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I didn't last that long up there HQs on the mountain. They sent me down. Kicked me out. But the 'Claw' needed a clerk. Down below in the flat valley there were three units, Administration, Ordnance meaning munitions stored up on the Mountain and Bomb Disposal, with sleeping quarters, mess hall, supply, finance, recreation room, library, post office and movie theater.
The Claw was fairly new, the first-sergeant of administrative quarters cadry for admin and ordinance down below where we lived, but not bomb disposal. It was on its own. He was a line-sergeant, not the kind of guy that would be happy with a lot of educated desk-jocks as-opposed to flat-out infantry men, or artillery. He was gruff, bluff-talk; but-short about five-six, with big-hands, so they called him the Claw.
He appeared mean and put-me without ends and no job to work for him since he had no clerk. There it was different. He was a really-nice guy in the office. And this is where I learned, that these types of sergeants treated their clerks with great care, and were particular about-that, since the likes of myself could make him look-good, or make him look an idiot. But I didn't last long there-either, not that he didn't want-me - he did and said so. Sargeant Surebe of 'never-made-a-mistake', needed a clerk just at that time; because his clerk had put-in for transfer to Vietnam, of his own volition. Now how crazy is that - I thought.
It was Youkey told-me one-night, while driving me into downtown Athens and dropping me at Omonoia Square, the six in the evening hour, and picking me-up thereabouts ten. We were not allowed out after eleven. You had to have a pass for overnight. "Surebe needs a-clerk and I can set you up with an interview". He said, "bomb disposal - you won't have to pull KP (kitchen duty), and nobody can mess with you.
(6 of 25)
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