#1
Hello
Marc,
While reading Dale Warke's story about the 2nd Lt., I laughed because
I remembered that 2nd Lt like it was yesterday. The Lt also required
each handler to come out of the cover of darkness and report their
post whenever he was making his rounds. It was one of his ways of
attempting to "enforce the regulations".
I won't say his name, but one night in the old bomb dump this same Lt
was making one of his sneak inspections. He may have thought they were
sneaky, but we handlers always had our own means of communication that
let each other always know his exact location, (scraping the dog comb
over the radio antennae, making a time check, etc.).
Anyway, on this night during the Monsoons at about 2 in the morning,
with the ground thick with slimy mud, we set up a reception for him. I
was the lucky one as he entered the bomb dump from my end.
With my dog Crazy "Winston" I crouched behind a bush
covered dirt mound on the passenger side of the road. Just after he
passed me I yelled out a challenge for him to stop. After instructing
him to shut off his engine I ordered him to exit the jeep on the
passenger side which required him to crawl over the gear shift.
Now that he was out of the jeep and standing in the pouring rain I
ordered him to face away from me and lay any identification on the
ground.
Now the good part!
After laying his ID on the ground I ordered him to take five steps
forward and lay face down on the ground (in the mud ). After checking
and verifying his ID I then instructed the Lt to get up and promptly
reported my post.
Now anyone who was issued one of those little rule books knows that
anyone entering your post without prior notification must be
challenged.
After reporting my post the Lt angrily confronted me about what I
just put him through and I quickly pulled out my little manual and
pointed out that as he did not give prior notification and that I was
following proper procedure. Not being able to say anything else about
it he got back in his jeep and left. I never could figure out why I
never received any post checks from him after that. Ha! Ha!
John
Dube, MSgt, USAF, Ret (then Sgt John Jonas)
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