imported post
I have to stretch the thread topic to make this next post, but perhaps somebody will get a chuckle. It does involve OC, but its a stretch.
At Parris Island we OC'd a lot.
At that time, PI training included a week or two of bivouac in pup tents in a grove of tall pine trees. Meals were C-rations.
The story involves one DI, one other recruit, and myself. The DI was 6' of former air-ordnance muscle. I'll call him Sgt. Big. This name will work as well as any other. Sgt. Big enjoyedgiving me special harassment attention. It was a sort of game between us. Our relationship had moved well beyond calling me by my laundry number. He knew and used my name.
Lunchtime, chowing down with my tent mate. I was sittingoutside the opening into the front of the tent. My tent mate was leaning againstthe pine tree a few feet in front of the tent, eating his chow. The tree was close to the tent, with enough room for me to sit on the ground in front of the tent to eat. Near the end of the meal period, my tent mate decided he had to go to the head, mentioned it to me, then got up and left.
A few moments later, I looked up from my food and noticed Sgt. Big staring at me from about 30' away.Our relationship haddeveloped to the point where I couldreply with a brief speculative gaze. After afew seconds he started walking my way. He walked straight to the pine tree and picked up a rifle.I couldn't move fast enough to get it first. I realized his goal too late to beat him to it.
Sgt. Big walked back to his previous location,turned, set down the rifle, and gave mea huge grin. He knew he had me. His possession of that rifle guaranteed my butt belonged to him, and he knew it.
I just held his grinning expression withmy speculative gaze for a moment,then reached back into my tent, pulled myrifle out onto my lap, and quietly resumed lunch.Sgt. Bighadseized my absent tent mate's rifle. Minehad been out of sight in the tent behind me the entire time.
Of course, Sgt. Big instantly recognized he had made an erroneous assumption in thinking the rifle belonged to me. The sight of Sgt. Big's grin melting away as he realized this was priceless. That his grin melted said volumes. It wasn't a rifle he had been after; it was my rifle he had wanted.