Memoirs of Division

[VB]

I've highlited a couple of my favorites.

You anit that old are you?

[CAL]

You anit that old are you?

No, I like them not because I remember those but because that would be a good time to remember.

[VB]

This something 4 of us old guys, Div, Bat, & SF wrote up one time



You know you are old school:

1. You remember when there was only 2 Ranger Bn.
This I don't remember
2. You have passed out at Rick’s on Hay St.
Yup
3. You dated a dancer from Rick’s
Does just fuckin' one count?
4. Still refer to the NATO countries Hungry, Poland, etc as Warsaw Pact
Yup
5. Have at least one pair of jungles and khakis in the closet
My brother trashed my cammies (the real ones) when he went hunting. I still have a khaki shirt, and it still fits!
6. Have been issued “chocolate chip DCUs at Green Ramp
DCU? Desert Combat Uniform? The ones that look like they had the little cotton balls on them? I was never issued those
7. Qualified with the 45. M16A1 & M60 MG
Yup, and was an expert in all of them
8. Fast Roping was classified means of insertion
I don't recall this, but I do remember doing some repelling
9. Cringed when someone referred to the 82^nd as the “Jumping Junkies�
Kind of torn between that and being proud
10. Had a Jungle Expert or Recondo School patch
Got my Jungle Expert patch (the one with the ship) when I was in Panama
11. Remember replacing your baseball cap for the maroon beret
Hell yeah!
12. Airborne School was still kind of hard
You didn't dare get caught walking during duty hours - The Black Hats would have your ass running all night long!
13. There was no SF tab or HALO wings.
There was the SF Tab, but I don't recall seeing any HALO Wings
14. Not everybody had to be� Special Operations�
Nope
15. You have STABOed (before everybody went to SPIES)
Ok, I admit it, I don't know/remember what STABO means
16. The seats were removed from Blackhawks so you could cram 20 Joes in it for air assault ops.
Never was in a Blackhawk
17. Had a MC-1B drivers license
Not sure what it was, but it was the old paper one
18. 7^th & 5^th SFG was in ‘Old Divison�, then 3^rd SFG lived there.
Can't remember
19. You were levied to 7^th ID to cadre the Light Fighters
Don't think so
20. Ranger School had a Desert Phase with live fires
I thought it was always that way
21. There were SF babies, never mind they brought that back
Unclear
22. Used a PRC-77 radio
Yup
23. Your entire chain of command from Squad Leader on up had tours in Vietnam
Almost
24. You could have a beer at lunch
I thought you could have 2 beers at lunch
25. Bronze Bruce was the 5 mile turn around point
I know the statue, but never really paid attention during the runs
26. You believe a “Single Point Release� is a piece of crap and still have your H-Harness.
If it's what I think it is, I never had it. We were using LBE
27. Still look good in your UDT swim trunks
Didn't have anything that spiffy
28. The “Purd� was in your chain of command
Ok, I'm stumped
29. Have done a jump exchange with the PDF or Canadian Airborne Regiment
Had some of them jump with us but not the other way around. Also had some British Paratroopers jump with us too.
30. Maj Howard smoked you bags on a ruck run out at Mackall
Can't say I had the pleasure
31. The reception for your Wedding was at the Flaming Mug. Then your wife was back at work at Rick’s the following night.
Don't I wish!
32. Didn’t have Gortex, Refused to ever wear a field jacket. Just wore the “smoking jacket underneath your top.
Nope, no Gortex, but no "smoking jacket" ether. When it was cold out I wore those damn long johns and the field jacket!
33. You have laid awake at night dreaming of doing parachute assault on Havana, Managua, Tripoli or Tehran
I still do
34. Your Plt. Daddy ensured that you wore�highly shined� jump boots on a weekly basis when in garrison. Cause “that’s the way his Plt. Sgt. did it back in the day.�
Wasn't that mandatory?
35. You have seen an ugly, pregnant, chick in her tennis shoes and maternity BDU’s wearing a Green Beret
Nope
36. You have done many airmobile ops in a “Huey�
I have done "all" of my airmobile ops in Hueys
37. You fondly remember writing your name/unit in the “tar shacks� in Mountain Phase
I never had to do mountain training
38. You know where the “John Wayne Memorial Shitter� is.

Can't say that I remember

[LRS Guy]

VB,

Don't feel too bad some of those are SF or Ranger Bn references.

Crown & Sword....you are definitly one of the Old, Hard Dudes! I'd love to sit down and hear your stories.

I posted this on Socnet too and have a pretty good thread going over there too. I'm glad you all like it.

FYI: A friend of mine former SEAL in VN & SF Reservist in the 70's & 80's threw this on out. "I was opening a coffee can with a P-38 and a SSG say's,"thats pretty neat, where did you get that can opener". He said "I knew I was getting old at that moment".

OLD SCHOOL RULES!!!

[Airborne Cable Dawg]

I have a question. What was the demise of the NCO club? Why doesn't anyone go there and drink like they used to? And where in the hell did the comradery go? Before I left Ft. Campbell the NCO club was all but torn down.

[AbnJack]

Before I got out they started cracking down on alchohol use, you were safe to have a beer or two at the NCO club (if they were the first drinks of the day) but to drink more than that and start cutting up was like russian roulette. If the wrong person seen you do the wrong thing you'd probably end up in Track 1 at least.

[Crown and Sword]

LRSGuy: /that's funny. Both the HH6 & I have our dog tags & P-38s on our keyrings. She was opening a coffee can at one of the "Ladies Things" and one of them commented on her "cute little can opener". HH6 said "It's probably older than you and it's opened a lot of cans. It gets sharper with use." The kid had NO idea. (HH6 was in before females were on status.)

[Bell]

This something 4 of us old guys, Div, Bat, & SF wrote up one time



You know you are old school:


I went to Savannah and stayed there.

1. You remember when there was only 2 Ranger Bn.
Served in the 1st.
2. You have passed out at Rick’s on Hay St.
Never seen it. Heard of it.
3. You dated a dancer from Rick’s
See above.
4. Still refer to the NATO countries Hungry, Poland, etc as Warsaw Pact
It changed?
5. Have at least one pair of jungles and khakis in the closet
Yep.
6. Have been issued “chocolate chip DCUs at Green Ramp
??
7. Qualified with the 45. M16A1 & M60 MG
Yep.
8. Fast Roping was classified means of insertion
Fast Roping came along later.
9. Cringed when someone referred to the 82^nd as the “Jumping Junkies”
Cringed? hahahhahaa. Sorry.
10. Had a Jungle Expert or Recondo School patch
Never got the chance to go. It was there though.
11. Remember replacing your baseball cap for the maroon beret
Black Beret in Garrison. Patrol Cap in the field.
12. Airborne School was still kind of hard
Fuck yeah!! A smokefest although the runs were easy.
13. There was no SF tab or HALO wings.
Yes there was.
14. Not everybody had to be” Special Operations”
Only two I knew of. Rangers and SF.
15. You have STABOed (before everybody went to SPIES)
Yep.
16. The seats were removed from Blackhawks so you could cram 20 Joes in it for air assault ops.
I never saw seats in a Blackhawk.
17. Had a MC-1B drivers license
Yep
18. 7^th & 5^th SFG was in ‘Old Divison”, then 3^rd SFG lived there.
Don't remember.
19. You were levied to 7^th ID to cadre the Light Fighters
Nope.
20. Ranger School had a Desert Phase with live fires
Desert Phase came along later.
21. There were SF babies, never mind they brought that back
Yep.
22. Used a PRC-77 radio
Carried it too!!
23. Your entire chain of command from Squad Leader on up had tours in Vietnam
Yep. And most of the RIs.
24. You could have a beer at lunch
Who ate lunch?
25. Bronze Bruce was the 5 mile turn around point
Never got up there.
26. You believe a “Single Point Release” is a piece of crap and still have your H-Harness.
LCE was all I had.
27. Still look good in your UDT swim trunks
Never had em.
28. The “Purd” was in your chain of command
Don was my Platoon Sergeant.
29. Have done a jump exchange with the PDF or Canadian Airborne Regiment
Never got the chance. A lot of guys did. Germany too.
30. Maj Howard smoked you bags on a ruck run out at Mackall
Never was there.
31. The reception for your Wedding was at the Flaming Mug. Then your wife was back at work at Rick’s the following night.
See above.
32. Didn’t have Gortex, Refused to ever wear a field jacket. Just wore the “smoking jacket underneath your top.
Wooly Pully and a camo top was about it. In all weather.
33. You have laid awake at night dreaming of doing parachute assault on Havana, Managua, Tripoli or Tehran
Sigh.....
34. Your Plt. Daddy ensured that you wore”highly shined” jump boots on a weekly basis when in garrison. Cause “that’s the way his Plt. Sgt. did it back in the day.”
We always wore starch and shines in Garrison.
35. You have seen an ugly, pregnant, chick in her tennis shoes and maternity BDU’s wearing a Green Beret
Thank God, no.
36. You have done many airmobile ops in a “Huey”
Oh yeah.
37. You fondly remember writing your name/unit in the “tar shacks” in Mountain Phase
The RI did it for me. Ranger Bell carried the M60 3 days and 3 nights on the TVD. Beat that MF's!!
38. You know where the “John Wayne Memorial Shitter” is.
Huh?

More "old school" stuff

39. Have seen a “candy striper” from Group
Huh?
40. Have wore BDU’s with your foreign jump wings sewn on.
Some did.
41. Remember when there was only one “Selection” course in the Army
SF, sure. RIP for Rangers.
42. If you were a sniper and you had a M21
I wasn't a sniper but the snipers carried the M21.
43. When Sicily DZ was labeled North & South
Never there.
44. When Fun Jumps consisted showing up on Friday night, drinking beer and doing helo blasts all day on Saturday.
Hell yeah.
45. When women ran separate formation in Jump School.
No.
46. When cherries were held upside down in a mountain sleeping bag outside third floor window by the E-4 mafia.
Never saw the mafia.
47. Have been fed by the student pilots in Florida Phase.
Sadly, I only heard the stories.
48. When the 82^nd had kevlars and the Rangers had steel pots.
Everyone had steel pots.
49. You had P-38 on your dogtags
Never!! It was always in my pocket. Rangers couldn't hang shit on their chains. I've still got a drawer full of em.
50. When the name of 2 man detail you were on was “Hey Cherrie you & the new guy!!!!”
Many many times.

It's amazing how things have changed over the years.

RLTW
Bell

[barcephus]

HEY!! I knew a Rosebud in the 2/508! And he had a job at a bar....musta been the same guy!! Big black dude?? Before he left he was attached to the transportation platoon even tho he was a grunt.

Sorry for the REALLY delayed answer but...

YEah that was him...

Rosebud had a Firebird if I remember correctly. He was a hell-of-a good guy.

[AbnJack]

Yeah he was, he was the one who would grab you, pinning your arms to your sides, flip you upside down, and put you head first in the 50 gal barrel of ice and water you used for holding beer. Wasn't a damn thing you could do about it either, just pray he wouldn't forget about you and pull you back out.

[barcephus]

Yeah he was, he was the one who would grab you, pinning your arms to your sides, flip you upside down, and put you head first in the 50 gal barrel of ice and water you used for holding beer. Wasn't a damn thing you could do about it either, just pray he wouldn't forget about you and pull you back out.

You remember a dude called "Tucker" Taylor, he was also in "A" company around the same time.

[AbnJack]

The name Tucker sounds familiar, but that's the best my memory brings up.

How bout CPT Healy?...looked like Popeye, had a good sense of humor and was a pretty good "O".

[barcephus]

The name Tucker sounds familiar, but that's the best my memory brings up.

How bout CPT Healy?...looked like Popeye, had a good sense of humor and was a pretty good "O".

Ya know I got into the unit while the rest of the battalion was in the Sinai, and I believe Cpt. "Iron Mike??" Healy was our CO during that time, waiting for their return...good times, good times.

[BushRat2/505]

Some great memories for sure.. I also remember drinking many beers at the Pope AFB NCO club on Sunday nights since our usual haunts weren't serving those evenings.

How about "NCOPD" at McKellar's Lodge?

The instructors "warming up" Leroy's Lake in Recondo School..

Pulling guard on the Division Museum with a Prick 77 & a stick.

Running the team assault course with a rucksack and a rubber duck.

How good copenhagen tasted while you were doing a long patrol.

[El Swampratt]

having Pappa Johns delivered to OP 13 and sending joe to find the keys to Area J