GUESTBOOK Return to Centaurs Main Page
03/26/2008: Started updating the Guestbook entries from various email and other inquiries received the past couple of years. I show the email addresses with Name at Something Dot Com rather than Name@something.com to evade the email retrieval programs. Jim Messina did that when he was maintaining the website a few years ago and it seemed to help us not get so many unsolicited email offering wonderful pills and potions to, among other things, increase the size of our members. I won't mind increasing the number of D Troop and F Troop members joining the 25th Division Association and 3/4 Cav Association but I don't know what I would do with any other larger member.
Send your email inquiries, questions, war stories, or other information to me at Centaurswebsite@yahoo.com and I will add them to this guestbook. Hopefully, with more frequency and regularity than I have done the last few years.
Check your email addresses in this section as they tend to get out of date or unused over time. Send me a quick note at Centaurswebsite@yahoo.com with your current or preferred email address and I will update the entries.
Charlie Johnson - Centaur 40 (1967-1968)
Date: 25 Mar 2008
LEE LILLY The original entry by Lee Lilly was submitted on the old guestbook form on 08/07/2005. Lee Lilly Email Address: slilly1611 at gmail.com I was in D Troop March 1967-1968, maintenance division.
PAT EASTES The original entry by Pat Eastes was submitted on the old guestbook form on 07/20/2005. Pat "Juaquin" Eastes Email Address: ceastes1 at msn.com I was a gunship driver with D Troop, August 1967-1968, Chuck (Charlie) Johnson was one of my platoon leaders during my tour. He learned how to fly a gunship pretty well for an RLO. Welcome home to all old Centaurs. Eastes, Pat, D trp, Aug 67-Aug 68. gunship pilot, heavy scouts and hogs. Currently work with veterans on employment and vets benefits issues. Retired police officer (28 years). Married to Clare since 1969. Address: 4360 S. David, Casper, Wy., 82601. 307-472-5835.
CHARLIE JOHNSON Email address CharlieOJohnson at charter.net home address 802 Shadow Pine Drive, Fenton, MO 63026 My first tour in Vietnam was from June 1967 to June 1968. I flew with D Troop, 3/4 Cav, 25th Infantry Division at Cu Chi, RVN, as a slick pilot, Aero Weapons (HOGS) pilot and HOGS Section Leader (Centaur 40) and, my last few weeks, as Lift Platoon Leader. My second tour was in the First Cav. That was enough. Proud of my membership in in the 3/4 Cavalry Squadron and 25th Infantry Division Associations. Looking forward to attending the next Squadron Reunion in Kansas City since I missed the last reunion in Louisville, KY area.
MIKE BOMAN The original entry that Mike Boman submitted was on the old guestbook form on 08/08/2005, and by Email on 08/11/2005. Edwin M. (Mike) Bowman Email Address: viper0802 at comcast.net. 1126 Hamlin Road, Waldorf, Md. 20602-2972 Served with F Troop from 08/1972 - 02/1973 at Tam Mi as an RTO/Door Gunner. Not trying to contact anyone in particular, Just trying to stay in touch. Have a world of pictures taken at Tam-Mi if anyone is interested in seeing them. I can digitize them and e-mail direct. After a series of Emails, Mike sent the following Email message: Thanks Charlie, I will get the picture's scanned in and e-mail them. All of them are from on or near Tam-Mi Some we taken from the air around Hue', I even climbed the water tower at Tam-Mi and took a bunch. We'll get them done here in the next month or so. Thanks Again I wouldn't mind hearing from some of the old gang. I did see on the site that Maj Larson has passed away several years ago, I served under him in Vietnam and then followed him back to the States to the 155th Avn Company at Ft. Ord. He was quite a guy. I like what you guys have done with the site. Bow
ROLAND PETTY CSM Roland Petty (decd.) submitted the following on the old guestbook form on 08/13/2005. Roland R. Petty. I was promoted to E-8 First Sgt. and transferred from the 25th Aviation Battalion to "D" Troop (Air) around April 1964. Stayed with them and took them to Vietnam in 1966. Got promoted to E-9 and had to leave the troop for another assignment. Col. Peterson was C.O. when I left. I attend some and most reunions now and see some of the old Troopers. We had the most troopers at the last reunion.
JIM RODGERS D Troop '68-69', Armorer. Nick name 'Mule'. Took over after Gailour left. Greetings to all and 'welcome home'. Someone please let me know the details on the reunion in
Kansas City Fort Mitchell, KY. BTW, in contact with KC regularly. Anybody know what happened to Charlie Wilson - avionics? Or Charlie Vierra, Stable Boy crew chief?
Jim Rodgers
jrodgers at gbronline.com
(816) 697-3331
CARY BACON 1Bacon, Cary J. call sign "Centaur 55" Served in D 3/4 1970-71; Service Platoon Pilot Mar -Jul 70, Gun Platoon Pilot and Aircraft Commander Jul 70 - Apr 71 bacon at iximd.com or cary.j.bacon at boeing.com notes: I'm very fortunate I still work in aviation and I'm in constant contact with my best friend, former 159th Dust-off pilot (during my tour), Harry (John) Abreu. I retired in Feb 1993 after 24 plus years in the Army and stayed in Germany as a Dept of Army Civilian. Returned to the USA in 1997 and to work for Boeing in 1998. Love to hear from anyone interested. Cary J. Bacon Customer Training Specialist, Chinook Pilot Training Aerospace Support, Philadelphia The Boeing Company Phone: 610-591-5319 Fax# 610-591-5309 E-mail: cary.j.bacon at boeing.com
WALTER COOKE Cooke, Walter D. , with D trp 7-67 thru 3-68, Flew w/ lt. scouts ( Centaur17 ) , e-mail -- mondaycwdc at aol.com , address- P. O. Box 2110, Wilmington,CA. 90748 , Phone 310-834-7857
GERALD CRAWFORD CRAWFORD, GERALD T., 255 HURRICANE CREEK RD. MCEWEN, TN. 37101-3960. With D Troop from Nov. 66 to Nov. 67...was CE for Maj. Fisher...don't remember the tail number of the ship, it was the first and only H model we had. Would love to hear from any of the ol' D Troopers..
DALE DOW Dow, Dale D. Nickname: "Dinky" from Vietnamese "Dien Que Dau" meaning "crazy in the head". The hooch maid said I was crazy for transferring from a safe office job in Saigon to the aerorifle platoon. Call Sign: Centaur 35. Duty Year: Headquarters Area Command - Saigon, 20 Aug 67 - 20 Jan 68. Left Saigon just in time. The BOQ I was living in was across the street from the ARVN JCS compound, a major battle area during the opening hours of TET. Infantry Element, Aerorifle Platoon, Troop D, 3d Sqdn, 4th Cav. From about 30 Jan 68 to mid-August 68. S3 Section, HQ, 3d Sqdn, 4th Cav. From about 15 Sep to 30 Oct 68. Mobile Advisor Team III-84, MACV. From 1 Nov 68 to 16 March 69. Notes: Retired in 1991 after 25 years of active, reserve, and active duty. Spending my retirement time working as a substitute teacher in the local school system, hunting and fishing, and, when ever possible, just enjoying life. Does anybody know where Charles "Chuck" Rice, Centaur 10, is these days? He owes me a lot of beer for all the times I had to go out because he couldn't keep his 23 or 06 in the air. (Note: Charlie Rice was found and was at the Chattanooga Reunion) I have information on John Whitehead (30) and Leland "Smokey" Burgess and some of my infantry. Can't convince them to join or come to the reunions. (Note: Smokey was also at the Chattanooga Reunion). E-Mail: daled at Kansas.Net Address: 3332 Effingham Street, Manhattan, KS 66503-2100. Telephone: 785-776-1710 Spouse or friend: None. Divorced. Can't find anyone willing to put up with me.
BOB DUNBAR Dunbar, Robert [Bob] A., Warrant Officer/Pilot, Call sign "Centaur 26" D Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. Came over on the ship from Hawaii, arrived early March 1966 at Cu Chi. Flew OH-23 for 4 or 5 weeks, then UH-1C Gunship till April 1967. Wounded three times, shot down twice. Discharged from the Army in November 1968. Flew in Alaska, British Columbia and Yukon Territory [was a game warden there], New Zealand, all the rocky mountain states and California where I retired in 1998 from the Los Angeles Fire Department as a fire and rescue pilot with just over 20,000 flying hours. Now live at 63 Chestnut Drive, Alpine Lake, Terra Alta, West Virginia 26764. My Email address wolfpointfarm at msn.com Would like to hear from anybody that was there with us during that time. I only recently started talking about the war comfortably and am only in contact with three of my old comrades in arms; Captain Frank Delvy [Colonel retired], Major Robinson, recently lost contact with him, and my old co-pilot, W.O. Frank Hamel, who I went thru Hell together with a couple of times. We just re-established contact after losing it for about 20 years. Get more from the Web
TOM FLEMING Fleming, Thomas E., Nickname or Call Sign: STABLE BOY 2/67 - 8/67, CENTAUR 6 8/67 -2/68 Duty Year: 1967 -1968 Platoon or Section: Service Platoon & Troop Headquarters Notes: Retired 1988 (30 yrs.) Fully retired now. Being a CENTAUR was a highlight of my Army career. I am proud to have served and feel indebted to all those who served with me. E-Mail Address: : T.E.Fleming at att.net, 5519 Callander Drive, Springfield, Virginia, 22151 Phone: 703-425-6112 Spouse or Friend: Ginnie
WOODY GARDNER GARDNER,WOODY.. WITH D-TROOP..FEB 67--JULY 68 MOS..67N20 CREWCHIEF [ HOGS ] E-MAIL--wpgardner at alltel.net, 7198 192ND ST. McALPIN,FL 32062 904-963-2882
JOHN HERRMAN Herrman, Willard (went by John) May 68-May 69 mftkh at aol.com 602 N. Tracy Wichita, KS 67212 wife name: Marilyn
GARY JONES Jones, Gary, P.O. Box 13972, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151, We don't get mail delivery at the house which is 716 Lassen, (Tahoe Keys) South Lake Tahoe,CA. Phone number is (530) 541-4996 (FAX is the same). jgjones at sierra.net Retired El Dorado County District Attorney's Investigator (Criminal Division), with a bad attitude. I'm at the point in my life where my history seems to be becoming increasingly important to me, and I feel the need to reach out to those who are connected with my past. I would even like to contact my crew, Steve Snoddy and Rocky Rhodes, if only to tell them how sorry I was I couldn't have done more for them, and for all the times I hung them out when we were flying together. Well, enough sniveling. Gary A. Jones Diamond Head/Centaur (see Essays/Stories of the same name on this website)
JIM KIRKER Kirker, Jim, I was with D, 3/4 Cav at Cu Chi from Jun 69 until Nov 70 (short time at Camp Fresno Jones) Crewchief on AH-1G "Ohio Express" S/N 820, then "Lady Godiva" S/N 107 Now work for GE Aircraft Engines, Peebles, Oh
JIM MESSINA Messina, James A., D Troop, Dec 67 through Dec 68. 67N20, Worked Huey line maintenance and aircraft supply. wilburville-at-hotmail.com, 3919 Misty Alcove Court, Kingwood, Texas 77345 (281) 360-7195
RON PEABBLES Peabbles, Ron wizard5006 at wizard5006.net 112a Hampstead Rd., Derry, New Hampshire 03038. Phone&Fax (603) 425-1279 was in D Troop 68-69 helicopter maintenance and gunner on Stableboy(67n20)
FRED REESE Reese, Fred W. I was in D Troop from Sept 2, 1970 until we changed to F Troop in or about May of 71, then came home Sept. 9, 1971. I started out in Cu Chi, then we had a 30 day stand down at Camp Frenzel-Jones, then to Lai Kae (sp) To tell you the truth, we were in so many places after Cu Chi, I can't remember them all. Of course, we were never in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, or N. Viet Nam :) Anyway, I was a door gunner on a slick for the entire tour. I flew Night Hawk out of Lai Kae for the time we were there also. freese at netins.net
LEO RICE Rice, Leo, Year of duty Dec 67-Feb 68 was in motor pool then door gunner on hogs. LeoandMae at hotmail.com Address 1609 Oakview Rd Ashland Ky 41101 Phone 606 324 3409 Wife Edna Mae Rice. I would like too get in touch with WO Gunn if any one has his address. I am proud too serve with so many good men. God bless and welcome home.
KENNETH SHARP Sharp, Kenneth NEWS FLASH!!! former Slick Crew Chief for Delta Troop, 3/4 Cav., 25th Inf. Div. in the Cu Chi area of operations, has been found! Thanks to the ongoing efforts of Jack Nemeyer of Forest Grove, Oregon and location leads offered by TM McCracken from Virginia, "K.C." Allcock of Clinton, Missouri used the two phone numbers provided by Jack and struck the jack pot. Kenny Sharp was found in Vinton, Ohio. Vinton is located in southern Ohio. Kenny was happy to hear that his former V.N. buddies were trying to locate him. Right now Kenny does not have e-mail, but his address is 19318 State Rt. 160, Vinton, Ohio 45686. His Phone # (740)-388-8755. I talked for a short time to Kenny. His wife's name is Shirley, and he has 7 grandchildren. He has just been laid off from the coal mining company that he has been employed at for 27 years, and has gone back to college. He seemed excited about the CAV reunion in Chat. Tenn. Jack, thanks for getting the information and letting me call the numbers. It was special to hear his voice after these many years. I salute my comrades. LIFE IS GREAT! "K.C."
MIKE VAUGHN Vaughn, Mike ... e-mail address: m191111 at hotmail.com... I was with D Troop from Nov. 66 to Nov. 67... I was crew chief on slick 660 (until we crashed it) and 661 after that..some of the men I flew with were: Major Fisher, WO. John Holman (?), gunners Wilcox, Mike Young, Adams, crew chief Gerald Crawford... there were many others, their names are lost to time, but the faces and the memories are still very much alive... I am very proud to have been a part of D Troop... to have served with such a brave group of men..I would like to hear from any of my brother troopers... for all of you that made it home, I wish for you and those you hold dear, all the very best..and for those who didn't make it back, I pray that they will have eternal peace..
JOHN WILLIAMS Williams, John H. III. (Willie). I was with D Troop from Nov. 66 thru Dec. 67. I flew with the gun platoon as crewchief/doorgunner after about two weeks of arriving there. I crewed tail no. 65-9461, took over for John Cumbie so he could go home. The guys I came in-country with were replacing the fellows that brought the unit from the islands. I would like to get my name posted on your D Troop personal info page. After viewing it I did find one person I was looking for T. Vaughn. I would like to find many others. Well here goes . NAME: John H. Williams III (Willie). Duty year Nov. 66 thru Dec. 67. Platoon 2weeks in maint. platoon the rest in gun platoon. e-mail add. bigdady781 at msn.com. street add. 781 Flatrock Rd. Azle, Tex, 76020
FRANKIE WILLIAMS Williams, Frankie, RVN Jun-69 to Jun-70 & Oct-70 to Oct-71 With 1/9, 1st Cav til May-71 then F Trp, 4th Cav May to Oct-71 I was assigned to F Trp 4th Cav after the First Cav stood down in 1971. I think that it was in May/June and stayed til Oct 71. My rank was Sp5/Sgt and I was CE on LOH. I have a "year book" from when I was there, if I can find it. In answer to the question, yes we kept the logo & callsign (Centaur) and when I was there we worked out of Lai Kae. Keep me informed and when I find my yearbook I'll contact you. My specs are: Frankie Williams 223 Airport Rd. Americus, GA 31709 Office: 229-924-2813 Fx: 229-924-4356 Home: 229-924-6076 sfield at sowega.net
MEMORIAL DAY 2005 MESSAGE FROM TOM FLEMING - Copied from Tom's email of May 30, 2005. In the spirit of Memorial Day please pause and remember the 64 comrades-in-arms who fought and died under the CENTAUR emblem starting with SP4 Mark Meece who died on 5 may 1966 in a helicopter crash due to hostile fire through those four ( CW2 William Jesse, SP4 Charles Morgan, WO1 John Petrilla, and SP4 Kyette Porterfield, who died on 2 May 1972 in a helicopter crash due to hostile fire. Your thought should also remember that each of these 64 had families and friends who continue to grieve their loss of a love one who’s life was prematurely snuffed out in the service of their country in an unpopular and un successful conflict. Aside from those who paid the ultimate sacrifice there are unaccounted for former Centaurs who carry grievous wounds of mind and body to this day who deserve our remembrances and thanks. Thomas E. Fleming Centaur 6 & Stable Boy 1967 - 1968
DENNIS MARTIN - I "googled" my way into the site you guys have put together. I've very much enjoyed poking around in it for about an hour. Thanks. I am Dennis Martin. I was officially in the Aero Rifle platoon. March, 1968 through April, 1969. It is a long and boring story; but, I spent much of my time in the Flight Operations unit. I was the guy doing the clerical work, Typing flight records, etc. Surname: Martin First: Dennis MI: P Nickname or Call Sign: N/A (maybe "Hey you") Duty Year: 1968 Platoon or Section: Aero Rifle Notes: See above E-Mail Address: martin.dennis at comcast.net Street address: 6720 Topaz Drive SW City: Lakewood State: WA Zip: 98498 Phone: (253) 984-0639 Spouse Katherine I would welcome contact from any who want to chat a little.
CENTAURS ROSTER - Over the past 6 years or so, I have assembled a roster of 422 Centaurs that several of us have been able to locate and have good mailing addresses on. Some of the information is a little old but most of the information is current. The next 3/4 Cav reunion is scheduled for the weekend of 26 - 30 July 2006 in Kansas City, MO. We had 80+ Centaurs at the 2002 reunion in Chattanooga and 50+ at the 2004 reunion in Clarksville, IN. Hopefully, we will have a much larger turnout in 2006. The 2006 reunion is being hosted and coordinated by several Centaurs who live in the Kansas City area. If you have any questions about the Centaurs, the reunion, or old friends from Nam, send me a message and I will try to answer your questions. WELCOME HOME and welcome back to the Centaurs. Dale D. "Dinky" Dow Centaur 35, 1968 Unofficial Centaur Roster Maintainer and Unit Historian
SMOKEY BURGESS STORY THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE SCRAPPING ANOTHER LOH. Vol 2 No. 33 TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS Aug 21, 1967 ... Army Photographer Captures Viet Cong –Twice ... By SSG Ray Levine ..... A U.S. Army photographer played a double role when he caught a Viet Cong on film and then by the scruff of the neck. ..... An OH-23 helicopter from Trp D, 3d Sqdn, 4th Cav, was on a road check operation along Highway 1 when the pilot, 1LT Leland Burgess of Auburn, Ala., spotted a Viet Cong running along a rice paddy dike. “We had just cleared a high hedgerow when I spotted the VC standing on a dike,” explained Burgess. “He started running for some woods about 300 meters away so I flew up ahead to block him.” ..... While Burgess was maneuvering the aircraft back and forth blocking the running VC, Sp4 Jack Mraz of Fairfield, Calif., was snapping pictures. “We were running low on fuel,” Burgess added, “so Mraz volunteered to jump and take the VC. It was touchy because I couldn’t take another passenger, which meant Mraz would have to wait on the ground till another chopper could get in.” ..... The photographer grabbed an M-16, three magazines of ammo, jumped, grabbed the VC and waited almost ten minutes for another chopper, while Burgess circled overhead. ..... “The funniest thing about the whole operation,” Mraz recalled, “was watching the VC running back and forth yelling ‘Americans number one, Americans number one!’” ..... The VC was taken to the 25th Div’s base camp for interrogation and later admitted that he was a member of a local force VC unit. ..... That same afternoon, just a mile a way, two other choppers from D Trp caught two more Viet Cong.
FOLLOW UP ON THE SMOKEY BURGESS STORY ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER GRABBING A VC - This copied from an Email sent by Smokey on December 30, 2004. ..... Ernie Sanders chewed my ass for this though. That VC told about tunnels, ammo caches, etc. Sanders said we shouldn't have been under 1500 feet. I said we couldn't see anything at that altitude. He said that was the idea. Fly above 1500 feet for twelve months...do your job and go home...He said that VC was "singing his head off." ...and when he finished, we were going to have to check out the intel we had gotten...and people were going to get hurt.....but "We Were Soldiers Once and Young" ..... I don't guess we knew better. ..... Sanders returned to the States at the end of his tour and shortly thereafter drowned in a scuba accident while diving in a fresh water spring down in Florida. Sanders was Centaur 11 before Joe Stephenson who was 11 before me. Vietnam, 1967...And That's the Way It Was. Have a great new year!
RICK WILLIAMS JOINS THE SQUADRON ASSOCIATION!!!! ..... Email messages from-to Rick Williams, Dale Dow, Charlie Johnson in which Rick is encouraged to join the Association. From Rick to Charlie: ... Your gunship driver "run to the flight line" when help is needed and Dow's "get off lazy butts" messages have shamed me into joining. I just printed out the application form from the web site, and will be mailing in my $75.00 shortly. Rick ..... From Charlie to Rick and Dale ... See the revised web site main page. I followed Dale Dow's suggestion and incorporated in our web site intro page some ideas gleaned from the A Troop web site about joining and supporting the Squadron Association. If you have any suggestions to improve that item please send them to me. It still seems natural to this old gunship driver to "jump up and run to the flight line" when the Squadron needs help. ... Charlie Johnson Centaur 40 ..... From Dale to Charlie ..... How about taking a look at the A Troop web page and adding something similar about paying dues to our page. We need to get the Centaurs to start paying their dues to the 3/4 Association. ..... Jerry (Headly, Squadron Association President) sent me an updated Assn roster that shows who has/hasn't paid their dues. I am going to message the guys I have emails on and tell them to get off their lazy butts and get the dues paid. Need to encourage them to become life members so that they don't have to worry about it every year.
GRINS FROM TOM FLEMING - Copied from an Email sent by Tom on March 16, 2004 ..... Subject: The Infantry ..... God Bless the Infantry ..... In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth and the Infantry. And God looked upon the Infantry, saw that it was good, and said unto them "Thou art my chosen children". Take thou dominion over the Earth; over the fish of the Sea, the birds of the Air, and all of the Key Terrain." And as a mark of His favor the Lord placed in the hands of the Infantry the sacred relics: the Apostolic Anti-Armor Weapon, the Catholic Claymore, and the Marian Machine Gun. Likewise gaveth the Lord unto the Infantry the Rucksack of Repentance, the Radio of Redemption, the Rifle of Rectitude. Lastly, unto the Infantry, and most divine of all, the Lord gaveth the Holy Hand Grenade. ..... For the Infantry's sustenance the Lord declared "Four shall be thy food groups: Coffee, Tobacco, C-Rats, and Alcohol. Shun all other unclean food and drink." ..... And the Infantry dwelt in the land therein. ..... And time passed, and the Infantry cried out unto their God saying "Lord, help us, for we are weary." ..... And God smiled upon the Infantry, for they were blessed. Then the Lord took the fattest and laziest of the Infantry and set them upon beasts of burden. And these He called Cavalry. And as the Cavalry became fatter, lazier and heavier still they were known as Armor, or DAT's for short. And the Lord looked down upon the Armor and saw that it was mediocre. ..... The Lord then said "Oh, well. Thou canst not win them all. Let them lead in case of landmines." To the DAT's the Lord said "Quiche shall be thy food, and bottled water thy drink. Touch not the sacred chow of the Infantry." ..... And the Infantry and the Armor dwelt in the land therein. ..... And time passed and the Infantry cried out again unto their Lord saying "Lord help us, for we are weary." ..... And God smiled again upon the Infantry, for they were his chosen. ..... Then God took those of the Armor with butts like baseplates and breath like sulfur and tiny, tiny pee-pees and these He made Artillery. But God saw that the Artillery, too, was mediocre and said unto Himself "Oh well, garbage in; garbage out." ..... Unto the Artillery He said "The big guns shall atone in part for thy diminutive other stature. Tryst thou not to hurt thyself." ..... To the Infantry the Lord said "When the night is darkest these shall light the way...more or less. When the approach is most open these shall, occasionally - with luck, confound the enemy's sight. When thou callest for fire support these shall - eventually - provide it with high explosive, cluster munitions and, best of all, nukes." Though the Lord cautioned the Infantry to never, never, never trust Tacfire or any other electronic computer in the hands of the Artillery. ..... And the Infantry, the Armor, and the Artillery dwelt in the land therein. Then the Artillery created the Air Defense Artillery; but quickly asked forgiveness. ..... And time passed and the Infantry called out yet again unto their God, saying "Lord help us, for we are weary." ..... Again the Lord looked with favor upon the Infantry. ... He took those of the Armor, Artillery and Air Defense Artillery who most liked to play in the mud and these he made Combat Engineers, and those who dwelt in darkness and spoke in riddles and these he made Military Intelligence, and those with thieving hearts and these He made Quartermasters, and of those who neither sowed nor reaped and were most fond of hammering square pegs into round holes He made Adjutants General. Of those who liked to tinker with good equipment until it broke He made the Ordnance Corps. Of those whose penchant was poison He made Cooks. ... Of those who ran around in circles He made the Transportation Corps. ... Of the least articulate He made Signalers. ... Of the mindlessly doctrinaire and arrogant He - reluctantly - created Military Police and Inspectors General (though the Lord admitted, to Himself, that He was probably only providing employment opportunities to Satan's minions). ... Of those who dealt in controlled substances He made the Medics and of those whose minds had been destroyed by the same made He the Chemical Corps. ..... Yea, the Lord of All filled up the MTOE. ..... And the Infantry, and the others, dwelt in the land therein. ..... Time passed, but yet, again, the Infantry cried out unto their God, saying "Lord, help us, for we are weary. ..... And the Heavens darkened, and the clouds gathered. The lightning's spake and the Infantry abased themselves before their God, for they were sore afraid. ..... And the Lord spoke with anger, asking "How canst thou yet be weary? Have I not made the Armor and the Artillery to support thee? Have I not made of the detritus of the earth Quartermasters and Adjutants and Signalers and Transporters and a host of others to assist thee? Verily, have I not even made Military Intelligence, although it were a contradiction in terms?" ..... Humbly the Infantry abased themselves again before their God, crying "Lord, it is of these that we are weary." ..... Amen, Amen
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