Monday, April 10, 2006

first days of basic


the first day of basic training was the longest day of my life. The cold kentucky mornings took a while to get used to. After collecting all of our gear, getting our hair cuts and suiting up it was time to meet the people who would be screaming at us for the next 15 weeks. We sat on the floor in a big gymnasium fighting sleep. At this time we had been going for 20 hrs straight. As i went over my New dog tags they came in. Some of the biggest dudes i've ever seen in my life. Brown round hats, shiny boots and ice cold eyes, all of them.
A tall guy who reminded me of a younger clint eastwood walked over to me. Where you from boy? "BOY??" I thought, nah can't lose my cool on day one. "New york city sir" i blurted . "Don't call me sir ,BOY, I work for a living. Hey Sgt. Fountain We got a tough guy here from New york. " Shit, shit shit. As SGt. Fountain walk over i noticed he look like a black incredible hulk. "What part of new york? " he asked " Harlem, Drill SGT." i said sensing trouble.
" Ask him about your team" he told EAstWood with a big smile. He stared at me with eagle eyes. "Ok, New York...............name the starting five for the new york knicks.
Fuck me....., although i watched Basketball, if they wasn't on the chicago bulls i didn't know em. "Starting five city boy" he said with a deep south accent. I began to stutter "Patrick ewing..... Charles oakley.......John Starks........" Then he went crazy
" JOHN STARKS??????, John Starks? The greatest six man in basketball is in the starting 5 for the knicks. Beat your face, Private." I had no clue what he was talking about. " I said Beat your face!!!!!" Is this guy nuts? Do he want me to punch myself in the face? " GET DOWN AND GIVE ME fifty" OOOOOH push ups. I dropped and began to knock them out. The other drill sgts began fucking with the other recruits. Push ups were easy for me so i was breezing threw them. Eastwood and fountain looked at each other." Too easy for you new york, count them out let me hear them." "34, 35, 36" i said ." I never heard number one, New york, start over. "1 drill sgt, 2 drill sgt 3 drill sgt" DAm 15 weeks of this.

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