-
Chapter 5: Training
- TCU Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
Five Training And it's 5, 6, 7 open up the pearly gates Welt there ain't no time to wonder why Whooppee we're aligonna die. - "J Feel Like I'm r"ixin' to Die Rag~ -CountryJoe and the Fish And so I wasn't surprised to hear Rancek in the platoon area that night. After hitting us late every night for the first few days, he had slacked off, and it appeared that perhaps his late night raids were only pan of our initial welcome. Because of the mess-hall debacle, I had expected that Rancek would be there to harass me again. I was surprised, though, when Rancek walked into another room before he got to mine. Puzzled, I lay in the dark listening to the other candidates jump Out of their bunks when Rancek turned on the light. I listened as Rancek pulled his usual routine ofasking questions about our purpose and dedication. It wasn't until Rancek got to the third man in the room that I understood what was happening. "So it's you again, Sheriff," I heard Rancek say, and I knew why Rancek had not entered my room first. "Sir, Candidate Garrett, yes sir.~ "You know why I'm here to see you, don't you, Sheriff?" "Sir, Candidate Garrett, no sir." "Don't play the innocent with me, Garrett. You can't get away with sloshing that greasy gruel at my feet the way you did at the mess hall." "Sir?That was an accident. You bumped into me as I was walking to sit down." "Don't play the fool with me, Garrett. You walk around here with your head in the air like you're untouchable, like you're so handsome or something [hat you'll just breeze through here with no skin off your black ass. Well, I'm on to you, Garrett." ~Sir, Candidate Garrett. I'm sorry, sir, but I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't spill that bowl on purpose." "Don't talk back to me, Garrett. Tomorrow night, 1800 hours, I'll see you at the Airborne track, and we'll see what you're made of." And with that remark, Rancek flipped off the light in Garrett's room, and I lay quietly in my bunk, wondering how Rancek could have deflected his anger to Garren so easily. I thought fleetingly that perhaps Rancek had forgotten me, but just as I was caught between the conflicting emotions of guilt for Garrett's involvement and relief for being len alone. the structure of the moment changed abruptly when Rancek stepped into my room and the lights boomed on. I hit the floor first, my roommates having been deeply asleep. Standing beneath the lights, Rancek looked like one of those li7.ards that stay out of the sun. His bald head had a skull-like whiteness about it, and I thought briefly that except for the pulsing blood vessel at his temple, he could in fact be dead. My reverie ended quickly, fOf it was dear that Rancek was there for me. "Adams!" he barked. "Sir, Candidate Adams," I replied and stepped forward just as Trailer and Budwdl were making their way oU[ oftheir bunks and onto their feet. "You didn't really think that I had forgotten you, did you, Adams?" "Sir, Candidate Adams. Forgonen, sir?" "Oh, so you're going to play the ignorant ass, too, huh, Adams?" "Sir, Candidate Adams. I don't know what you're talking about, sir." "Stifle it, asshole! I want you and your buddy Garren to meet me om front in the company area tomorrow at 1800 hours pronto. We're going to go over and inspect the Airborne track and the low-crawl area at close range. Nobody makes a fool ofme!" And with that remark, Rancek rocked up on his toes, and, with the blood vessel in his temple pounding, he stomped our into the night. The next day promised the sameness of all the others with a full schedule of classes and exercise. In the morning we were to have a PT class; that 36 Fort Bmning Blua [18.208.203.36] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 08:28 GMT) afternoon we were scheduled to begin studying the M-60 machine gun. Just as it was with all our weapons study, the first session was indoors where we would learn the operation of the weapon on paper. I was...