Fort Devans was a hell of a ride. The more I think about it I realize it was really a unique place. A little background first. Almost all ASA guys had already either been to college or had worked. So we were not atypical of new soldiers. I was already 21 as were most of the people in my section. So many people could see BS when it was presented. Also, I had the pleasure of working and being with some truly brilliant people. They changed the way that I looked at the world. Some people are intellectual gifted. They say that this factor helped lead to the ASA being disbanded. On to fort Devans. When you checked in you were assigned to C company. The largest "company" in the Army so they said. Charlie was a Causal Company. Just a transition place where you awaited, your clearance, next school, or what ever. I would guess there were 300 or 400 people, maybe more, maybe less just depended. The Almighty Clearance with out a Clearance you were nothing. EVERYTHING depended on getting your Top Secret Clearance. All BS aside they took the granting of a TS Crypto clearance very serious. They sent FBI guys to visit some of your old teachers and employers to check you out. I had never gotten in real trouble but still you worried. Most people thought I have got into in some of big time trouble and the Feds were looking for me. So while you were waiting you stayed in C company. They had a big formation every morning and then they dispatched every one to do make busy work all over the post. They had so many people there was not much to do so just staying busy was a challenge. During this time I lucked out and got selected to go Army Driving school and got mu Jeep. 3/4 and deuce and 1/2 License. These would be a great benefit later on. So every day you made formation, did you little job and just hung out. You also checked the big bulletin board for your school results. When you saw your name in the school listing you were pretty sure your clearance was very close to being approved. Every one was sweating bullets because if your clearance was not approved you had to go into the regular army. Something no one wanted to do. Going to Driving school was really fun. They had a big area with mud bogs and steep hill and such and we would go out an practice driving. Sometime we would get stuck but they were ok with it. I think it was about a week to 10 days long. One day in the afternoon formation they asked if any one had a Army Driving license. I raised my hand and they sent me to go see a officer at the school. It was for a permanent duty(until your clearance came though) to work on the burn detail. Security was Tight, tight, tight and we burned everything the school threw away. It was a 7 days a week job but it was pretty easy and you did not have to do anything else. About 7 every night i went to the Motor pool and checked out a deuce and 1/2(Army guys love to say Deuce and 1/2 rather than a 2 and 1/2 ton truck.) went to the school. There a officer would help or just watch me load the truck with all the trash from the ops. center and the school. The officers always had a side arm and a M-14 for me with them. We then went to the incinerator and burned all the stuff, i always tried ti read the stuff I was burning but I never got much of a chance and what I did see was not very interesting. After all the stuff was burnd we went down below and I had to open the grates and sweep all the unburned stuff out. It was pretty hot but I could do it pretty quick so the officers liked that. I guess it was some sort of duty they had to do. Most of them were very nice and after they got to know me, they would bring me a sandwich or coffee. I did that until......YES!!!!!! My Clearance Came though!!!! School time. Time to get it on. I moved to the hill where all the wood barracks were. Mine was 1651. My bunk was upstairs near the end. Big change from basic and the Casual company. single bunks with the lockers set so there was just a hint of privacy. Plus you could have a small night stand and a radio. Life was good. My first school was only 6 weeks long. 980.0 I am not going to go into much detail about the school because as silly as it sounds, I gave a oath not to disclose the subject matter. I still honor that today. One day at the PX they had a couple of Bicycles for sale. Seems like to me they were about 34 dollars. I bought one and later on two of my friends bought theirs. We used to ride all over New England on them. All 3 of us were from the south .Me from Florida, My friend from Texas and another friend. from Alabama. We would stop at little cafes and beer joints to eat and rest. When we ordered they would always say "You guys aint from around here are you?" No, We are soldiers from Devans. Many times they would not take any money or someone would buy us a beer or a hamburger. I still remember with gratitude their kindness to a group of southern soldiers. Soon the six week school was over and I went casual again to await my next school. But this time I stay in 1651 and worked in the company area. The first Sarge used to be the bookie for the numbers game.. you picked 3 or 4 numbers and then tried to match them with the last number on the New York Stock exchange closing numbers. The pay off guy was the Coca-Cola route man. I guess really the First sarge worked for him. Speaking of Money, you could sell or buy Kp. Guard duty also but you were in BIG trouble if you got caught failing to pull guard duty. KP still trouble but not so mych. I used to buy KP. I lived so far away that I never had a chance to go home on 3 day breaks and such. So I would just stay and work. Hard work, long hours but remember my basic KP duty taught me how it worked. I used to get 40 to 45 for a full day or 30 for 1/2 day. Good money when you only made around 70 a month. I was a E-2 by now so make a little more. 76 I think. If you got to work with the right bunch of guys and a good cook it was not too bad. Every one wanted to be the DRO(dinning room Orderly) but I liked Outside man pretty good. Cups and bowels were not too bad. Pots and Pans were to avoided at all cost. Drunk or Mad cook(s) and it would be a long long day. You checked in for KP at 4am and got off around 7 or 8pm. The ASA fed us pretty good. I never had many complaints about the food. It was different from what the regular army had(so they said). We used to play cars a lot. Nickle-dime poker with different limits. very friendly games and no one lost a great amount. One guy loved to play. His name was Mangus from out west some where I think he used to play in dessert a lot. He had some pictures of him on his motorcycle. He was the worlds worse poker player. He would up losing more than he had. So he started a Laundry. You had to keep sharp starched creases in your uniform at all times. a real pain in the ass and billfold. Looking back someone probably had a deal with the Ayer Laundry and someone was getting a kick back. Anyways Mangus was a mad of his word so he would take uniforms and go wash them at the Laundromat. They heated the barracks with steam so there was boiling hot water to be had. After he washed them He would get trash cans and mix Argo starch and the boiling water. Then he would dip the uniforms and hang them out to dry. Then he would Iron them out. His work was 2 or 3 times as good as the pros. His business took off. People would help him iron and Wash for beer money. He paid in Mangus Money. It was legal currency in our area. He was a damn good guy. I sure hope he made out ok. Soon School started again and I was off to study to be a Radio Traffic Analyst. 982 Holy Hell What a mistake!! The most boring and unrealistic thing I have every encountered .
Connies' Tomain Place #4
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