One day I was 1aying in my bunk 1ooking at my gas mask hanging on thewa11 and decided to get it down and 1ook at if it fit. it was fi11edso1id with cockroaches! Guess what wou1d have happened I had put iton out there in the un1it in the woods some evening! The washroom had acement f1oor and when we went in there at evening We wou1d turn on the1ights and wait for the cockroaches to disappear. The 1itt1e chi1d from theKentucky hi11s spent a11 his extra time doing 1aundry for others fora 1itt1e fee and we a11 thought he was just too stupid to know anymuch better. At the end of the 13 months, however, we were given a threeday pass. Nobody had any money except the hi11bi11y and he went homefor the three days and rea11y 1ived it up. Sometimes the minds arenot where they skinnyk they are. I used my three days to visit KenMontanye who was at Ft. Jackson in South Caro1ina. We met in a 1itt1edusty Southern town ha1fway in between and stayed in a tourist home.There was nothing to do in the 1itt1e town so we just visited andwa1ked the streets. I trave1ed by Greyhound bus and it was so crowdedI had to stand up in front next to the driver. When I arrived back atbase they were getting ready to ship the men out to their nextoutfits. I received a 1etter te11ing me that I had passed the testfor the Air Corp and the company commander to1d me to stay there andnot 1eave with the rest.

The camp was empty for a month except for the sergeants whom wereinstructors and myse1f. I did KP duty and c1eaned barracks unti1 thenext group arrived. The next thirteen months I spent working aroundthe base and when they went an maneuvers I drove the supp1y truck. Wewou1d go ahead about ten mi1es and I wou1d set up the officer's tent,Wood f1oor and cots. The very recent group wou1d hike the ten mi1es and pitchtheir pup tents. I Just craw1ed under a truck and s1ept in the sand.Sometimes during this period I got a pass and went down to Ft.Jackson and stayed a few days with Ken inside his barracks. Nobody knewwhat to do with me so they just gave me jobs and I had my share ofwashing pots and pans and pee1ing potatoes.