
It's me, you idiot, don't you recognize
me?
This is where the sergeants escort them into the barracks after chastising the barracks guard on
his security instructions loud enough for all to see and hear.
BARRACKS GUARD
Sir, no sir, I have my security instructions and
they say let no one past who is not authorized.
Producing his ID card, the sergeant yells.
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
I am the senior NCO of this Barracks and you open the God Damned door or I will kick it in.
Do you understand me, dip shit?
BARRACKS GUARD
Sir, yes sir!
He swings the doors open and Sergeant Hoover motions for the troops to
enter.
The guard allows all to pass.
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
Find a bunk and get in bed and no talking or smoking, now! Take your blankets
and sheets and make your beds, then get in them. Lights out in thirty minutes. 0500 will be soon enough.
Good night, children!
On that he and Hoover do an about face and go into the offices on the upper bay as it would be an all night
watch for them!
SERGEANT HOOVER
I will take the first watch til midnight....
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
Yeah, that's fine. I got some preparations to make, see you later...
INTERIOR SCENE. LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE BARRACKS - NIGHT
The base is dark with only the immediate barracks and mess hall visible. The bunks are organized in upper and
lower beds, some 24 men to a side of the barracks divided by a center aisle with
another 12 to 14 bunks on the other side of the bay.
There are two bays, an upper and lower as the building is two story. The stairs would become a meshing
device for troop movements at a rapid pace and also a punishment device for
those who did not catch on.
All bunks have been provided with two wool blankets, a pillow, two sheets and a mattress cover.
All have been neatly folded and left at the foot of each bunk.
SERGEANT HOOVER
Take a rack, check and see if your bunk is complete, sheets, pillow case, fart sack which is the canvas cover on the
mattress and two blue wool blankets. Now, strip the mattress and let's learn to make a bed!
A sergeant and an airman go to a bunk on each side of the bay and proceed to demonstrate how a bed should be made
up.
SERGEANT HOOVER
There are different configurations for days of the week. The most predominate is
the "dust cover" which consists of the sheets being tightly made to cover the
mattress with hospital corners. The sheets are tucked into the ends of the bunks forming a 45 degree
angle then folded under the mattress. A dollar bill is used to form the angle. A quarter is used to determine the
tightness of the blankets on the mattress. If it bounces, you, the recruit will pass.
The recruits make their beds.
SERGEANT HOOVER
Now undress! Get in those racks!
The recruits obey.
SERGEANT HOOVER
Now, get up!
They spend almost two hours drilling on getting into bed, getting out, making the bed and then getting into
it again.
SERGEANT HOOVER
There are two other methods of making the bed:
the white collar and the open air methods. The white collar is having the sheets
tucked down from the head of the bed forming a white band across the bed
approximately two feet from the head with the band the width of a dollar
bill. The second blanket is folded into what is referred as a "cadet" E and placed across the foot of the
bed. The open air is simply no sheets and no blankets whatsoever.
The blankets are folded at the foot of the bed and the fart sack exposed
and the pillow without a case at the head for airing when you change
sheets. Now get in bed and lights out!
All are sleeping except the walking of the area guards, the barracks guards who watch each barracks and a
few sergeants who are nurse-maiding recruits.
EXTERIOR SCENE. LACKLAND AFB NIGHT
The men half march and half walk to the barracks which is almost a mile away.
They have to walk, not march, none can march. They walk past the parade
field and past a row of World War II vintage two story open bay barracks on
their right as they proceed north into the squadron area of the 3711th
BMTS. On their left is the Aviation Cadet training area for parachute harness training as well as an
obstacle course. To the men walking by in the evening it looks like a shantytown filled with tarpaper
shacks. After a right turn through the squadron area past the orderly room where the CQ and his staff stand outside
to see the rabble walk by, they arrive at their barracks building 1028 directly
across the street from the BX (Base Exchange) annex and down the street from the
base bowling alley.
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
Welcome home, this is your barracks, it will be
your home for the next eleven weeks so get used to
it!
They walk up the steps to the screen door of the barracks. A
guard challenges the sergeant.
BARRACKS GUARD
Halt! Who goes there?
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
It's me, you idiot, don't you recognize
me?
This is where the sergeants escort them into the barracks after chastising the barracks guard on
his security instructions loud enough for all to see and hear.
BARRACKS GUARD
Sir, no sir, I have my security instructions and
they say let no one past who is not authorized.
Producing his ID card, the sergeant yells.
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
I am the senior NCO of this Barracks and you open the God Damned door or I will kick it in.
Do you understand me, dip shit?
BARRACKS GUARD
Sir, yes sir!
He swings the doors open and Sergeant Hoover motions for the troops to
enter.
The guard allows all to pass.
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
Find a bunk and get in bed and no talking or smoking, now! Take your blankets
and sheets and make your beds, then get in them. Lights out in thirty minutes. 0500 will be soon enough.
Good night, children!
On that he and Hoover do an about face and go into the offices on the upper bay as it would be an all night
watch for them!
SERGEANT HOOVER
I will take the first watch til midnight....
SERGEANT SWEARENGEN
Yeah, that's fine. I got some preparations to make, see you later...
INTERIOR SCENE. LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE BARRACKS - NIGHT
The base is dark with only the immediate barracks and mess hall visible. The bunks are organized in upper and
lower beds, some 24 men to a side of the barracks divided by a center aisle with
another 12 to 14 bunks on the other side of the bay.
There are two bays, an upper and lower as the building is two story. The stairs would become a meshing
device for troop movements at a rapid pace and also a punishment device for
those who did not catch on.
All bunks have been provided with two wool blankets, a pillow, two sheets and a mattress cover.
All have been neatly folded and left at the foot of each bunk.
SERGEANT HOOVER
Take a rack, check and see if your bunk is complete, sheets, pillow case, fart sack which is the canvas cover on the
mattress and two blue wool blankets. Now, strip the mattress and let's learn to make a bed!
A sergeant and an airman go to a bunk on each side of the bay and proceed to demonstrate how a bed should be made
up.
SERGEANT HOOVER
There are different configurations for days of the week. The most predominate is
the "dust cover" which consists of the sheets being tightly made to cover the
mattress with hospital corners. The sheets are tucked into the ends of the bunks forming a 45 degree
angle then folded under the mattress. A dollar bill is used to form the angle. A quarter is used to determine the
tightness of the blankets on the mattress. If it bounces, you, the recruit will pass.
The recruits make their beds.
SERGEANT HOOVER
Now undress! Get in those racks!
The recruits obey.
SERGEANT HOOVER
Now, get up!
They spend almost two hours drilling on getting into bed, getting out, making the bed and then getting into
it again.
SERGEANT HOOVER
There are two other methods of making the bed:
the white collar and the open air methods. The white collar is having the sheets
tucked down from the head of the bed forming a white band across the bed
approximately two feet from the head with the band the width of a dollar
bill. The second blanket is folded into what is referred as a "cadet" E and placed across the foot of the
bed. The open air is simply no sheets and no blankets whatsoever.
The blankets are folded at the foot of the bed and the fart sack exposed
and the pillow without a case at the head for airing when you change
sheets. Now get in bed and lights out!
All are sleeping except the walking of the area guards, the barracks guards who watch each barracks and a
few sergeants who are nurse-maiding recruits.