BEING UNDER GUARD TO FRANCE

(Copyright 1990-1996 John A. Clack)

AFTER THE TWO OF US HAD FINISHED OUR INFANTRY TRAINING, AND STILL BEING ON THE LIST OF FOUL UPS TWO MILITARY POLICEMEN CAME TO THE BARRACKS AND HAND CUFFED US AND MARCHED US TO THE TRAIN. THEY WEREN'T TAKING ANY CHANCES OF THE TWO OF US TAKING OFF AGAIN...WERE TAKEN TO THE TRAIN WHICH WAS FULL OF MEN GOING THE SAME PLACE AS US, BUT WE WERE THE ONLY TWO IN HANDCUFFS.AFTER ARRIVING IN CAMP SHANKS NY. THERE WAS SOME MORE QUICK TRAINING SUCH AS HOW TO CLIMB DOWN A ROPE LADDER FROM A SHIP AND GETTING INTO LANDING CRAFT. THEN TO THE OCEAN LINER AND OFF TO ANOTHER WAR.. THE SHIP I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME BUT IT WASN'T QUITE FINISHED WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT IN FRANCE SO IT WAS MOVED TO SOMEPLACE ELSE AND OUTFITTED AS A TROOP TRANSPORT. I BELIEVE THERE WAS ABOUT 15,000 OF US ON THIS SHIP.. I DO REMEMBER SEEING THE ROOM ON THE SHIP WHERE THE POOL WAS AND IT WAS FULL OF ICED DOWN BEEF FOR OUR MEALS AND THE HUGE WALL WAS OAK AND CARVED ON IT WAS THE MAP SHOWING THE ROUTE THE FINISHED SHIP WAS GOING TO TAKE AND IT WAS FRANCE TO SOUTH AMERICA. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL CARVING.

BEING THE HONORED ONES WE GOT A STATEROOM WITH THE TWO MP'S OUTSIDE THE DOOR. WE WEREN'T ALLOWED OUT FOR THE WHOLE TRIP. THE MP'S EVEN BROUGHT OUR MEALS TO US. SOME OFFICERS HAD TO SLEEP BELOW BUT WE HAD THE NICE STATE ROOM.

ALL THIS TIME WE HAD OUR FULL PACK AS DID EVERYONE ELSE BUT NO WEAPONS. I GUESS THEY DIDN'T TRUST US A WHOLE LOT.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HELL WE WOULD GO BUT WE DIDN'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT IT.

WE LANDED IN ENGLAND AND BOARDED A TRAIN TO THE CHANNEL SIDE AND THERE WE WERE PUT ON LSM'S AND SAILED FOR LA HARVE, FRANCE. WHEN THE NAVY DROPPED THE RAMP THE TWO MP'S WERE KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE EACH OF US A RIFLE. NOW THAT WAS DAMM NICE OF THEM DON'T YOU THINK.

I IMAGINE THE PURPOSE OF ALL THIS WAS SO WE WOULD WRITE HOME TO THE OTHER FELLOWS AND EXPLAIN TO THEM NOT TO FOUL UP OR THE SAME WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM.

WE DID WRITE AND WE FILLED THE LETTER WITH STORIES ABOUT ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN FRANCE AND HOW WE WERE ENJOYING THE HELL OUT OF OUT TRIP. THIS WASN'T TRUE BUT I LIE A LOT....

I ALSO REMEMBER THE ROTTEN FOOD WE GOT ABOARD SHIP AND WHEN WE DOCKED EVERY SAILOR ON THAT SHIP CARRIED OFF A SIDE OF BEEF. I BELIEVE THAT THEY HAD ALL CHIPPED IN BEFORE THEY LEFT ENGLAND AND GOT THE CRAP THEY FEED US. AND THEN SHARED THE BEEF WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO ENGLAND..I HATE TO TELL YOU WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THEY HAD TURNED US LOOSE ON THOSE ENGLISHMEN THAT DAY...............

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