First Knife

[Eagle92 110]

Brklyn,

You just reminded me of a similar situation that happened at a JROTC exercise back in the day. Had one guy, the battallion CO, slice his finger with his knife. Funny thing is the SMI said no one but cadet officers could use knifes on the trip, so most of the folks had to turn in their knives, EXCEPT the guy who sliced his finger since he was an officer.

 

Luckily I wasn't there at the time, I was doing a performance with the drill team, and when I showed up with my personal bayonet attached to my personal duece gear, I got a few looks, but no one told me about the no knives rule and why until the ride home. And yes the bayonet was clearly visible and used for making fuzz sticks and firebuilding.

[BklynEagle 10]

Ah, a fellow Cadet!

 

Tell me, coming out of NC, how many whackjobs suggested that you were a fascist, cannibal, son of a lady of the evening, homicidal maniac, etc? (No joke, I went to school in Manhattan, where all the looneys live - I've always thought that they had the right idea in "Escape from New York", with the whole giant prison concept)

[Eagle92 110]

Actually I was a cadet in New Orleans so I never encountered the problems you faced, although I was in the program in the late 1980s, early 1990s. Yeah we were called 'ROTC Nazis" on occasion by other students, but nothing serious. really had no problems within school or the public.

 

However after Gulf War I, things changed a lot. Folks couldn't tell the difference between a JROTC cadet and a returning vet. So marching in Mardi Gras parades the next two years involved a lot of screaming support, underwear with phone numbers on them being thrown at us, and folks offering adult beverages to us. It was insane b/c it was like anyone in a military uniform was a hero, even if they were kids.

 

V/R

Eagle92

1st Lt.

USMC JROTC (Ret.)

 

(ok that last bit is an inside joke)

[BklynEagle 10]

Your luck in doing JROTC during Gulf I, my luck doing JROTC during Gulf II.

 

My fellow students weren't too bad, it was the locals who were problematic. (Plus there were a few teachers who had a nasty habit of undercutting cadets' grades)

 

Still, it was a heckuva experience.

 

Regards,

 

BklynEagle, Cdt. Capt., 1BN-S1, Army JROTC (Ret.)

[Eagle92 110]

Brk.

you just sparked a memory that I've tried to repress. There was one teacher who was anti-military, and some of us in the batallion had our grades lowered, and in my case sent to the disciplinarian due to the 3d Marine Recon Bn's insignia on my book bag. I did have to cover up hand drawn insignia, so I camoflagued the entire book bag. teacher wasn't happy,a nd said I should have covered up the artwork with pink paint. NOT.