Shoot'n Squirrels

A brief run down to explain the events leading up to shoot'n squirrels is required so bear with me.

As I said in the beginning I am from the Texas Panhandle where the humidity is low. In Orlando, Fla. it is the other way round. The Navy had a peculiar habit of keeping their class rooms at a chilly 68 degrees while the temp outside would be near 100 or more with a very high humidity. We were constantly being moved in and out of this these two extremes. Because of this I developed a lung ailment that only showed up at night while I was lying down. My complaints about this got me sent to sick bay were a medic would check my temp hand me a bottle of cough syrup and send me on my way. As time progressed breathing just got harder and harder and physical activity was making me weaker by the day and had me gasping for air. The company commander would constantly question me about this and could not decide if it was real or I was a slacker since I showed no outward signs of truly being sick. Never had a fever or a cough until I laid down at night, being young and dumb I never really spoke up about it.

Turns out I had walking pneumonia which was left untreated for 11 weeks, which plagued me for the next 30 years of my life.

In boot the bunks are two tiered and I had a bunk mate that was a little to easy going and would not learn the things that the navy was trying to teach. As a part of learning to work as a team bunk mates were expected to be responsible for each other in all things, the making of our racks, the wearing of uniforms properly, terms of the day and week, etc. etc.

My bunkie could never learn the terms of the day or week, the first few times the punishment for this was his but after a few weeks of this it was determined that I was not doing my part in his training as well so we both got to go to a garden party in front of the barracks so that others could see what none compliance would get you.

Now do not get me wrong here, absolute discipline is the only thing that stands between you and the watery depths of the mighty blue. I love the ocean with a passion but she is a demanding mistress with no compassion. The only thing that stands between you and being pulled down to her bosom is each other.

Well anyway at 4 o'clock off we go to the garden party where the company commanders were gathered to discipline their way ward children. This punishment was nothing more than the strenuous exercise that folks pay to have done to them by health clubs. In short order I was gasping for air and getting pale, my company commander was watching and told me to stop and had a conference with the other commanders expressing his concern for me. After some talking he came over and had me sit on the ground leaning against a tree and I was instructed to point my finger at every squirrel I saw and go bang bang your dead in a loud voice while 400 other recruits watched. To say the least I was humiliated but I never heard a single word from anyone about it.

Jesus there were a lot of squirrels.