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1969. I had received my induction notice, but took the place of John Quaintance, of Rappahannock, when he missed his induction due to illness.
In February 1970, I reported to Fort Ord, Calif., for U.S. Army Basic Combat Training (BCT). I was assigned to the 2nd Platoon of Co. C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade.
By som^ coincidence — or because of some Army personnel clerk’s wry sense of humor — I found myself in a very unusual platoon. International platoon
About half the trainees were foreign nationals, most of whom had been drafted.
The rest were college kids who had used up their deferments, National Guards trainees from several states, some Regular Army enlistees, and a few who defied definition.
Our drill sergeant was a tough Hawaiian E-7 named Pasqua, who had recently returned from a tour in Vietnam. Tb him, we were all “Army green,” which he pointed out to us frequently.
It was his job to whip us into shape and he had his work cut out for him.
Pasqua never let up. Our training was aimed at preparing us for combat in Southeast Asia, and when w6 came up short, Pasqua would scream, “Charlie’s (Viet Cong) is gonna make mashed potatoes outta yo’ heads!”
But when we made him proud, he referred to us as his “My international platoon.”
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