In the service the thing I hated most of all was being in parades.

I would cash in just about every favor I was owed just to skin out of being in a damned parade.

It didn't happen often, but when it did I went straight into overdrive to find a way out of it, short of AWOL.

One time I went in to see the First Sergeant and asked if I could pull the three day pass I had riding on the books. Some colonel was retiring and we were told to supply the people for the retirement parade.

He said no.

Then I asked if I could take leave. I had about fifty days accrued and I figured I could take a couple of leave days.

Nope.

Then Top looked at me and said, "I can think of one way I can get you out of the parade. One of the infantry battalions had leveed us for three forward observers and you are qualified. I was going to dump the whole thing on the survey section but I'll take only two of them if you want to do that instead. You'll be in the field for three or four days."

"I'll take it," I said, leaving the old soldier wide-eyed.

I took the offer, too and at the time I figured that I had made a pretty good deal. 

Actually it was a good deal. The weather was pretty good and the infantry officers didn't bother me and everyone treated me right.




To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY