[Qcwa] Radio man to non radio man

[qcwa@mailman.qth.net]

Loved all the radio men in the service but I have a story to tell. 
Was drafted into the army an since I had a ham tcket I requested the
Signal Corp. Got my wish and was sent to Camp Crowder, Mo for basic
training. How about that Joe Fenn. Well things looked great as I then
went to Fort Monmouth, NJ. Hey, close to home in New York City was a
great break. Then came the first problem. Here I was with a train load of
people who had no basic radio training. Off we went to the signal school.
Did fine copying   
with a pencil. Fractured my ankle because of some jackass Looie. Spent
three weeks in the station hospital and the had a furlough recuperate.
Got back to Monmout and found myself in a new company and reclassified as
a fixed station operator. That meant twenty five on the mill, forty words
on the teletype and copy the tape running in front of the mill at at
least that speed. One problem, I did not touch type. Did the Army give a
touch typing course, heck I never found out. Next thing I knew they had
me down for a sending test at 25. I told them they were crazy since I
wasn't copying 25 yet I did not know what it sound Next thig I knew I was
in a train load back to Crowderfor the unit training caenter. Only one
person in the company was a qualified fix station operator. Now we were
all off the the Central signal school. Still no touch typing course. The
Battalion Comander was a Japanese Major Robert Sabara. How I managed to
copy 20 words a minute I will never know. Got out of school, got another
stripe and furlough. To make this shorter after some more stupid things
happening I was put in A Motor Messenger Company. Commandedby, guess who,
Major Robert Sabara. We asked where are the radios and was told there are
no radios here. We were Motor Messengers. Off to Europe I went and never
saw a radio again after all that training. If they had give touch typing
courses they would have trained hundreds of operators.
Hank, W2icw