Fort Hood: Part Two

     To all those who know something about Fort Hood from way back then before The All Volunteer Army took effect; and to those who love history, let it be known that back then The Army like most all the Military, was almost beyond repair. So please let me continue telling my experience there from back in 1972 and '73. And please be advice again that I am not those type of history tellers that like to sweeten the theme with synthetic sugars or other spices, and not even real sugar. I have nothing to gain by doing that or taking free artistic license to add excitement to it. No, there was more than enough excitement and natural spontaneous entertainment taking place in our world that you will never get in a man made movie. Okay, here is the rest of the story for when The U.S. Military was suffering a mortal wound from extreme lack of Military Discipline and Morale, and a time when I was whirled into this chaos without any preparation for it. This is a true story from someone who was in the ranks. By now my Company Commander Captain Stacy had slacked off of me and I was now getting in the groove with those senior N.C.O.'s  and my Platoon Sergeant. And I was more free to help the returning Vietnam Veterans with adjusting to authoritarian figures again. However, now we were getting those real hard core drug users that had been delayed at those drug programs at the 90th Replacement in Vietnam. My Platoon Sergeant named Harold Taylor, a Black guy who was a Lifer and a good strict man, had given me assignment to make sure that these guys returning understood the seriousness of the consequences that would be placed against them if they started using drugs at our Company. This mission like I said before was a troublesome one for a few years after, and not even the All Volunteer Army in '73 changed that atmosphere. Our Company had made some progress with the Rag Tag guys like me, but all that the Army had done to alleviate that problem was to get rid of these guys through early outs and or placing them in stockade. Nonetheless, there was still problems with G.I.'s going A.W.O.L. and Deserting. The cause for the climate, or feelings, for most of these Vietnam soldiers was an issue of serious attitude problems. Most of these guys like myself still didn't know that Chemical Corporations here in America had contracted with The Military to use Chemicals to defoliate the Jungles of South Vietnam and in that process poisoned not only the foliage but both The Vietnamese and Americans, and all other people of other Nationalities there at that time. The Ordinance and Chemical Corporations had raked in tons of money and so had American Politicians and Military high ranking personnel during this extended war. All that the Vietnam Combat soldiers still in The Army during this time knew, was that a whole bunch of people died for nothing over there. Many of us knew that The Army had become politicized and got themselves trapped in a Political chess game. It was the Politicians running the War and calling the shots, not our Generals. In Vietnam we not only had to worry about where we could walk for fear of being blown up, but we couldn't harm banana plant trees without compensating the Vietnamese Government. And we could not shoot unless we had clearance from higher up. In 1970 American Policies that had earlier governed rules of engagement had radically changed for the worst. But we didn't know why that was either. We knew that many Units had Stood Down and were being shipped home, but it was hard to understand why those of us who were still there were being subjected to stay here after we could see America was slowly Retrograding like a dog with its tail between his legs from Vietnam. But why leave a small contingency like us there and lock up the weapons? That is not a morale booster when the enemy can be anyone on base. Yes, our weapons were issued to us when we went on patrols and missions, but then locked up when we were on base. And there were more reasons for The Army's down fall in Vietnam after all? Besides, who wants to die under a situation like that? Our leaders have sold us down river without a skiff and now they want you to remain optimistic and patriotic, really. Well, what we didn't know down at the bottom of the ranks was, that the higher ranks were afraid of being shot or fragged by their own disgruntled soldiers who were angry as hell, and they were mentally blowing up inside of themselves. And so there was real fear of crime and violence in the ranks because of all the uneasiness and lack of trust. And I blame it on the American people..., they kept the politicians dragging the war with cries of dissatisfactions in all their fronts. The American people were divided and terribly angry and as they had their revolutions and riots here at home, the Military mirrored their reflection and projected it all the way to Vietnam. And the longer the war dragged on in South East Asia, this had to have caused the Generals to battle between pleasing those who provided them with goods, and or winning the War. Therefore the consensus among the foot soldier was the old idiom, What do we do now Boss? And that was the soldier on the grounds problem, but worst because unlike the Generals, he or she was stuck in the middle of both the stagnated war and the leaders indecisions. But, we were soldiers and if our leaders said jump, we are supposed to jump and not ask questions regardless of our discomforts or unhappiness. So, that's why the family lost their minds. The soldier asked himself, "Why am I gonna fight for something that those sorry Politicians are not willing to die for themselves? So it wasn't long before soldiers were so stone or drunk out of their minds and screaming, "F... The Army!" Like I said, I didn't know what my future held when I joined The Army. But I surely thought that it would be better than doing hard time in prison. Therefore, all this American behavior that I was seeing manifesting nakedly before my eyes over seas was mind boggling. Then I wondered, "Why are those bombs still being fired at The Vietnamese people for?" And I would ask my friends, " I wonder how many animals and plants and trees are dying there too? What crime did they commit?" And all they told me to do was chalk these type of questions to Casualties of War. But the American Soldiers morale was broken here in Vietnam in 1970-71. And if there were those hard core gun-ho disciplinarians around, they were living in isolation. And just one more note on Vietnam during this time period that I will never forget and it was a "Hand Shake" among The Black soldiers called "The Dap!" Man, was this the prettiest thing that I had ever seen here only. These young blacks took this hand shake and transformed it into a great performance of natural beauty and skillful high relief art. I saw it afterwards back in the World, but nothing will compare to the ones performed in Vietnam. Because there... those Black guys attitudes and demeanor was one of Brotherhood and Solidarity that was tangible. It came from the heart and was being expressed as heart felt rebellion against an oppressive spirit that everyone knew was The American Government. And it was this attitude that permeated throughout the lower ranks in the Military. And it was this spirit that overwhelm The Army at Fort Hood, Texas too. As far as I am concerned it was a spirit that defined our time. And I remember that many of the young White guys coming back to Fort Hood were really troubled by the Heroin. And they just couldn't cope with military life anymore. It was hard even for me to help these guys. But they knew that I was trying hard to help them make it out with an Honorable Discharge, after all that is why most of us joined for when we enlisted in the first place. And I remember that a few of them got caught up in The "Jesus" Movement from downtown Killeen. And in the mornings when we had morning Formation and Inspections these White guys wouldn't show up for it. So I went to hunt for them in the barracks and couldn't find them. Then the last place that came to my mind was the Latrine area. And when I walked in, there was silence and it seemed that no one was there. But as I was about to leave the latrine, I saw combat boots on at the bottom of the door with their soles facing out the door and toes facing downward. So I would knock and call out names and they would answer and I would ask, "What are you guys doing in there?" And they would answer from the toilet stalls and say, "We are on our knees praying Sergeant G." Then I would say, "Well, you guys need to come out and join us in formation because you don't want to be late." Then they would come out of the stalls and say, "It feels good to talk to "Jesus" sergeant G." And so I got to see many things along the way here at Ft. Hood and especially at Charlie Company First of the Twelve Cav.. I intended to get out in 1973 when my enlistment was over, and I was really looking forward to it, but, unbeknown to me , my girl friend Irma Reyes was now pregnant. And when she told me I was excited and thrilled about it. However, she told me that she wanted a Church Wedding. I am looking at her and I can't believe all the high plans she has and I said, "Baby, what is wrong with a simple Civil marriage?" And then it occurred to me, who is gonna pay "Sam" for all of this? This was in February 1972. And she said that she was four months pregnant. And I had less than a year to go on my enlistment. So I told her to let me think about all her plans just to buy myself wiggling time to concoct another viable plan more soothing to me. That's all I needed just to work out something that she would buy because it would make more sense. And while I pondered those unforeseeable circumstances, one day I got Orders to be transferred to Charlie Company 2nd of the 12 Cavalry just up the street and we were housed in completely new barracks that looked like The Holiday Inn. This was in early 1973 and we were told that we were now an All Volunteer Army and that The Draft had been deactivated. Inside the barracks we had plush wall to wall carpets and personalized closets and beautiful curtains. Can you imagine such amenities for a Mechanized Infantry Unit that stayed in the woods training for up to two weeks at a time in all kinds of weather. Cleaning that mess of the carpets was a mess. And now, not only is The Army got a brand new look to its living quarters, but all their Mess Halls were now a grand Buffett serving American, Soul, Mexican, and Euro-Asian, Foods. Now they had serve yourself fountain drinks with crushed ice machines and serve yourself pastries and ice cream. And just to add icing to the cake, The Mess Halls served a Midnight Chow Call!. And it was a grand Buffett too. And now they were offering a 10,00.00 dollar Bonas to anyone who wanted to Re-Enlist or just Enlist in the Army. Well, guys let me close for now and Let's sleep on that. And tell me whether anything has changed today from those days here in the war in Vietnam and Fort Hood, Texas? And did we learn anything from our mistakes from this turbulent time? Well, maybe The Country's Politicians and some people may have learned nothing, but I did. I learned from my Hippie friends praying in The Latrine commode stalls, that Praying to "Jesus" whole heartily does feel good. Especially when "He" brings you out of The Army with two Honorable Discharge, and I managed both with a clean record. I mean I never got an Article 15 or 30 in 6 years. Don't tell me "God" isn't good please. I'll try to finish Fort Hood experience next time? These were days we didn't know that they would have such an impact on our lives but they did. How can it not affect us, after all... it is a human experience that has a beginning and a close to it. Can you imagine what we missed from the 1860's through the 1900's in America? Thanks again.                                                                                     Respectfully,                                                                                                                                           Ruben N. Gutierrez