Induction!

As I said in my last blog, I graduated from Vernon High School on the 26th of May, 1964.  This was the last graduating class of the school, so everyone in lower grades moved over to Jennings County High School.  Three days after graduation, I found myself on a Greyhound Bus heading for Indianapolis, Indiana.  This was the induction station for Indiana.  I was told we would be there for two days and that the U.S. Government would have rooms for us at the YMCA, which was within walking distance of the induction center.  They also gave us meal tickets for our meals at a local cafe.  

Day one was spent taking physicals.  No need to do anything else if you were not physically fit to serve in the armed services.  We all had to strip down, line up and start the physical process.  We took eye tests, hearing tests, walking tests, the whole gambit of all known tests, were our feet the same size, were our legs the same size, etc.  We were shown to our rooms at the YMCA.  There was four of us to a room. Two bunk beds and a common bathroom used by everyone on that floor.  The other three guys wanted to sneak out and paint the town red, but I stayed around and watched some TV before turning in for the night.  

Day two started at 0700 hours.  Today we were told this is going to be testing day for the ones who passed the physical.  Those who did not pass were already on a bus and headed for home.  The battery of tests that we took that day tested us for our general knowledge and a whole bunch of other things, math, general knowledge, mechanical, etc.  We were sent back to the YMCA that evening and told to be back at the center at 0700 hours the next day.

Day three, the morning, early morning.  We were called out by name, given a packet, which contained our orders, and the results of our testing.  At about 0830 hours, we found ourselves on another Greyhound Bus headed for the Ozark Mountains in Missouri.  We would be taking our eight weeks of basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  Basic training was a whole different story. . .Its a new dawn..its a new day...its a new life. Til next time,  God bless . . .