“You’d better have a damn good excuse for being.” SSG Echols Miller, Drill Sergeant, U.S. Army.
It was about this time 37 or so years ago that I graduated Basic Training/Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. That’s the only Fort Sill that I know of, but the Army is very specific that this one is in Oklahoma.
Graduation was on a Thursday morning. My flight to Germany left Sunday morning. I’m sure I’m not the first G.I. to rent a motorcycle and ride the countryside for a weekend. I rode forth and back to Wichita Falls (the one in Texas). There was an afternoon spent rock climbing around Mount Scott (the one back in Oklahoma). Probably not an original idea, but I’m glad I thought of that too. I don’t recall much other detail about that weekend. It was a while back and I’ve slept since then.
I was back in Fort Sill a few years later for the Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer. I had spent one night at home in Fort Hood (the one in Texas) after coming from the National Training Center in Fort Ord (the one in California). It hadn’t changed much.
Fort Sill, Oklahoma, is not one of the places that I’d ever say I missed. I’m sure if there was a Fort Sill in Western North Carolina, I’d like that one a whole lot more.
These da6d Daily Ramblin’s usually have a picture associated with the story or the Haiku. There is a slight connection for this one; this was one of my favorite albums at the time. Me, my walkman and a cassette.
"As Falls Wichita,
So Falls Wichita Falls." Down.
That would be my guess.
Peace, Y'all!
da6d