On payday the first sergeant would have a .45
strapped to his hip and a cigar box. Give a dollar to
the Red Cross. Once they had a campaign to upgrade
the football stadium at the
100% participation, to show the troops supported it. I refused
to give. “I hate officers,” I said. They told me if I didn’t give
the NCO in charge would have to donate my dollar out of his own
pocket. “I don’t give a shit,” I said. They said, if you don’t, we’ll make you
mow the grass around the orderly room every weekend for a month.
“Go ahead,” I said. They did. They couldn’t believe I would do that
rather than pay a dollar not to. It wasn’t the money, it was
the principle. I was a hardhead. The 10%
that didn’t get the word.