Living the Lie
Army basic training experience16 total reviews
Comment from moongirlwriter
I loved reading this story. . .couldn't stop until the end. Thank you for your service soldier. I'm so glad you received recognition for your writing.
A great story of what the military was REALLY like back then. Makes me wonder how it has changed today.
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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I loved reading this story. . .couldn't stop until the end. Thank you for your service soldier. I'm so glad you received recognition for your writing.
A great story of what the military was REALLY like back then. Makes me wonder how it has changed today.
Comment Written 05-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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Thanks -- I don't normally take so long, but haven't been on FS much. Thanks for reading and your kind comments!
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;)
Comment from juliaSjames
What a detailed description of starting out in the army. It's a long write but your entertaining style holds the reader's attention all the way. Congratulations on placing in the contest. I read your author notes and agree you should write a memoir, especially if you find the right hook
Have a great weekend.
Blessings Julia
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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What a detailed description of starting out in the army. It's a long write but your entertaining style holds the reader's attention all the way. Congratulations on placing in the contest. I read your author notes and agree you should write a memoir, especially if you find the right hook
Have a great weekend.
Blessings Julia
Comment Written 03-Aug-2019
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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Thanks -- I don't normally take so long, but haven't been on FS much. Thanks for reading and your kind comments!
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You're welcome. Happy to hear from you.
JJ
Comment from Gail Denham
Great induction story - and well done dialog in places. My husband spent 6 years in the army and has some tales to tell also. The training time was hard. Fortunately he was in between the two wars for which we're thankful. He joined cuz there were no jobs where he lived. Got out before Nam. It was a hard time.
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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Great induction story - and well done dialog in places. My husband spent 6 years in the army and has some tales to tell also. The training time was hard. Fortunately he was in between the two wars for which we're thankful. He joined cuz there were no jobs where he lived. Got out before Nam. It was a hard time.
Comment Written 30-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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Thanks -- I don't normally take so long, but haven't been on FS much. Thanks for reading and your kind comments!
Comment from Six-Star Writer
I hated basic. I had a really difficult time. Wasn't prepared for it at all. I broke all decorum, grabbed my duffel bag a said, "I'm out of here!" Ssgt. Wolfe told me he wasn't going to let me me leave. So I had to stay. I was constantly being written up for breaking the rules.
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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I hated basic. I had a really difficult time. Wasn't prepared for it at all. I broke all decorum, grabbed my duffel bag a said, "I'm out of here!" Ssgt. Wolfe told me he wasn't going to let me me leave. So I had to stay. I was constantly being written up for breaking the rules.
Comment Written 29-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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Thanks -- I don't normally take so long, but haven't been on FS much. Thanks for reading and your kind comments!
Comment from Earl Corp
I wish I had a six star rating left this story would have earned it. I went through the John Wayne School for Wayward Boys at Ft. Benning about eight years later. I've written quite a few tales from my time too. Funny the further in time you get away from the occurrence the less you remember how much some of it sucked.
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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I wish I had a six star rating left this story would have earned it. I went through the John Wayne School for Wayward Boys at Ft. Benning about eight years later. I've written quite a few tales from my time too. Funny the further in time you get away from the occurrence the less you remember how much some of it sucked.
Comment Written 28-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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Thanks -- I don't normally take so long, but haven't been on FS much. Thanks for reading and your kind comments!
Comment from Cindy Warren
Basic training sounds awful. Perhaps not quite as awful as Vietnam but pretty bad. That DI had no sense of humor, did he? I can't believe you lost your promotion for that.
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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Basic training sounds awful. Perhaps not quite as awful as Vietnam but pretty bad. That DI had no sense of humor, did he? I can't believe you lost your promotion for that.
Comment Written 28-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 29-Oct-2019
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Thanks -- I don't normally take so long, but haven't been on FS much. Thanks for reading and your kind comments!
Comment from J W Warner
I kept reading past the pretty insensitive part where you implied any gay soldiers were "scum of the earth" (number 7 in the list from your brother)
Even if he wrote that at the time, I would suggest you leave something like that out; hopefully in the same way that you would not write that you were "warned" about African American members of your unit. I think there are people who would stop reading when they reached a point where you expressed a fear of gay soldiers
And what's a"father raper"?
In a memoir, telling the truth is appropriate, but you might want to express that now you know better or feel embarrassed to have once harbored such feelings.
Those things take away from what is otherwise an enjoyable recollection of a time and an army far different from what younger vets have experienced
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
reply by the author on 14-Oct-2019
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I kept reading past the pretty insensitive part where you implied any gay soldiers were "scum of the earth" (number 7 in the list from your brother)
Even if he wrote that at the time, I would suggest you leave something like that out; hopefully in the same way that you would not write that you were "warned" about African American members of your unit. I think there are people who would stop reading when they reached a point where you expressed a fear of gay soldiers
And what's a"father raper"?
In a memoir, telling the truth is appropriate, but you might want to express that now you know better or feel embarrassed to have once harbored such feelings.
Those things take away from what is otherwise an enjoyable recollection of a time and an army far different from what younger vets have experienced
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 28-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 14-Oct-2019
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Sorry, I haven't been on FS too much. I agree with your review. It did come across as incredibly insensitive. I did not mean it so. I should have been more clear. You really should try and find the "Alice's Restaurant" story. Bottom line, Arlo Guthrie was talking about criminals. In fact, my brother advice actually had to do about watching my money, as people are robbed constantly. I'll certainly change my post to more closely reflect what I was trying to convey. Bill
Comment from TheStoryMan
What an experience. I don't think many wanted to go to Vietnam. Your smart mouth got you in some trouble but I had to laugh. Good luck in the contest and definitely write your memoirs.
reply by the author on 28-Jun-2019
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What an experience. I don't think many wanted to go to Vietnam. Your smart mouth got you in some trouble but I had to laugh. Good luck in the contest and definitely write your memoirs.
Comment Written 28-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 28-Jun-2019
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Thanks for reading and for the kind feedback! Regards, Bill
Comment from oliver black
Having been through the same experience a decade and a half earlier, I can validate this story's accuracy. Very little changed in the interim between my draft and service and that of the author. This memoir was very well written
reply by the author on 27-Jun-2019
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Having been through the same experience a decade and a half earlier, I can validate this story's accuracy. Very little changed in the interim between my draft and service and that of the author. This memoir was very well written
Comment Written 27-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 27-Jun-2019
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Thanks for reading Oliver and thanks for your service!
Comment from barbara.wilkey
I think expanding this contest entry for a memoir is a fantastic idea. It is serious, but has many humorous aspects to it. I enjoyed reading. You did a good job writing this. Good luck with the contest.
reply by the author on 27-Jun-2019
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I think expanding this contest entry for a memoir is a fantastic idea. It is serious, but has many humorous aspects to it. I enjoyed reading. You did a good job writing this. Good luck with the contest.
Comment Written 27-Jun-2019
reply by the author on 27-Jun-2019
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Thanks for reading and for your kind comments! Bill
