07-07-78

07-07-78. Wow, that's a date to remember.  At least for me it is.  No, it's not a birthday, graduation date, or any other date like that.  It's the day my life changed forever.  Yep, a new journey taken by a diverse group began and I was a part of them.  It was a day I will always remember.  I was scared, nervous, excited, and anxious.  I would be leaving everything I knew and plunging into a world of discipline, mental and physical exhaustion, and survival.  It would be a path I would never forget, even when I wanted to; and it would be a part of me forever.   07-07-78, the day I left a small rural town and joined the US Army.

So, why would a young woman join the Army in 1978?  Well, to understand that I have to go back a couple of years.  Back to a Sunday before Memorial Day.  You see, the Sunday before Memorial Day was always set aside in my family to go to the Taylor Memorial Day Dinner and volunteer at it.  It was a day of serving people who came from all over to enjoy a meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw, vegetables, rolls, and pies.  All sorts of pies, my favorite being raspberry and blackberry pies.  For some reason, I always had a slice of each set aside.  Okay, so I hid them, otherwise they would be gone before I was able to sit and eat myself.

Anyway, there I was, serving the people, took my own lunch, and then a break from the hustle.  I did what I always did, I walked to the cemetery to visit my brother's grave.  Yeah, it was my time to go to my brother's grave and just, well, commune if you know what I mean.  I think most of us do that from time to time.  It's a way of, I don't know, thinking maybe.  It was beautiful that Sunday, I remember that.  The sun shining, a bright blue sky with few white puffy clouds.  The chirping of birds and the lowing of cows nearby created a serene setting.  A few other people were in the cemetery, going to their loved ones graves, setting flowers, and sharing memories.

I was lost in my own memories, when I became aware of three people behind me.  My reminisce came to an end abruptly, instead of the peace I wanted anger filled my every fiber.  These people weren't sharing memories of their sleeping loved ones; they were talking and gossiping about me, my brother, my parents' divorce, my family!  I don't know if anyone can imagine the anger which spread through me.  Literally talking behind my back, yet, making sure I heard every word.  All the pain of my brother's death, my parents' divorce came flooding back from where I had hidden it in my mind.  The door was opened and the continued knowledge of how we had been gossiped about came rushing forth in a torrential rain.  I had had enough!  Somehow, I got myself walking. Away from them, away from the torment of wagging tongues.  I found myself at my grandparents' house, sitting on the front porch, curled up in my favorite rocking chair, crying.

A small town can be wonderful.  Everyone knows one another and will help out when need arises.  You know who your friends are and you know who you are.  On the other hand, those same reasons are why a small town can be a den of gossip and a dead end.  Expanding your horizon's can seem uppity.  You find yourself the subject of rumours and untruths which you are unable to stop.  Now don't get me wrong, the small town I grew up in was my backbone.  It taught me so many different things, gave me my knowledge of who I am and where I was from.  That day, it helped me make a decision:  I was going to leave.  Somehow, someway, I was going go and see the world outside.

So, I worked even harder in school.  Pulled my gpa up and began looking at colleges.  I really wanted o go to Mansfield State in Pennsylvania, that college was music!  I checked out Hunter College.  I had the offer the go to CUNY Queens College.  My pride and arrogance got in the way.  Yeah, my stupid pride and arrogance.  I was a real ass at times.  Senior year was almost over with.  I auditioned for the Army band, really messed that up.  Then, I talked further with the recruiter.  Oh yeah, I could leave just a week or two after graduation.  I signed.  It was pretty good.  Basic in South Carolina, AIT in Virginia, base in Georgia.
Now, 07-06-78 my friends had a surprise going away party for me.  I don't know if any of them knew how much that meant to me.  It made me realize just how much I loved my home, my friends, my town.  It was a difficult night, for early the next morning everything would be changed.

07-07-78.  6 am.  A car with government plates pulls into the driveway.  I grab my suitcase, step out the door.  I turn back and look.  Wave goodbye to my family.  The recruiter puts my case in the trunk and I hop into the backseat, full of excitement and loss.  A new day, a new life, a new world was beginning.  We arrive in Syracuse, sign the last papers.  Then more and more recruits join me.  We are herded into a large room.  The flag is prominent as is the seal of the US Army.  We stand straight and tall, raise our right hand and say:

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

That's right.  I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.  Which I still uphold to today.  It meant and means that much to me.  On that day, it put the whole reasoning for my joining the Army into a new purpose.  That oath changed my perception and my thoughts.  It was no longer about leaving a small town and the pains behind.  No, it was about pride in country and wanting to serve my country.  It was about service to help people and find my own path in the world around me.  The oath was taken and impacted us all in that room.  Then names began to be called.  Recruits were sent to all of the different training bases.  Finally mine was called.  I joined a small group of 4 young men.  We were all headed to Fort Jackson.  We grabbed our bags, climbed into a van, and left for Syracuse's airport.  We disembarked, were led to our flight.  We talked, each one of us telling why we were going in.  We were placed together in the back of the plane.  Yeah, military wasn't to highly thought of then.  The plane taxied and we were gone.  Leaving behind everything and everyone we knew.  

The plane landed in Washington DC.  Mechanical errors, we were stuck in the DC terminal for 6 hours.  The airline called the Army for us.  A vehicle would be waiting when we would finally arrive.  At long last, we took to the air again and reached our destination.  Yeah, a vehicle was waiting for us alright.  A cattle truck.  In we went with other arriving recruits.  After what seemed like hours we made it to Jackson's reception area.  Off the truck, "Line Up!, Women to the right!  Men to the left!  Fall In!"  Welcome to the Army!
We women marched to our nice air conditioned reception barracks. Make your bed!.  I hit the sack fast.  5 am 07-08-78 Damn trumpet playing Reveille! I got 3 hours of sleep.  Fall in!  Attention!  Forward march!  In a single line for breakfast!  Stand at rest in the line, go to attention, then move forward!  No leaning!  No Talking!  Finally you can grab a tray, get breakfast, take a quick look behind to see the line snaking through the building behind you.  10 minutes to eat!  Hurry up!  Move it!  Fastest breakfast I ever ate, it would soon become the norm to me, even to today! 

Finish breakfast, fall in!  March back to the barrack.  get your suitcases, line up!  Forward, March!  Stand in line, hand over suitcase you won't be needing it, stand in line, wait, forward, stand in line, wait, shots!  Damn, I had so many innoculations it wasn't funny.  Both arms!  Stand in line, wait, forward, what size clothes? fatigues! Dress uniforms, dress shoes! Hats!  Stand over here!  put this on!  Photo time!  Take it off!  Fall in!  March!  Lunch, dinner, Taps!  Three days of this.  Eye Exam.  You need glasses!  Ugly black glasses....  I didn't wear them much.  Hair cut, Cut it short!  Dressed in Army green fatigues now.  No combat boots, they didn't have my size, I got to wear Addidas running shoes!  Too many women.  They weren't expecting us to join like we did.  New territory for women to be in the military like this.  A new dawning of equality and I was a part of it!  Grab your uniforms, don't leave a building without your hat on!  Salute all officers!  New world!  New rules!  New people!  Get in the cattle truck with all your gear!  Crowded in with all these different women.  No concept of modesty any more.  

Truck stops in front of these old barracks from WWII.  You have got to be kidding.  Men and women unloading.  Line up!  Names called.  I hear mine and run to where I need to go.  Fall in!  Attention!  Name!  I am DRILL SERGEANT So and So!  You are a member of ECHO Company 2nd PLATOON!  SAY IT!  We say it.  I CAN'T HEAR YOU!  We yell it!  I CAN'T HEAR YOU!  We bellow it.  GOOD!  YOU ARE A PART OF A NEW EXPERIMENT!  MEN AND WOMEN TRAINING TOGETHER!  MEN, YOUR BARRACK'S ARE OVER THERE!  MOVE IT!  WOMEN, YOU HAVE THIS LUXURIOUS BUILDING!  MOVE IT! 

We move it!  I grab a bunk!  Lower Bunk at that!  YES!  Kathy from Tennessee grabs the upper bunk, Sue from Seattle grabs the next lower bunk, the three of us would become best friends.  I look around at my new home.  Yeah, it's different, it's new, it's awesome!  I am surrounded by women from all walks of life, from every state, every ethnic group, every race, every religion.  I have an African-American friend, never had one before, it is fantastic!  Two girls are of Asian descent from Hawaii,  a Mormon flautist who's joining the National Guard and Army Band.  City and Country.  Married and Single.  30 year olds and others like me who are 18.  We were now a unit.  We would become a family, a team, a support group.  We became the US ARMY!  

07-07-78, A day I will always remember.  A new beginning, a new challenge, a new oath, a new life.  SALUTE!