Friday marks the anniversary of when I had to report to Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. I won't tell you how many years ago, but it was more than ten. Fort Leonard Wood is up in the Ozarks -- DELIVERANCE country. And in the late fall and early winter it gets COLD. Its nickname was "Little Korea."
I got into an Armed Forces Radio Reserve Unit once I saw that my draft lottery number was 4 and I'd be drafted and shipped off to Vietnam before they had finished calling out numbers. The Reserves were a six year commitment. 16 hours of meeting or training a month, two weeks of summer camp, and Basic Training & Advanced Individual Training (roughly a 20 week stretch). And you could be called up to active duty anytime. Does that happen? Ask the Reservists about Korea and Desert Storm.
The first week I was in there was some flare-up in Jordan and Reservists were called up. The very first week. So I was petrified for the entire six years.
Basic Training was an absolute nightmare for me. Tall, skinny, bespectacled, uncoordinated, not handy, college educated, Jewish -- 7 strikes and you're out. Even though my name is pronounced Le-Vine (rhyming with wine) the Drill Sgt. couldn't pronounce it and instead I was "Veen, you fuckin' dud." Actually, that was my nickname. His real name for me was "Veen, you fuckin' dud, I'm gonna run ya every fuckin' where you go."
I got through it and graduated. (There were actually some parents who drove down to watch the graduation ceremony. Mine correctly considered it a joke and stayed home.)
But I made a vow.
As the years go by you tend to forget all the miserable moments and indignities, and when someone asks you how it was you say "Oh, it wasn't that bad." The vow I made to myself as I was leaving Fort Leonard Wood was that no matter what I forgot, always remember: It WAS that bad.
However, I have to say this. I owe the army a lot. That draft number was the best thing that could have happened to me. Without the army I never would have met my writing partner, David Isaacs. He had just transferred into the unit from Miami. We never could have written MASH with any authority. And MASH was our big break. It absolutely launched our career.
But Basic Training was STILL that bad. On October 16th (ironically, also a Friday) is when I had to report. So since I got my honorable discharge I've always designated October 16th as my Thanksgiving Day. I stop and think that no matter where I am or what's going on in my life, it's better than having to begin Basic Training.
Even THIS year is better.
Happy Thanksgiving Day.