The morning of October 11, 1965 was vastly different from any other morning I had ever woken up too. It was the beginning of my three-year tour with the U.S. Army. I had boarded a train in Buffalo, New York, and arrived in New York City around 2300. We were put on a bus and taken to the Reception Center at Fort Dix, New Jersey. They issued us hats and marched us to a barrack built in the early 1940's for WWII. After about two hours sleep, we were woken to the sound of a banging garbage can, and the light about my head (I was on the top bunk) came on bright and obnoxious. Deep inside me I knew it would get worse before it got better.

I went through Basic and Wheel Vehicle Mechanic School at Fort Dix, and then it was off to Fort Benning for Track Vehicle Mechanics School. When I joined the Army, I wanted to gain a trade, and I had chosen being an auto mechanic. Somehow in April 1966, I had a hard time seeing how my training on tanks would help me in civilian life, but I would learn in three years that it would help me more than anything.

There was about six of us that gotten assigned to Panama coming out of Track School. The other assignments for out class were Germany and Viet Nam. The six of us who went to Panama had been together since Basic, and had formed quite a bond. We were assigned to the 193rd Infantry Brigade, 4th Battalion 20th Mechanized Infantry. Affectionately know as the 4th Mech. All of us, but one were assigned to the Headquarters Company maintenance section. I was assigned to the Track Shop. We pulled maintenance on Personal Carriers (M113), Recon track (M114), and the Battalion track (M577) like the communication track.

I was also on the Recovery team for the eighteen months I served in Panama. We used an M-88 (had a wench in place of the tank gun turret), M-578 (had a wench in place of the cannon), and the 5-ton Wrecker. The 5-ton wrecker was good for picking up vehicles in the road or in the open, but when it came to jungle recovery the tracked retrievers were the best. I enjoyed being part of the Recovery Team. The most memorable recovery was when a 5-ton had lost the right side rear wheels and axle. We cut part of a tree to make a skid and lashed it to the underside of the truck and drove it out of the jungle with front wheel drive. The truck looked like someone was driving it out with a splint on a broken leg. Once we hit the flat lands, it was put on a transport and taken to the motor pool.

We had a great training area in Panama. It was about 100 miles from Fort Clayton to Rio Haiti. The track were transported there by the Navy by LST, and when we came off the LST I always felt it was like D-Day in Normandy. When we took the M-88, it would go on a landing craft. That was neat because they would drop the front ramp (just like in the movies) and we would drive off. I never understood how the land craft was able to handle a 56-ton vehicle.

I made E-5 (Spec 5) after eighteen months in the service. I was always proud that I had served exactly half my time as an E-5. I took over the Track Shop and was the Recovery Team leader.

After Panama, I was assigned to 5th Division at Fort Carson, Colorado. I arrived in November 1967. I served as the Motor Sergeant. It was a fun time. We had a good crew and took care of business and had time to have fun. We were a receiving battalion for guys coming back from Viet Nam. They would serve out their last six months before they were discharged. I lived off post in Manitou Springs, which is at the foot of Pikes Peak. The country was beautiful.

I was discharged honorably October 10, 1968 with a rank of Specialist (E-5).