Basic training, Fort Bliss, 1954

While undergoing basic training at Fort Bliss in September 1954, we had a cadre, Cpl. Hernandez, who was mean as could be. He would look for faults so he could make you do push ups, which would make him happy. We would always tried to find ways to hide from him. There was a song at that time, Hernandos Hide Away, and whenever we saw him coming we would whistle that song to alert the men he was coming. Until one day he found out why we would whistle the song. After that whenever he caught us whistling the song, we would be on KP, (kitchen police) that weekend and he would find ways to make us suffer for that week. At the end we realized that he was doing it for our own good and we all pitched in and gave him a gift at the end of basic training. To this day whenever I meet someone with the last name Hernandez, I wonder if they were related.

Ruben Sandoval, Laredo, Texas