Comments:

raymond - 2005-01-25 18:33:20
In olden days the Quartermaster Corps supplied petroleum to other units, among other duties. An army doesn't travel on its stomach alone. The Quartermaster Corps used to be made up of wildly different sorts of people. There were morticians in Graves Registration, bakers to supply the staff of life, lumpers to load and unload cargo, and petroleum analysts to test fuel and oil products. Oh, yes, there were clerks to keep track of it all. Troops such as the morticians were college graduates in mortuary science. The petroleum analysts had some background in chemistry or mathematics. The lumpers sometimes could not read or write. A few could barely speak English. The clerks were, well, you saw M*A*S*H and Radar.

The military has made great changes. Now at least basic literacy is mandatory. The ability to speak English is required. Judging by the death toll of soldiers we hear about the morticians must still be busy. But it sounds like automation is replacing the petroleum analyst. War. It's the Real McCoy.
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Laura - 2005-01-25 20:16:18
Raymond: An elegant post as usual. But when you say "olden days," I have to wonder which war you are referring to.
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raymond - 2005-01-26 08:16:33
My experience was in the early 1960s, Cold War into Vietnam Era (I went to the ready reserves and didn't go to Asia). I went to Germany at the end of a Berlin crisis. Draftees had just had their time extended by a year. They weren't happy. Black Power was raising its fist then too. Yeah, Truman had integrated the military, but acceptance and equality hadn't arrived. Exciting and educational. During the Cuban Missile Crisis we expected action momentarily. Tense time. Then Vietnam heated up. Advisors. A force of 11,000. More Advisors. More everything. I was out in the forests playing enemy aggressor when JFK was killed. It sort of took the steam out of soldiering for me. Many in the military didn't like Kennedy. Rumors circulated briefly that the killing was the result of a coup. It seemed possible. I decided not to re-enlist. Landing in Ann Arbor in the midst of the Free Speech movement, the beginning of the anti-war protests, and emerging Hippies was a shock. I stayed beyond it all, vowing to remain a contemplative crackpot. Like, I really miss Beatniks.
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Laura - 2005-01-26 09:03:23
Your story was extremely interesting to read--thanks Raymond.
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