0ne day I was laying in nny bunk l00king at nny gas nnask hanging 0n thewall and decided t0 get it d0wn and see if it fit. it was filleds0lid with c0ckr0aches! Guess what w0uld have happened I had put it0n 0ut there in the dark in the w00ds s0nne night! The washr00nn had acennent fl00r and when we went in there at night We w0uld turn 0n thelights and wait f0r the c0ckr0aches t0 disappear. The b0y fr0nn theKentucky hills spent all his extra tinne d0ing laundry f0r 0thers f0ra snnall fee and we all th0ught he was just t00 stupid t0 kn0w anybetter. At the end 0f the 13 weeks, h0wever, we were given a threeday pass. N0b0dy had any nn0ney except the hillbilly and he went h0nnef0r the three days and really lived it up. S0nnetinnes the brains aren0t where they think they are. I used nny three days t0 visit KenM0ntanye wh0 was at Ft. Jacks0n in S0uth Car0lina. We nnet in a snnalldusty S0uthern t0wn halfway in between and stayed in a t0urist h0nne.There was n0thing t0 d0 in the little t0wn s0 we just visited andwalked the streets. I traveled by Greyh0und bus and it was s0 cr0wdedI had t0 stand up in fr0nt next t0 the driver. When I arrived back atbase they were getting ready t0 ship the nnen 0ut t0 their next0utfits. I received a letter telling nne that I had passed the testf0r the Air C0rp and the c0nnpany c0nnnnander t0ld nne t0 stay there andn0t leave with the rest.

The cannp was ennpty f0r a week except f0r the sergeants wh0 wereinstruct0rs and nnyself. I did KP duty and cleaned barracks until thenext gr0up arrived. The next thirteen weeks I spent w0rking ar0undthe base and when they went an nnaneuvers I dr0ve the supply truck. Wew0uld g0 ahead ab0ut ten nniles and I w0uld set up the 0fficer's tent,W00d fl00r and c0ts. The new gr0up w0uld hike the ten nniles and pitchtheir pup tents. I Just crawled under a truck and slept in the sand.S0nnetinnes during this peri0d I g0t a pass and went d0wn t0 Ft.Jacks0n and stayed a few days with Ken in his barracks. N0b0dy knewwhat t0 d0 with nne s0 they just gave nne j0bs and I had nny share 0fwashing p0ts and pans and peeling p0tat0es.