Tuesday, April 15, 2025
TRUE STORY - U. S. ARMY SECOND LIEUTENANT (2LT) WITH A MAP AND A COMPASS
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The academy was located in the Georgia woods (and swamps) at a site called TAC-X which had been used for training during the Vietnam era. This was an isolated site about 20 miles from main garrison (i.e. civilization) and was surrounded by a dedicated training area... which other units could only use after prior coordination.
There was an access road, a mile or to long, among the thick pines from the main road to TAC-X.
One morning as I was driving in on the access road, I was surprised to see a jeep with two soldiers emerge from the woods... where no jeep was supposed to be.
The driver waved me down. He was a SP4 (Specialist 4th Class kind of like a corporal), and his red faced passenger was a 2LT.
I approached the jeep from the driver's side, saluting the LT. I had to move a bit in front of the vehicle as he was looking straight ahead and did not turn his head at my approach. The blazing red LT stiffly returned my salute without making eye contact.
The SP4 was very polite and apologetic, and asked, "Excuse me, Sergeant, but can you tell me where we are and how to get back to our unit?"
"Where are you supposed to be?"
He said, "I can show you on the map..." which happened to be in the LT's hand. Slowly, respectfully, he reached over and took the map from the LT's grip.
The bright red LT didn't make a move and continued to stare straight ahead.
The SP4 showed me where on the map they were SUPPOSED to be... several miles away, about half way between our training area and main garrison.
I gave him directions on how to get back to the main road and find the area they were supposed to be in.
He thanked me politely, handed the map back to the LT (who took it with as little movement as possible), gave me an almost despairing look, and drove off.
As they left, I gave the LT a proper salute... which he didn't see or return, since he was still facing forward, not having moved or said a word... and still bright red.
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Labels: army, compass, donovan baldwin, map, second lieutenant
# posted by Donovan Baldwin @ 12:42 PM 
