Basic training

I entered the Army on June 6, 1962, the 18th anniversary of D-Day.
Due to the physically demanding job I had before entering service, I was quite physically fit. My interests from a young teenager involved guns and hunting. Therefore, I was considered a very good shot.
While at Fort Dix Training Center, N.J., an Army dentist decided that I had a tooth that might give me trouble. You guessed it: he yanked it out from the upper right side of my mouth. The next day the right side of my face was very swollen and my right eye a bit fuzzy, but we were off to qualify at the rifle range with our M-1’s.
It was a very hot, hard march through all the sand at Fort Dix. I had trouble seeing the targets. I qualified still, shooting only marksman, when normally I know I should shoot expert!
At a later time, I eventually shot expert with rifle, pistol and machine gun.
My fondest memory is when the company was given a recruitment talk by an Airborne NCO. I was one of the few to sign up. However, that’s why I wanted to get into the Army. Go AIRBORNE!
Thus, I continued on, still a member of the 82nd Airborne Association to date.