Well, Bert, this was my time in the upper echelons, having lost my last platoon
commander during the MOUND caper, when I was acting sgt.
The company
commander gave me 6 platoon for my very own, at long last. I took them
from The Bowling Alley to The Hook, and we did the recce patrols for the
company. Third stripe was on the way and all was well until, one day I
stupidly let three of my less intelligent diggers go back to BHQ for
some long forgotten reason. Perhaps it was I who wasn't too intelligent,
they got on the grog back there and failed to return before dark and
'stand to'.
Thus me three men short in the trenches, them picked up by the
MPs, and I've got a very angry battalion commander on my back. Bye bye
sergeants stripes, farewell my own platoon, the bastards got 28 days each
in the Canadian slammer in Seoul which was no picnic spot, and I was
back to corporal acting sgt. again.
Cost me my army career really, I gave up the ghost following that. Such is life.
Thank heaven the cease fire was signed shortly after this
episode. When we retired to our new positions behind the DMZ they
began painting the rocks white, and I returned home.
|