What were some of your extra duties?

[John Sukey]

alibi, just another story about the Russian imperial guard. When Catherine the Great was running things, Guardsmen were selected by one criteria. The applicants were ordered to "drop their pants" for inspection to see if their "equipment" met her satisfaction.

[El Paso Mark]

Cleaning the seagull poop off the Admirals private landing on Ford Island, Hawaii.

Cheers,

Mark

[m1903rifle]

As Officer of the Day at Yong Son Compound,KOREA,I pulled the Slot Machine Verification Officer duty one day. The "job" entailed riding in a 3/4T van, accompanied by a Korean technician and a Mafia-type E-8, and going to several remote Army posts to "rob" the slot machines. I had to verify all three counter readings on each machine. If the pay out counter showed that the machine was paying out more than 80%, the Korean tech "tweaked" the machine to bring it back in line. The tail end of the van would hit the road occasionally on the way back to Seoul because of the heavy load of quarters. I don't know what happened to all the bags of quarters after they dropped me off at my BOQ, but a year later, all of the slot machines were removed from all U.S.Army facilities.

[Greg]

VD Control Officer at a small camp in Korea in 82-83. Not really a lot too it, but I did know which of the ladies were, as of the time of the test, clean. And two awkward moments related this subject - one time, on my second tour in Korea (first was 79-80), I was at the commissary at Osan and a Korean spouse of an American came up to me and asked if I was Captain --------. I replied yes. She told me she was Miss An, and wondered if I remembered her. I did, some really good times. Then a guy came up and she introduced me to her husband and her daughter. Second one was after I returned to the US after my second tour. The guy who replaced me was coming to the same office I was assigned to. When he got there, he told me his new wife would be arriving soon and that she thought she remembered me. When she did arrive, he brought her over to my house. I remembered her, and a number of memorable evenings. Never said a word to him about it. But awkward nonetheless.

[mike24d20]

What goes around, comes around. Provided Air Defence for Osan while over there in 76-77 IHAWK C btry. 1 st Bn. 2 sd. ADA. An as one VD control officer once said, they were clean 10 mins. ago, but don't ask me about now.

[Michaelp]

Before going to RVN iin 1968, we were on post support rotation at Ft Bragg and
I got assigned to a firing party detail.
We would travel around NC and fire salutes and present flags at military funerals.
Sad to see some of what went on-little towns and youngsters in boxes.
Crying families and teenage widows.
We practiced and did a good job. 21 gun salute is not the proper term for a funeral volley.

Another time in prep for a large post inspection we policed up a few truckloads of pinecones and hauled them away.
A pre inspection inspection revealed that the area was too unnatural looking.
We had to retrieve a load of pinecones and redistribute them.

Reponse to comment on VN nationals.
90+% of GIs only experience with VN nationals was bargirls or civilians working on base.
These folks were mostly refugees and displaced persons. They were making the best of what they had.
Many will recall the parasitic and predatory nature of folks in towns in the US that surrounded military bases.
GIs are regarded as lawful prey and easy pickin's. Very similar situation.
There is a book and movie entitled "The Ugly American" illustrates a bit on how a lot of us react to unfamiliar situations.
We tend to look down upon and disregard folks we consider "different' or "inferior." We often have no clue what it is to live at the level most primitive or 3rd world cultures endure.
We deride and make fun of them. Judging a society by its lowest caste is somewhat shortsighted.
When you're in the bush for a week or so with one other round eye and a squad or platoon of indigenous guys, mutual respect is a big deal.
There were instances of Embattled CIDG forces given the offer of "Give us the Americans" and go home. At those times you wanted pretty good counterpart relations....