"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com on Tue, 31 Jul
2012 14:04:23 -0500 typed in alt.survival the following:
pyotr filipivich fired this volley in
:

Those who were the 1, could "do" something about it. The fourteen
had to just hope.

Pyotr, _everyone_ could do something about not taking drugs in 'Nam.

True. But my point is, the guys at the pointy end, can at least
shoot back - which serves as a sort of stress relief.
The guys in the rear with the beer and the gear - couldn't shoot
back, and well, there really wasn't a "rear".

And the whole notion that Vietnam Vets all did dope all the time -
bishwah. Most of them probably just drank. B-)

We had an agreed-upon "deal" on our boats among the crews. Anybody
caught by their peers doing any kind of dope (including grass) was
immediately and unanimously reported with "eye witness" reports. That
was a guaranteed Court Marshal. (and yes, we watched out for personal
vendettas)

It only took two or three guys' trips to Portsmouth to clean up the whole
squadron.

Anybody who showed up for duty hung over enough to be disabled got the
same; but by Captain's Mast. The O-in-C didn't need to see it. The
crews handled it quite well, thanks.

Nobody wants to get hit in a fire fight, but especially not because the
jerk covering your back is under the influence.

That too.

I collected a few stories of the "No ****, there I was ..." Like
trying to get pouf of the Navy by smoking pot in the engine room.
Sitting next to The Chief. Who asks for a hit. What are you going to
do? You don't bogart it, you hand the joint to the Chief! He did
manage to get caught, and got a court marshal, but was not convicted
of possession (his stash was in the air vent - "public space" - so it
was argued that it could possibly not have been his.) Bust in rate,
assigned the laundry room, starches the underwear and goes AWOL.
Eighteen months later, he turns himself in. Navy figures they'll just
let him serve out his last four five months, and call it square. But,
as is the way of these stories - he had matured, and decided he
actually liked being in the Navy. He went to re-up. Well, thanks but
the Navy is down sizing, there is that court martial, and the extended
AWOL. Maybe next time and good luck in the civilian world.

And then there was the Colonel who got promoted not merely from
"below the zone", but from below the "below the zone". I guess they
really wanted him as Colonel. When asked, his response was "All I can
figure is I busted two aircraft and got an Article 15."
I'm pretty sure there was more to it than that. It was SAC in the
early sixties, but still ...

tschus
pyotr


LLoyd
--
pyotr filipivich
Old farts these days - not like when I was a boy! We used to
have us Real Geezers in those days! Now, they'll let anybody
with a little gray hair be an old fart!