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- Army Beer Hall (December, 1970; Week Five in Basic Training)
Army Beer Hall (December, 1970; Week Five in Basic Training)
- By Dennis L. Siluk
- Published 7/04/2007
- Stories
- Unrated
Dennis L. Siluk
Writing is more than a hobby for me. It's a passion, one of the ways I capture and celebrate life.
[Poet Laureate of San Jeronimo, Peru]
Awarded the Grand Cross of the City
Awarded the National Prize of Peru, "Antena Regional": The best of 2006 for promoting culture
Los Andes University (Peru): Recognition given to Dennis Siluk for his poetic and cultural contribution
Personal URL:
http://dennissiluk.tripod.com View all articles by Dennis L. Siluk
Part Four
1
Beer Hall
I had gone to the beer hall this first Saturday evening after returning to Basic Training Camp, from Christmas leave. The Captain was there, I had heard he showed up now and then, but not often, and this was perhaps my third time in the beer hall myself, I preferred the EM Club to the hall, more sedate.
For me it was really the first time I saw him here, a sharp consciousness of being stared at absorbed me, made me look the other way. He was still gazing at me when I turned around, thus, it was me he was curious about—so I validated, some kind of strained expectancy, I expect, like a month ago when he stared at me in his office, like a rat in a cage, or maze. More like a psychological pondering, trying to figure me out for the butchering that was going to take place. I paid little heed thought, at first, just curious also to his inquisitive mannerisms.
After about ten-minutes of this, I asked myself, ‘What is he waiting for?’ I was becoming irritably, adding, ‘what does he expect of me now: to sing the National Anthem for him personally?’ I stood silently, a tinge guarded now, as if this was an entirely obvious reaction, as he approached me.
“We’ve both been away for a while, Christmas vacation, I’ve wanted to talk to you before you left, but…well it just didn’t work out, I’m a bit surprised you’re back, and so glad I found you here this evening, Private Siluk.” He said in a seriously low and cordial tone, almost a mumble.
At about this time, I was waiting for the punch, the Sunday punch that normally comes with such surprises; you know, someone says a few good words, to get you off guard, off balance, and than bang.
2
The Captain
(I gazed mutely at him.) The Captain stood now alongside of me, as I leaned back, somewhat comfortable against a pillar in the old WWII, beer hall. He said, sincerely, yet kind of in an official manner, something I never expected, never even saw it coming:
“You make me look like the worst Company Commander in the whole Basic Training Camp, Private Siluk. My comrades laugh and make jokes about how you belittle the Army, and its training and our Sergeants… (then he grabbed two beers on the counter, laid down thirty cents, and brought them back to me, one for him, the other for me, then continued:) as I was saying, about to say, you do not make me look good in front of my peers. To the contrary, and I’ve thought about his a while, what to do with you, you are always borderline, actually you would make a good soldier, if you wanted to, it seems you do not want to though. (he looked at me deeply and sincerely into my eyes) what did I ever do to you?” He asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Well then, unintentionally, you are making me look like the worse commander at Fort Bragg for nothing? I never drafted you, the Government did, yet it seems you are taking your anger out on me, my Company!”
(I felt awkward, not sure what to say)) He did not say it loud, but said it firmly, with almost hurt in his face. I knew I was taking it out on the platoon, but there are four platoons to a company, and I didn’t feel I was taking it out on them, but he assured me I was, because they rated all four platoons, to see which one was the worst and best, and then rated the companies, which were four also, to a Battalion, and I was in the 10th Battalion, 1st BDE (Brigade) this I knew already, and I knew we were the worse of the worse. But I never put two and two together it was me making the platoon look back, I passed all the physical and written tests, but it was based on more I guess than that.))
“I never said it was your fault, Captain,” I responded; as we both walked easily and leisurely a few steps, both thinking. He perhaps had it all figured out, how he would present this to me, it was too cleaver to have had it just pop out of his head at the moment it did, for he added this, “I’ll make you a deal, you have got two years of this life to deal with, it’s going to be a rough road for everyone involved, even you, everyone you meet. (Smiley walks by, I smile, let him know all is well; the Captain becomes silent until he passed, then continues), as I was saying, you have a lot of time to fight with everyone, and that is not a good way to live. Here is what I will do for you. At midnight, I will have two MPs pick you up at the barracks, everyone will be sleeping, and they will take you to the bus station, and not report you’re missing for twenty-four hours, enough time to get to Canada, if that is where you wish to go. You can be out of the country before the AWOL notice goes into effect. Or you can stay here, and please stop making trouble for me (he made this personal)?”
He was I think waiting for an answer, one I never gave him, couldn’t give him, at the moment, so I simply walked away, as he said, “They’ll be out by your barracks at midnight.” (Meaning the MPs.)
Well, I was there in the morning, as if nothing had been said, standing in formation, as always, reveille (my wake up call), and I’m not sure if the Captain saw me or not, but that was the last time I had saw him, face to face; off in the distance, I saw him here and there. He did one thing if anything, he threw it back on me, I had to make the decision, not him, thus, his conscious was free, and back in those days, it wasn’t hard for an officer to get revenge if he indeed wanted to, and it wasn’t hard for a trouble maker like me I suppose to cause friction for the Army on a continues us scale, so perhaps he gave both us, the Army and me, an once of respect, to straighten things out, or let time do it the hard way, for both of us. For the most part, I behaved myself, for the most part I say, but not completely. And in time I would turn out to be a good soldier, and awarded a number of medals to prove it. Yes, this was really just the beginning.
Written 4-2-2007
1
Beer Hall
I had gone to the beer hall this first Saturday evening after returning to Basic Training Camp, from Christmas leave. The Captain was there, I had heard he showed up now and then, but not often, and this was perhaps my third time in the beer hall myself, I preferred the EM Club to the hall, more sedate.
For me it was really the first time I saw him here, a sharp consciousness of being stared at absorbed me, made me look the other way. He was still gazing at me when I turned around, thus, it was me he was curious about—so I validated, some kind of strained expectancy, I expect, like a month ago when he stared at me in his office, like a rat in a cage, or maze. More like a psychological pondering, trying to figure me out for the butchering that was going to take place. I paid little heed thought, at first, just curious also to his inquisitive mannerisms.
After about ten-minutes of this, I asked myself, ‘What is he waiting for?’ I was becoming irritably, adding, ‘what does he expect of me now: to sing the National Anthem for him personally?’ I stood silently, a tinge guarded now, as if this was an entirely obvious reaction, as he approached me.
“We’ve both been away for a while, Christmas vacation, I’ve wanted to talk to you before you left, but…well it just didn’t work out, I’m a bit surprised you’re back, and so glad I found you here this evening, Private Siluk.” He said in a seriously low and cordial tone, almost a mumble.
At about this time, I was waiting for the punch, the Sunday punch that normally comes with such surprises; you know, someone says a few good words, to get you off guard, off balance, and than bang.
2
The Captain
(I gazed mutely at him.) The Captain stood now alongside of me, as I leaned back, somewhat comfortable against a pillar in the old WWII, beer hall. He said, sincerely, yet kind of in an official manner, something I never expected, never even saw it coming:
“You make me look like the worst Company Commander in the whole Basic Training Camp, Private Siluk. My comrades laugh and make jokes about how you belittle the Army, and its training and our Sergeants… (then he grabbed two beers on the counter, laid down thirty cents, and brought them back to me, one for him, the other for me, then continued:) as I was saying, about to say, you do not make me look good in front of my peers. To the contrary, and I’ve thought about his a while, what to do with you, you are always borderline, actually you would make a good soldier, if you wanted to, it seems you do not want to though. (he looked at me deeply and sincerely into my eyes) what did I ever do to you?” He asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Well then, unintentionally, you are making me look like the worse commander at Fort Bragg for nothing? I never drafted you, the Government did, yet it seems you are taking your anger out on me, my Company!”
(I felt awkward, not sure what to say)) He did not say it loud, but said it firmly, with almost hurt in his face. I knew I was taking it out on the platoon, but there are four platoons to a company, and I didn’t feel I was taking it out on them, but he assured me I was, because they rated all four platoons, to see which one was the worst and best, and then rated the companies, which were four also, to a Battalion, and I was in the 10th Battalion, 1st BDE (Brigade) this I knew already, and I knew we were the worse of the worse. But I never put two and two together it was me making the platoon look back, I passed all the physical and written tests, but it was based on more I guess than that.))
“I never said it was your fault, Captain,” I responded; as we both walked easily and leisurely a few steps, both thinking. He perhaps had it all figured out, how he would present this to me, it was too cleaver to have had it just pop out of his head at the moment it did, for he added this, “I’ll make you a deal, you have got two years of this life to deal with, it’s going to be a rough road for everyone involved, even you, everyone you meet. (Smiley walks by, I smile, let him know all is well; the Captain becomes silent until he passed, then continues), as I was saying, you have a lot of time to fight with everyone, and that is not a good way to live. Here is what I will do for you. At midnight, I will have two MPs pick you up at the barracks, everyone will be sleeping, and they will take you to the bus station, and not report you’re missing for twenty-four hours, enough time to get to Canada, if that is where you wish to go. You can be out of the country before the AWOL notice goes into effect. Or you can stay here, and please stop making trouble for me (he made this personal)?”
He was I think waiting for an answer, one I never gave him, couldn’t give him, at the moment, so I simply walked away, as he said, “They’ll be out by your barracks at midnight.” (Meaning the MPs.)
Well, I was there in the morning, as if nothing had been said, standing in formation, as always, reveille (my wake up call), and I’m not sure if the Captain saw me or not, but that was the last time I had saw him, face to face; off in the distance, I saw him here and there. He did one thing if anything, he threw it back on me, I had to make the decision, not him, thus, his conscious was free, and back in those days, it wasn’t hard for an officer to get revenge if he indeed wanted to, and it wasn’t hard for a trouble maker like me I suppose to cause friction for the Army on a continues us scale, so perhaps he gave both us, the Army and me, an once of respect, to straighten things out, or let time do it the hard way, for both of us. For the most part, I behaved myself, for the most part I say, but not completely. And in time I would turn out to be a good soldier, and awarded a number of medals to prove it. Yes, this was really just the beginning.
Written 4-2-2007
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Article Series
This article is part 4 of a 5 part series. Other articles in this series are shown below:
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Army Beer Hall (December, 1970; Week Five in Basic Training)