Memory Lane

T1G emailed me RSM's address at Basic. He is at the same "guest" facility that Old Sarge and Young SGT went to when they went through Basic. It brought back some memories, fer sure.

We drove down for Young SGT's graduation weekend, and as soon as he was released for the afternoon before the ceremony, we went in search of a drinking establishment, taking one of his buddies with us. Which was what they had been SPECIFICALLY told not to do. Now, the neighboring town must be dry, because we looked all over for a bar and had no luck at all. Finally, we found an old theater that had been renovated into a club, but it was closed. As luck would have it, the manager was just getting there to start getting ready to open later that night. Seeing the boys all gussied up in their spiffy green suits, the man let us in and the party began. I will never know how the Eldest Son found us there, but we were in full swing hours before the place ever opened- just us, the manager and the janitor. By the time we left, the place was getting full. The bartender told us she made more in tips from the time we were there than she usually did all night. Hey, it was worth it.
Now, the boys had a curfew, and we were speeding like crazy to get them back in time. And of course got pulled over. Thank God that cop had a little sense of mercy; he let us go while I was passing out gum to two very drunken soldiers. We pulled up to their barracks just as everyone else (who apparently had RESPONSIBLE parents!) was lining up in their PT gear for head count. Old Sarge made me sit tight in the car; he didn't think that me explaining to the drill sergeant that it was our fault they were late would help anything.

The next morning, we were all very hungover. Eldest Son wore his Marine dress blues to honor his brother. As we were gathering for the graduation ceremony, I noticed that there was something white all over the back of his pants. Apparently someone was too drunk to breathe and chew gum- it was all over the back seat and the, er, back seat.

Old Sarge's identical twin brother drives the recruits around at this base. Maybe I should give him a call and have him look in on our newest soldier.