What Eccentricities Did You Indulge During Your Military Career?

by **rinaldo** on Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:45 pm

OK, let's avoid the obvious troll responses and talk about what little ways we expressed our individuality while in uniform.

I am talking about stuff like this...

I bought a Seiko Mickey Mouse Watch the day before I left for Southeast Asia...I have worn it every day since...and that is some 37 years now. Inscribed on the back are my name...and the names of all of my high school classmates who died there (7). It is my most cherished personal possession.

BTW, Mickey Mouse Watches were a BIG no-no back in 1972.

by **dugan** on Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:24 pm

While I was a Flight Engineer on C-141s, I carried a bicycle with me on any trip I could.
Got lot of training miles in foreign countries, sightseeing and just getting back and forth to hotels.
Took a lot of flak, but many pilots carried their golf clubs everywhere, My bike weighed much less than their clubs.
You meet some of the nicest people while traveling on a bike.
Always brings a smile to my face thinking about Catania, Sicily and a very nice Italian lady on a bike.

by **clinton19** on Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:35 pm

before dreads were popular, I would get my hair cut in a High and tight, and let the top grow into dreads. it was ok, until I had to remove my beret (I was in the 82nd airborne) after a while, I started getting crap from people over it. my answer was.

the white guys in my unit would grow hair and mousse it down, nobody complain about the length of there hair

Mind you, I was one of only 4 black guys in my unit (infantry) out of a whole company

by **ray** on Tue Jun 09, 2009 5:35 pm

I convinced my commo shop to keep a delivery tricycle so that I could pick up and deliver commo equipment. Sure it seemed uncool, but it made sense in that saved us from having to deal with the PMCS paperwork needed to take out a Humvee.

Also, a two star general came to visit my barracks when I was on rear-d, and I had to make a door tag for my room, which I did and wrote 'Specialist Jones: Jam Session Here Every Sunday'. Anyway, after the general left, the sergeant that was with him got all upset, saying there were no jam sessions here every Sunday, and forced me to take it down.

by **gulab** on Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:32 pm

I feel silly saying this, but since we are not allowed to have anything other than a "normal natural color" on our nails (like a natural pink) I like to go crazy with my toe nails. I mean CRAZY. Like I will have them all different colors, or I paint stripes and stars (I can actually put the American flag on my big toe!), or glitter, you get the idea. My personal fave is my camo nails! Green, black, and brown all mixed just like our old uniforms.

Anyway, it's the little things.

I can see why your watch is your most cherished possession. Do you keep it tucked away in a secret spot or do you have it out on display?

by **reymond** on Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:07 pm

Great question I was USAF from 72 to 76. Back then guys were wearing long hair and getting into all kinds of hot water as if they could beat the system. I'd keep my hair short and no one would bother me. I'd take longer than 30 mins for lunch and no one seemed to care. I'd get away with little stuff maybe an extra day off.

Yes I remember the wigs. Funny how hair was such a big deal back then. We had a guy at RAF Bentwaters, a cook, who worked 3rd shift and had hair to his shoulders he'd hide in his cook's hat. Guy had a real attitude too. I guess he finally got caught and had to cut it. Then he turned into a real asshole with an attitude.

by **orahamm46** on Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:15 pm

MY eccentricities in the Marine Corps form 1984 till 1994!

1. As a garrison MP in Okinawa, Japan; I would decorate my room in purple and red lights and hang posters on the wall. I loved ticking off senior NCO's (old farts) by hanging the japanese rising sun (war) flag in my window!
BC street had a poster shop of every poster ever made and they would mount it on wood and cover it with very heavy plastic. I still have a few to this day I hang in my "love me" room (office).

2. I had a ball hitting the whorehouses and even did a live performance on "The Stage" in Okinawa. I still have my membership card! I would save my tickets stubs! ORION BEER ~ all the way baby!

3. While in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the 1st Gulf War I would scavenge alot and brought back alot of propaganda leaflets, a few Iraqi Helmets, different paper advertisements, and other small trinkets. I also have an unopened Pepsi COLA Glass bottle in Arabic that still has never been opened all these years later!

4. Mostly treasured memories of what I did!

by **jugheadd** on Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:42 am

I didn't have a military career. I graduated high school in 1969 so I was prime age for that ridiculous civil war that we were involved in, Viet Nam. A country should never do that. Luckily I was in the first lottery where they drew dates out of a hopper with 366 dates in it. They were birth dates. My birth date was the 322nd date drawn. I believe they drafted into the 15th date drawn. It upsets me every time I think about it. We spent 10 years over there and wasted over 52,000 American lives for nothing. I stayed home and went to college.