GI Stories Of Your Service Thread...

[High_Plains_Drifter]

In basic, a week after we had started, the squad leader in our squad told the TI that he didn't want to be squad leader anymore. IDK why he was left off without incident, but I heard the TI SCREAMING, AIRMAN (my last name), FRONT AND CENTER... so I did my thing reporting into his barracks office best I could and waited for waited for him to salute me before I dropped my salute. He said this other person had decided he couldn't handle being squad leader, and that I had been recommended, probably because I was 24 when I joined up, but he continued, I don't think you'll be a good squad leader, but you're it, put this badge on your fatigues and move up to bunk one, and he threw the red hard plastic squad leader badge across his desk at me. He said at ease, pick it up and dismissed. I picked it up and went back to attention and saluted again waiting again for him to drop his salute, proper left face and exit.

End of story, I ENJOYED being squad leader, even though I was called on the carpet a few times for things I didn't do but I was responsible for as squad leader, I did my best. When we graduated basic that TI signed my basic book and said that even though he didn't think I'd be a good squad leader, I turned out to be one of the best. One of the proudest moments of my life. I've lost that book, and my squad picture. One of the saddest things in my life. But after basic was over our TI said, for those of you that are going into casual waiting for your school to open up, which was me, he said meet me at the Skylark for beer, you're buying. The Skylark was a big bowling alley on Lackland AFB. So there was a few of us that went and partied it up with our TI. What a great time. But I went back to the casual barracks after that and promptly projectile puked like an olympian. He knew that after so many weeks dry we'd do that... :laugh:

Ah yes... the Air Force... gotta love the military.

[Gunny]

Most of that stuff between Wilford Hall and the parade field where all those WW II planes line the parade deck is gone. I remember when they had 2 planes there :laugh:

The Base Chapel Steeple is all that remains of the original base chapel where my mother was the organist. Wilford Hall, where me, my brother and my youngest daughter were born is all but shut down. Only the ER is actually operational. The rest is just specialty crap overflow from Brooke Army Medical Center on Ft Sam which is THE military hospital for the entire area.

Kelly AFB no longer exists officially. Was part of BRAC. Was a smoke and mirrors act. Boeing got the mile long hanger. Lackland got the rest of Kelly from the "Golf Balls" (where my dad worked) on. USAF supply planes (141's I think) still regularly use the flightline.

Even though they will not deny nor confirm the presence of nukes they said they moved out, the Medina Annex is still open, surprisingly well-kept, and has the only active duty flight line in SA. Randolph has a flight line, but trainers and trainees. I don't think they have any operational fighters.

Where I live now you would have known as "sticks" -- ranch land to the NW of the base. I actually live relatively close to Lackland.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Most of that stuff between Wilford Hall and the parade field where all those WW II planes line the parade deck is gone. I remember when they had 2 planes there :laugh:

The Base Chapel Steeple is all that remains of the original base chapel where my mother was the organist. Wilford Hall, where me, my brother and my youngest daughter were born is all but shut down. Only the ER is actually operational. The rest is just specialty crap overflow from Brooke Army Medical Center on Ft Sam which is THE military hospital for the entire area.

Kelly AFB no longer exists officially. Was part of BRAC. Was a smoke and mirrors act. Boeing got the mile long hanger. Lackland got the rest of Kelly from the "Golf Balls" (where my dad worked) on. USAF supply planes (141's I think) still regularly use the flightline.

Even though they will not deny nor confirm the presence of nukes they said they moved out, the Medina Annex is still open, surprisingly well-kept, and has the only active duty flight line in SA. Randolph has a flight line, but trainers and trainees. I don't think they have any operational fighters.

Where I live now you would have known as "sticks" -- ranch land to the NW of the base. I actually live relatively close to Lackland.
I was at Lackland when the Sha of Iran was there in 1979. Unreal you were born in an AF hospital... pretty cool actually. I couldn't tell you how many planes were still there in '79 on the parade grounds when I graduated basic. All I remember is being very hot and very tired from standing there for hours. I remember planes but not how many or what they were. Don't know if a C-141 would have been there back then or not.

I do have some relatively recent pics of there from a person that was on base and posted them on facebook. The old three story barracks where I was were still there, like last year?

How about the old walk bridge over the interstate, is that still there?

So you're real close to San Antonio...

[Gunny]

I was at Lackland when the Sha of Iran was there in 1979. Unreal you were born in an AF hospital... pretty cool actually. I couldn't tell you how many planes were still there in '79 on the parade grounds when I graduated basic. All I remember is being very hot and very tired from standing there for hours. I remember planes but not how many or what they were. Don't know if a C-141 would have been there back then or not.

I do have some relatively recent pics of there from a person that was on base and posted them on facebook. The old three story barracks where I was were still there, like last year?

How about the old walk bridge over the interstate, is that still there?

So you're real close to San Antonio...Walkbridge over the Interstate :laugh2: That "Interstate" is Military Drive :laugh: It's called Loop 13 because it goes from what was once the very west to the very east side of SA, and Lackland, Kelly, Brooks AFBs are all on it. Brooks is no longer a base.

I lived on Air Force bases off and on until I was 16. Oddly enough, I have been on the boot camp side of Lackland only a few times. Once to military clothing sales because it was the only place in SA to get Marine uniform stuff. Once to TMO. And twice to get base stickers for my vehicles. As a kid, we had no business over there.

Oddly enough, we lived off base one time and I went to Jr High School right outside the back gate of the training side of the base and never knew it was there the whole year.

The commissary and BX are THE same ones from when I was a little kid. How times have changed. I can remember my mom leaving me in the car to go into the commissary and it didn't mean sh*t back then. Well, who;s going to steal your kid on base, I guess? Not to mention we weren't like these irresponsible heathens nowadays back then. Sit in the car and be good meant sit in the car and be good. Your ass was counting on it for survival :laugh:

The planes I remember they had a B-24 and a B-17, with the B-24 unfinished for YEARS. Then suddenly they got a bunch more WWII era planes and restored them and lined them around the parade deck. That wasn't the parade deck for years. They've got some Vietnam era jests when you first go into the gate on the training side.

[Gunny]

Oh yeah ,,, the walkbridge is still there. I live in San Antonio. San Antonio pretty much owns all of Bexar County. It just keeps expanding.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Oh yeah ,,, the walkbridge is still there. I live in San Antonio. San Antonio pretty much owns all of Bexar County. It just keeps expanding.
I'd really like to get down there someday and see the old base. I have a military ID so I assume I could get on base, and be allowed certain places? IDK... I haven't been on a base since I got the ID. I got it at Truax Field in Madison, an AF Guard base. It was just fun to be there. Two good looking little AF GI babes, one a SSgt and the other a TSgt did the paperwork and got me the ID. Those reservists and guard GI's always seemed to sew on stripes a lot faster than we did in the regular military.

[Gunny]

I'd really like to get down there someday and see the old base. I have a military ID so I assume I could get on base, and be allowed certain places? IDK... I haven't been on a base since I got the ID. I got it at Truax Field in Madison, an AF Guard base. It was just fun to be there. Two good looking little AF GI babes, one a SSgt and the other a TSgt did the paperwork and got me the ID. Those reservists and guard GI's always seemed to sew on stripes a lot faster than we did in the regular military.If it's a military ID it should be good. I don't ever go on base. I really don't have too many memories of Lackland except as a little kid. We moved a LOT, even by military standards. My dad was always going to different schools.

If those Guard/Reserve guys ever try to go active, they'll give u one or two of those stripes faster than they put them on.

[Elessar]

I came into the CG when I was 25. I got tired of not finding work largely due to coal strikes in WVa.
Lifeguard work was only good in the summer unless I wanted to travel 27 miles into Cumberland MD
to the nearest indoor pool daily.

Had a broad, burly BM1 get in my face and said "You are going to be my RCC (Recruit Company Coordiator)".
Dad told me to never volunteer, but that guy and I became friends. He played for the Steelers briefly and 'Nam Vet.
Worked on River Tenders most of his career.

He let me run that recruit company with a firm hand, and if anyone screwed with us, he was in their face FAST!
Even an E-8 backed away from Gary Bohr.