Sad Memories - Vietnam Era

Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana

Rodriguez Graduates

Moreno, Rodriguez and I were put onboard a train at Leesville, Louisiana, headed for Indianapolis, Indiana, to attend the the Stenography Class at the Army Adjutant General School at Fort Benjamin Harrison. We each had our separate sleeping areas with a dining room car and a car with seats to view the passing countryside. We spent two days and switched trains twice before we reached Indianapolis. That was to be my first-ever train ride. Towards the end of our class, we were put on a train headed for Fort Lee, Virginia, to participate in LOGEX 66, a two week logistical exercise for several categories of Army student participants, Army National and Reserve personnel and a handful of active Army personnel.  

My friend, Rodriguez was doing well both at the Fort Polk Administrative Course and at the Stenography class at Fort Ben Harrison, but he was not a typist. He had never previously typed before Army service, and the Stenography course required a 30 words-per-minute typing speed prior to graduation. He was typing anywhere from 20 to 28 words per minute at each Friday morning typing test. When he made the 30 words, the speed was reduced by the number of errors he typed. Rodriguez was not fazed by his inability to meet the course typing speed. "I didn't ask for this job, and I don't give a damn if I don't graduate," he once told me when I suggested he stay after school and practice his typing. 

My friend was a draftee and had no love for the Army or any of the other military services. At every drinking session the topic of graduation always came up. Rodriguez asked, "What happens if a guy does not graduate?" One in the group said, "He's recycled to another class depending on what he failed."  

"What if he still can't make it?" asked my friend. The class leader, a Specialist Four with two years of service, said, "You only get one chance, my man. If you don't make it after the recycling, you will be sent to the Postal Clerk course or the Finance Clerk course. Both of these are taught here at Uncle Sam's Rest Home."

Someone in the group added, "And if you still flunk out of Postal or Finance, you'll probably end up an infantryman in Vietnam."

A hush fell over the group. The subject of Vietnam was verboten speech in that group at that time. Few previous graduates of the Stenography course were ever sent to Vietnam. Traditionally, most of them wound up in stateside, European or Asian staff headquarters. Upon graduation, our Stenography Class 15 of 1966 was to break that tradition.

I quickly picked up on Gregg Shorthand Diamond Jubilee Series. I had taken typing my senior year in high school only because there were no other classes available to me, so typing came easy to me in my Stenography class, and I had always excelled in English during my school days. These three subjects were the cornerstone of the Stenography course. One could fail every other subject, but these three subjects were mandatory and required for graduation. I tried in earnest to help both Moreno and Rodriguez, but we could never find a method to teach-and-learn. During the Friday shorthand speed tests and the typing tests, both Moreno and Rod made progress, but the 30 words per minute eluded Rod and after a while he just resigned himself to the fact that he would never reach the goal.

I felt empathy for my friend especially since he had undergone food poisoning just a few days earlier. It was a Friday when the dining hall would serve fish for dinner. Moreno and I ate the same fish from the same serving line as Rodriguez. We sat together eating identical selections of dishes then just sat there talking about home and our progress in the Stenography course then walked back to the barracks which was some 20 minutes away. I was writing letters home then heard some commotion coming from Rod's bunk. Two or three classmates were gathered around Rod. I walked over to hear Rod say "I don't feel well. My stomach hurts terribly. One of our classmates ran to the Orderly Room and asked that someone call an ambulance for Rod. It turns out my friend had gotten food poisoning from the fish that day. From that day forward to the day we left Uncle Ben's Rest Home, none of us ate the Friday fish.

On graduation day, Rod and I were walking up the stairs towards our classroom. He stated, "Chingao, Ojeda, no creo que voy a graduate. No puedo type las pinches 30 palabras."¹

"Okay, if that's your only problem, I can help," I said to Rod. "I sit right behind you, and at every typing test we always pass the typed papers to the front. Listen carefully, Rod. You type MY name in upper left, and I will type YOUR name in upper left. Immediately after time is called, I will pass my paper to you in front. I'll then grab the ones behind me and pass those on to you."

The typing test started, and I purposely slowed down from my typing speed of some 70 words per minutes and added a couple of typos to somewhat imitate Rod's typing. When time was called, I immediately took my paper with Rod's name and handed it to him to pass to the front before collecting the ones being passed to me from back. Rod came up with 40-plus words, and I came up with 28 words. Sp5 Langsford who was both the Shorthand and Typing instructor came over to my desk and whispered, "What happened to you? That's the slowest typing you've ever done. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine but just having a bad day, Specialist," I replied.

"If your typewriter's acting up, we can do a retest," he offered.

I sufficiently trusted Sp5 Langsford to tell him, "Look, it's fine. I was just helping a classmate to graduate." Langsford put a hand on my shoulder and looked towards my friend Rod then walked back to his podium. I believe he understood.

Three classmates failed the class and were recycled back to other classes. Rod, Moreno and I graduated and moved on to Vietnam as did all but 5 or 6 classmates who were attending the class from other Army and Air Force military units. Rod wound up with the 1st Cavalry Division at An Khe, Vietnam. Moreno and I were assigned to the US Army Signal Directorate at Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam.