Evening star., 1955-02-18
Different Type of Dnee Going Into Assembly Line of New Army,
Somewhat Confused but Almost Certain He Will Serve Only Years

afternoon. a kibitzer asked Nor
man how he stood on marriage.
"I'm not going to get married
for q long, long time" he said.
81 don't have q steady girl.
I've been going with six girls.
had my last six dates with
them. one after another, SIX
nights in row.
This getting married just be-
cause you're going in the Army
is crazy" he said. "It's a fever.
One guy gets married, then
everybody else in the crowd has
to get married. It's q sort Of So
cial pressure, and it's crazy. It's
not for me-"
Did the possibility of seeing
action overseas influence his de-
cision not to concentrate on one
girl?
"Nope. I don't think the Chi
nese will start a war. They
can't afford to fight us. Why,
they don't even have roads good
enough to fight a war with.
They wouldn't be q match for
u.s.. I think they know it."
He feels certain he will be
q civilian again in two years?
Sure. Two years-that's
pretty long. isn't it?" Then he
frightened. But I'm going to
try to get into the Signal Corps,
in some electronics line. They
send you to school. It's q real
opportunity. might learn more
in two years in the Army than
I ever could outside"
He said he was looking forward
to getting to Camp Gordon, in
Georgia. where some hometown
pals are already stationed.
Someone asked him why he
thought he was going there.
why. that's where we'll take
our basic training" he said.
A corporal cleared that up.
There's a chance you'll go to
Gordon. but 8 out of 10 get
their basic at Jackson. Even if
you don't stay there, you might
be sent someplace else besides
Gordon"
Norman had just lost his first
collision with the Rumor, CT,
MI.
"You don't know what to be-
lieve," he said. Everybody you
know who's been in the Army
tells you something different.
They all give you a different
angle"
Time was approaching for the
swearing-in ceremony.
A captain mounted the plat.
form and announced he had
some Articles Of War to read.
centering on absenteeism with
out leave. desertion and penal
ties. The lecture obviously
aimed at persuading the group
to stay put and not 60 over the
hill.
Going AWoL on the first
day." he added, would not look
good on your record"
He explained that the group
could not be forced into induc-
ton.
I'VE can't make you," he said.
you could walk out of here
right now, and we couldn't stop
you"
Several listeners EXCHANGED
glanceS from under raised eye
brows. The brows came down
when the captain went on to
explain the Army would call in
the FBI or a United States mar
shal in such cases.
The oath ceremony was brief.
No one held back.
Now that the citizens were
soldiers and subject to military
discipline, the sergeants broke
them into fatigue details-some
to collect waste paper, some to
police the latrine, some to cart
away the trash cans overf1owing
with lunchboxes, some to
straighten tables and chairs.
Considering they were in service
only a few minutes, the boys
were being broken in rather
quickly.
His work finished, Pvt. Plot
nick, US 52390299, headed for
the queue at the public pay
phone to make his fourth call Of
the day to his family.
Then the new soldiers lounged
around for 80 minutes, waiting
to be taken to the Alexandria
railroad station to meet the 6:33