The Bayonet

On the second day of being at boot the masses where separated into companies and assigned barracks. No rhyme or reason to these assignments. Lo and behold I am in a drill company with a pretty blue epaulet (Baby Blue to be exact). This required the used of a rifle with a fixed bayonet. Over the next few days we did some marching to learn how and then taken out to the parade ground to see who would be on the drill team. I did not make it. As the weeks went by and the team started learning some fancy drills there was one introduced that seemed a little on the strange side for a bunch of guys with no more experience than they had. This little maneuver involved the tossing of the rifle over the shoulder to stick in the ground bayonet first in front of the man behind you. You guessed it! One of the guys got a little over zealous with the toss and the lad behind was pinned to the ground by a 14 pound rifle with fixed bayonet through the right calf of his leg.

Another one bites the dust. Medical discharge and full benefits as a vet.