Freedom,
I was also trained as a 72E. Went to Germany to a Pershing Missile Unit which did not have any 72E equipment so I spent 3 years in Operations doing Pershing Missile stuff. Then went to Ft. Bragg to the 319th MI BN (Combat Electronic Warfare Intel) Airborne, talk about a fish out of water. Not only did I not know how to do the 72E stuff I also was not Airborne qualified at the time. The 319th supported the 18th Airborne Corp, I was selected to go to Ft. Campbell Ky to support the 101st during one of their field problems. I was attached to one of the 101st MI BNs, was in some type of big Van, trying to get the new Teletype working and in walks the Commanding General of the 101st. After everybody got the "As you were" command I went back to reading the Tech Manual trying to figure out why the teletype was not working, the General saw me and asked me what I was doing, I told him and he said I never see anybody read a TM anymore. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the GC coin. Next thing I know the Brigade CSM was hand carrying another Teletype from Ft. Bragg to Ft. Campbell. A lot of people must have caught hell because of broken (maybe, maybe not) equipment but nobody said much to me because I received the CG coin directly from the CG. Went to Airborne School at Bragg, then came down on orders for Recruiting, which kept me from going to one of those month long field problems in Korea and never worked as a 72E again.
Ft. Lewis Wash. Basic, 1968, AIT, Ft. Sill OK, Cannon-Cocker, 105 Howitzers, RVN 1969.
