GUARDIANS OF FREEDOM
Saluting Those Who Served in the U.S. Army
Bill Holdwick in Vietnam, Part 2
by Janis Stein

Please join me in the continuation as Bill Holdwick reminisces about his days spent in Basic Training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Bill and his fellow soldiers will never forget marching up two dreaded hills: Misery and Agony, so appropriately named.

Time spent at the rifle range often took a good majority of the day. The Army adhered to a policy when marching that once an hour the soldiers would receive a ten-minute break. The privates soon learned when they were told to "take ten", they could "expect seven" and in reality, they might "get five". Those soldiers in dire need of a smoke really had to puff to finish their cigarette before it was time to go again.

On the return route, it never failed the Platoon Sergeants always chose roads that led to two dreaded hills: Misery Hill and Agony Hill. Agony was just that. The hill wasn't very long, but it was definitely steep and after a full day on the range, climbing Agony was the last thing a soldier wanted to do. Misery Hill, on the other hand, was a mile long, and although the road wasn't steep, there was definitely an upgrade. Though Bill didn't suffer from blisters, many of the men did. Others were plain exhausted when the day was done.

During most of Bill's duration in Kentucky, the temperatures ranged between 30 and 50 degrees, and for the soldiers, that meant a lot of mud. Nothing pleased a Platoon Sergeant more than to make his troop march through miles of mud. By the time the troop had almost made it back to base, the soldiers' combat boots were thoroughly caked with mud. The soldiers were then ordered to put on their overshoes. These rubber boots went about half way to a soldier's knees, and as he put them over the top of his muddy combat boots, he knew his rubber boots were going to end up looking as bad on the outside as they did on the inside. As soon as the troop made it back to the barracks, the men knew what they would be doing - spit shining their shoes so they would be squeaky clean when they marched through the mud again the following day!

Inspections were a part of everyday life for the recruits, and if a soldier didn't pass an inspection there would always be some unpleasant detail assigned to him. Though it didn't take long to figure out what was expected, it seemed the Platoon Sergeant always nailed somebody for something. When the troops were marching and if a soldier couldn't stay in step or was found goofing around, the Sergeant always enjoyed making him do a bunch of push-ups. One poor soul in Bill's platoon had two left feet it seemed, and he was forever in trouble. He screwed up on a daily basis, and the Platoon Sergeant generally made him do push-ups over a mud puddle if one was conveniently nearby. As a result, the soldier's belly was in a water puddle more often than not. Though it was difficult not to laugh at the poor chap's bad luck, the soldiers tried hard not to even crack a smile for they knew if they did, they'd surely be joining him!

By the time the soldiers made it back to the barracks after spending their day at the rifle range, it was sometimes as late as 9 PM. Although many of the recruits were bone tired, they made themselves clean their equipment, so they would be ready for inspections. After a quick shower, those who had mail to read absorbed every word and shared any news with their comrades. The soldiers then gratefully crawled into bed and mentally checked off another day as being done.

During Basic Training, the recruits did not have any free time throughout the week; after all, they belonged to the United States Army. Each Sunday was a different matter, however, and if Bill wasn't assigned to some detail, he always walked the half mile to church. The chapel looked like all the other buildings except for the cross on top of it. The building was definitely not fancy, but soldiers seeking a place to worship found it to be more than adequate. The chapel was used for all denominations. For Catholic masses, the image of Jesus on the cross was visible, and for non-Catholics the cross was simply turned around so the image could not be seen.

Basic Training consisted of eight weeks of pure misery for some, but at the end soldiers were highly trained in handling their weapon, hand-to-hand combat and were in tip-top shape. Physically, Bill was capable of most anything, and though it didn't take long to get used to all the running, he found it to be more than a bit of a drag. As part of their physical training, the men had to frequently run a mile, meeting the necessary time requirement. While some of the recruits ran faster than deer, Bill found out through trial if he walked at a pretty good clip, he could just make the minimum time requirement. Those who weren't capable of completing the task under the specified standards naturally had to make a repeat performance. After all, practice makes perfect. One mile was plenty enough for Bill, and he always did what he had to do to ensure he wouldn't have to run any more than was necessary!

Before a soldier graduated from Basic Training, he had to complete the Infiltration Course, which was usually conducted at night. Soldiers had to crawl on their bellies through an area a few hundred feet in length. Barbed wire hung precariously close above them, so the men hugged the ground as they proceeded through mud holes, all the while dragging their rifles right along with them. To further their experience, blank rounds were shot above the soldiers' heads, and all they heard was noise. A tracer, which was also a blank, would be shot every so often. The tracers left a red line depicting the bullet's path and were useful in reminding the recruits to stay low as the lasers were directly above their heads!

A few hours passed by the time all the recruits completed the course, and all the while Platoon Sergeants encouraged their soldiers by screaming at them, some asking if the efforts they were putting forth was really the best they could do, while others hurled insult after insult at their soldiers' lack of speed and ability. Some of the older Sergeants were pretty cantankerous and their tough reputations preceded them. Though Bill's Sergeant was strict, he was well-liked and his men gave him the proper respect he deserved. Those men who didn't quite perform up to their Sergeants' expectations were sent back around to complete the course again. Soldiers successful in completing the course acknowledged the Army's desire for the men to "hurry up and wait"; those men stood at the other end silently encouraging their comrades to finish as well.

Be sure to look for the continuation next month as Bill completes Basic Training and begins his education in artillery survey.

© 2005 Janis Stein