Turns out, Hawaii’s not badAfter graduation from the University of Georgia in the summer of ’69, I started job interviews. After repeatedly answering the inevitable question about my draft status (I-A), it sunk in there would be no jobs forthcoming. I decided to make the best of it and enlisted in the Army under the OCS option.
I went through basic at Fort Dix, combat engineering at Fort Leonard Wood, and then the highlight of my life, infantry OCS at Fort Benning. I availed myself of a branch transfer into Armor, figuring it would be better to ride through the jungle as opposed to walking through it. While going through the Armor officer’s basic course at Fort Knox, a conversation over some drinks at the O club worked out well. A lot of my fellow officers were volunteering to an indefinite status and picking Germany as their guaranteed 18 month initial posting. I told a guy from staffing assignments that Germany was too cold for me but if I could get to a warm place, like Hawaii for instance, I would volunteer indefinitely as well. Turns out he had 2 slots open and after talking another buddy into it, we spent the rest of our time in Hawaii. Not too bad.