Army Transportation OCS Vietnam Era 1966-1968

  It was summer  1967. I was in a foxhole guarding the "perimeter" when one of our TAC officers strolled up. I challenged him, and he said "You can't shoot me, I'm an artillery round," and tossed one of those artillery simulators into my hole.  It whistled and exploded, with the cardboard plug hitting me in the butt. It left a big bruise, and the TAC thought he was funny as hell.

  I was in TOCS class 20-67, Echo One. During the first 15 weeks or so, I had several assignments in the candidate chain of command but nothing that made me stand out or come under special scrutiny. On Sunday afternoon we had a new candidate chain of command installed, and I thought, oh man, I can “skate” because I had no assignment that coming week.   The following day, Monday, we were in formation after lunch about to march back to class. I heard a familiar voice, with a Georgia twang that I recognized as that of Captain Shelton Wood. He said, “Candidate Cousins, report!” He had never done that before, to anyone, so I thought I was being dropped from the program, where I would revert to being an Infantry PFC and shipped to Viet Nam.   I reported to CPT Wood, and the rest of the company marched off down the street toward the classroom. CPT Wood said, “Follow me candidate.” He led me into the day room and asked, “What do you see Candidate?” I was pretty nervous but po...

Life is about doing some things once, and the best things more often. August 26, 1967 collected many young men from all around America and assembled them at Transportation Officer Candidate School, Fort Eustis, Virginia. Some older and some younger, but all were brothers soon to become Bravo 2-68. 6 months of military scholastics, regimental formations, parades, pushups, running, spit shining, breaking starch, hospital corners on bunks…. and Cubicle displays in perfect harmony and geometry. TAC’s, CATO’s, snarling Seniors, no junior candidates, and a screeching Company Commander. Frigid FTX, gas chamber, entrenching tools, fox holes, and all the comforts of the great outdoors along the James River. Leadership Reaction Course (LRC) – unsolvable exercises but nevertheless attempted. USS Neversail, front gate to back Railroad, more running, and more spit shining. Pogey bait for sure, and suffering all the more for it. Eyeball Annie… "tighten up candidate". Pull ups before enter...