Bananas and hard boiled eggs...

I was sitting here rolling through the dial on the ham radio, looking for a contact, when I grabbed for a piece of paper to jot down a frequency.  Turns out I just happened to grab a sheet of scrap paper with a list I had made of possible blog topics.  I made this list a while ago, and found there were several topics I had not crossed off yet.  One of them was the old "bananas and hard boiled eggs" story.  I hope I haven't told you this one yet, but it seems so familiar.  I'll cross it off when I finish.

I think this was back in the days of the old 447th, when I was a company commander.  I used to take the troops out to the field all the time.  Couldn't stand being in an office or being a garrison troop all the time, so we packed up the jeeps and lit out for the hills.  At that time, one of the areas we had for training was over in the Cambridge area, in a strip mine which had long since been abandoned by the work crews and left to Nature's devices.  It was perfect for our training needs.

Well, this one time, we got over there and it was a bit cold.  We could have had some snow, but instead we got rain.  Not just your ordinary "namby-pamby" rain, but a real downpour ... all evening and through the night.  Well, we weren't going to let that stop our training, afterall, our motto was "train as you fight."  So if we were ever going to have to fight as a bunch soaked dogs, we had better train how to be a soaked dog. 

The first problem of the night was almost a show stopper.  It seems our supply sergeant forget the keys to the arms racks.  You see, in those days, the Army gave us weapons, but didn't trust us to travel with them or carry them around, so we had to keep them chained up except when we were actually training.  Well, after a hurried training meeting, we dispatched the supply sergeant to Columbus to get the keys, and decided to do some land navigation training until he got back some time that night.  We were here and, "doggoneit" (if you are an Army person, you can supply a more familiar word here) we were going to train. 

The supply sergeant got back to the site a little after 0100 hrs. and we got the weapons issued.  The next day's training went pretty well, and we were almost getting used to our wet clothes and sleeping gear.  We trained up till about midnight on Saturday, because we had a good drive back ahead of us in the morning and I didn't want the drivers to fall asleep enroute. 

Well, we got everyone up Sunday morning.  Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you -- the rains came back during the night and it was still raining when we got up.  Fortunately, the cooks had the mess tent up and we could count on a hot breakfast.  At least we thought we could count on a hot breakfast.

It seems the cooks decided to stay up half the night in their dry tent and play cards.  Naturally they all overslept and as the troops lined up to get something to eat, the First Sergeant called me over to the tent.  Well, I went over with my mess kit and stood in front of the mess sergeant, expecting some eggs and bacon.  Instead, I happened to get a banana and a hard boiled egg.  And at the same time, the rain flap over the front of the tent got some slack in it and at least a couple of cups of rain water poured down on the two main course items creating a soupy banana/hard boiled egg mess.  I looked at it, and then at the mess sergeant, dropped the kit's contents on the table, and walked away.  As I turned the corner, I think I saw the First Sergeant reaching for his side arm.  I didn't think he was going to kill him, maybe just wing 'em.  But I didn't stay there because I didn't want to have to testify.  Besides, I was afraid the sight of that flesh might cause a stampede among the still hungry troops.

Well, when we got back to Columbus, the First Sergeant asked me if I wanted to fire them.  I said they worked for him, and let him have at them.  That was the last time I saw any of them, but it wasn't the last time I or the First Sergeant heard about it from the troops. 

Now that LOTS of time has come between me and that incident, I can laugh a bit about it.  In fact, when some of us get together for a round of golf, we often stop at the concession stand between nines for a "banana and a hard boiled egg."  I was so angry at the time, but now see that and my reactions as a part of a maturation process that I couldn't have gotten any place else.  What is that saying:  "That which doesn't kill you only serves to make you stronger."

Everybody needs his memories.  They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door.  (Saul Bellow)

Hooah