After gaining the trust from the staff at the mental hospital and then escaping, Curtis finds someone to help him in getting not into the Marine Corps, but the Army.
Curtis arrived back at the bar just before the end of Crystal’s shift. Thanks to the phone call to her brother, Curtis was able to go through all the processing paperwork without the proper documentation. He owed Crystal a second big thanks for having all the documentation needed as Carl Daniels.
Curtis barely entered when Crystal waved at him from behind the bar. “How did it go?” She yelled over the voices and the jukebox playing “Before You Go”, by Buck Owns.
“I’m in. I’m to catch the bus tomorrow at eleven. It will take me to boot camp.”
“That’s great. Do you want a beer?”
“Like I’ve told you, I don’t have any money.”
Crystal let out a screeching whistle. Everyone stopped and put their attention on her. She pointed to the jukebox. It got unplugged. She then announced. “Hey guys, this guy here.” She extended her arm and pointed at Curtis. “Is shipping out to boot camp in the morning. Can I get someone to donate a beer as a gesture to send him off to boot camp and the Army?”
Without reservation, everyone slapped a dollar bill on the bar in front of Curtis and a slap on the back.
Two regulars handed him slips of paper with their addresses before requesting, “We want to hear from you after you finish boot camp. Keep us up-to-date on your service. We want to see the return on our investment.”
Crystal’s replacement showed up and took over serving drinks. Crystal stayed around for another hour waiting for the real Carl Daniels. She introduced the two men to each other. Carl handed Curtis his driver’s license and birth certificate. They shared a beer before Carl left.
The evening wore on. Crystal and Curtis downed several more drinks. Curtis and Crystal left, wrapped in each other’s arms. She drove Carl to her apartment in her faded green VW Bug.
***
10:45 am the next morning, Crystal’s little VW Bug pulled into the parking lot across from the Army recruiting office.
Crystal handed Curtis the papers he needed. “Now remember, from now on you are Carl Daniels. Here are the papers you need.”
“I can never thank you enough.”
“With what you did last night and seeing you fulfill your dream is more than enough for me.”
“I may not be in the Marine Corps, but I will be a soldier.” Carl Daniels said.
“I want to see you in a pressed, sharp Army uniform.”
Carl pulled Crystal to him and gave her a long, slow kiss. Not waiting for a response from Crystal, Carl stumbled out of the car and over to the waiting bus.
Carl wanted to stay longer with Crystal, but his life’s dream waited for him. All he had to do was get on that bus.
***
Over the next several weeks, Carl Daniels excelled in both his boot camp training and advanced combat training. His instructors saw Carl as a soldier who would have no problem in rising through the ranks. He consistently placed in the top five percent of his class.
The night before graduation from Advanced Combat Training, excitement filled the barracks. Everyone worked hard. They all looked forward to marching onto the parade field to receive their Expert Infantryman Badge.
The lights went out at the usual time. Carl stared at the ceiling for the next thirty minutes before getting dressed. The soldier in the bunk next to him sat up and whispered to Carl. “Where are you going?”
Carl placed his index finger over his lips. “Shhh … I’ll be back in a few.” Then he exited the back door to the barracks.
Two hours later, Carl came back through the same door with two strippers. The strippers carried a case of beer each. Carl waved two bottles of Jack Daniels in each hand. A third stripper followed with a boombox.
“Wake up!” Carl shouted. “It’s time to party. Let’s have some fun.”
The stripper with the boombox placed it on a footlocker. She selected a radio station to Wolfman Jack. Moments later, the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” filled the barracks.
The other two strippers pulled footlockers into the center of the room and used them as a stage to dance upon. In the meantime, Carl directed another soldier to pass out the beer, while he poured whiskey into waiting cups.
The stripper had only got down to their underwear when the door to the noncommissioned officers’ room flung open. Out roared a forty-something Master Sergeant wearing olive green shorts and a tank top.
“What’s going on here?” He demanded.
Everyone kept singing along with The House of the Rising Sun.
No one paid attention to the sergeant. He marched over and shut off the boombox.
Stunned by the lack of music, everyone froze. They all turned to the sergeant standing next to the boombox. He appeared to be ready to kill the first person who said a word.
The strippers scrambled for their clothes to cover themselves.
“Attention!” shouted Master Sergeant.
Soldiers scrambled to stand at the foot of their bunks.
“Whose great idea was it to have a party before graduation?”
After not getting a response, the sergeant took a slow walk between the rows of highly embarrassed soldiers. Each soldier got his evil eye of displeasure.
“Whose idea was it to have a party and bring strippers onto a military base the night before your graduation?”
Private Daniels cautiously raised his hand.
“What logic in God’s Green Earth made you think your actions were acceptable?”
In an attempt to defend his actions, Carl said. “Sir, we have been busting our butts. I figured we all needed to let off some steam.”
“You could’ve waited until after graduation.”
“That’s right, sir. But after the ceremony, most of us will go home on leave. Some of us won’t see each other.”
“Did any of these other men here help you?”
“No sir. It was me. I didn’t want any of them to get into trouble, if it came to that.”
“You and the MPs can escort the strippers off the base the way they came in. The rest of you men, I want all that beer and whiskey dumped down the drain. I’ll be back in thirty for an inspection before turning the lights out, again.”
***
The next morning, Private Carl Daniels stood before the captain and other officers of the platoon.
“Private Daniels, do you realize that you have broken so many rules and regulations? I don’t think I can list them all.”
“I just wanted to have the men in my barracks have a little fun before graduation.”
“You should be in the stockade for at least ninety days. However, I am going to recommend that the commanding staff not send you to the stockade for your party.” The captain paused. “Because of all your performance and test scores, I am going to change your M.O.S. duty to something more fitting to what happened last night. Say… like logistics and supply.”
“But, sir.”
“No buts about it.”
“Do I still get to go to Vietnam?”
“Yes, since you have exhibited such a great talent for organization and logistics. I am recommending to the command staff that your M.O.S. be changed to fifty-six-Baker.”
A question rose in Private Daniel’s face. “What is fifty-six-Baker?”
“Fifty-six-Baker or otherwise known as Warehouseman. You will be helping send supplies to where they are needed.”
“But, sir, I want to be on the front lines. I finished my combat training with honors.”
The captain waved his right hand. “You have shown you are much more talented at getting supplies and personnel in restricted areas. There is a real need for your talent in Vietnam.”
