32. Secret Military History

1985-0615, SF, Alcohol, Pope AFB Commander Crash Amputates Two.
At 2100-hours, two-SSGs from the SF were changing a flat tire on Gruber Road near Bragg Blvd. A sedan with AF plates approached from the rear at high speed and struck the Soldiers pinning them between the bumpers. Both Soldiers legs were amputated.
The driver was the Commander of Pope AFB, he was drunk. I don’t know his name, but he was a large black man. This story was kept quiet; I lived 200' from the accident and helped at the crash site.
Author’s note: If anybody has access to the Pope AFB HQ, please send me a copy of his picture off the wall.

1985-0615, Quartermaster, How to Break in a New Pair of Boots.
Army adopts new black combat boot with speed laces. This is the best combat boot in the world today.
This break-in method MUST be done before the boots have ever been worn or it will not work, leather has a "memory.”
Take the new boots out of the box and soak them in hot tap water for 30-Minutes.
Put the boots on your feet while wet and hot lace them up perfectly.
Lace the boots comfortably left over right with the first place on top, this requirement is not in AR 670-1 but in a medical TC so that the laces can be cut off easily in case of injury.
Get EVERY wrinkle out of the tongue. Use a tablespoon held backwards and smooth the tongue out. Wrinkles cause blisters.
Wear the wet boots until they are dry, they will shrink fit to your feet and be a perfect fit.
Remember, you cannot do this on a pair of boots that have been worn even once.


1986-0106, Accident, 82D Airborne CDR Critically Injured on Jump.
MG Porter, 82D Commander. Lands inside a Gama Goat truck on a jump in Turkey. He sustained brain damage. MG Foss quickly assigned as the new Div Commander.


1986-0609, Military, Credit Cards OK at AAFES.
Stateside PX authorized to use VISA and MASTER CARD credit cards.

1986-0609, Health, Retirees Live Longer.
Military retirees live an average of two-years longer than non-veterans.


1986-1017, UCMJ, Muslim Seaman Murders Instructor.
Seaman Arif M. Ameen, 30, of Miami, a Muslim from Pakistan, at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center shot an instructor to death and wounded two others after being told that he was flunking out of an electronics school at the base.
Slain was Senior Chief Electronics Technician Glenn Hull, 38, of Bullhead City, Ariz., who had told Ameen that he was being dropped from the school. Hull was shot in the heart.
The wounded were identified as Chief Electronics Technician David Violet, 29, of Cornell, Wis., who was shot in the upper part of his leg and Chief Electronics Technician Lonnie Yowell, 41, of Charleston, Ill., who was shot in his arm and neck. Both men were reported in stable condition at the base hospital.

1986-1110, UCMJ, Pilot Saboteur.
CID is investigating the sabotage of 11, OH-58C helicopters at Ft Rucker. Nine of the Acft had pinched fuel lines, two had s and in the fuel tanks, one had five pounds of sugar in the fuel tank. CID is offering a $10,000 (26,652-2022) reward for Information.
1987-0105, WO Arrested in Helicopter sabotage.
CW2 Lewis H Plunkett Jr, 27, of Ft Rucker was charged with attempted murder and damage to government property. Plunkett is assigned to B Co, 7th Avn Bn, ATB.
He would later be convicted of lesser charges. His reason for sabotage was to improve his reputation as an aviator among his peers. He also wanted to earn the Broken Wing Award.
2015-0225, UCMJ, Mr. Plunkett Convicted of Murder.
Plunkett 55, Mohave Valley, Arizona, convicted of murdering his girlfriend Marilyn S Burdick 62.
He is sentenced to life in prison.

1987-0530, Gay, the Eyes, Ears, and Lips of the 82D.
During the 82D Abn Div Convention in Atlanta, MPs saw two pair of boots in one-bathroom stall. They opened the door and found a male PFC from HHT, 1/17 Cavalry performing oral sex on a male SGT from the Div Band.
The Squadron CSM was drunk he tried to sign the PFC out of jail, the MPs arrested the CSM. After this, even the Div Commander called the 17th Cavalry, “The eyes, ears and lips of the 82D.”

1987-0615, VD, AIDS Testing Mandatory.
All Active-Duty Military are tested for AIDS every two-years. This is tracked closely.

1987-0615, Quartermaster, “**** You and Your Bean Shaped Canteen Cup.”
I wrote ABC-camp stove company (The name has been changed) a letter explaining a problem I was having with one of their camp stoves. The grill design would not support the Army issue canteen cup. The cup would sit precariously on the stove and was dangerous in a GP-Tiny tent when heating water for MREs.
I politely suggested a design change, so an Army canteen-cup would sit firmly on their stove. I received a reply from ABC that stated, “**** you and your bean-shaped canteen cup. The Military make up less than 1-percent of our sales and we think that’s too much” I was shocked, I grabbed my canteen cup. Turned it upside down and looked “it was bean-shaped." Many of the civilians who work at camping companies are Democrats and hate the Military.

1987-0615, Leadership, Company Commander Relieved Because His Soldiers Cursed.
The Commander of C Company, 1st Avn Bn, Ft Riley, KS was relieved of command because his unit said the vulgar slang word “****” while calling cadence.
The post CG, MG Partain relieved MAJ Daughterly when his ears were offended by the “s” word. Back then, vulgar cadence was common. The cadence that got the MAJ in trouble was not even his fault since the vulgar cadence was a spontaneous “chant” by lower enlisted said in jest.
This is what got MAJ Daughterly fired:
“COMPANY, ATTENTION” (the trouble began). With the parade-reviewing stand 30-feet away, the 250-enlisted Soldiers sounded off with a customary cadence,
WE LIKE IT HERE, WE LOVE IT HERE, BULL ****” the MG and his 100 guests inside the reviewing tent were agape, agog, and got da vapors. Alarmed by the sudden outburst.
MG Partain walked over and relieved MAJ Daughterly on the spot. This outraged most of the Army. MAJ Daughterly was immediately reassigned to Fort Bragg, NC and given command of a larger unit.

1987-0615, Military, the Balloon.
I was on a large airborne operation, jumping into Camp McCall, NC. After I landed, I saw a balloon with a zip-lock bag attached. The balloon was part of a science project at middle school 600-miles away in South Carolina. I sent a map of where I found the balloon and a pair of Jump Wings. I bet the female still has the letter I sent her.

1987-0907, Aviation, Joy Flight, Camp Humphries’ Style
SPC William Hathaway, 45th Transportation Company is walking back to his barracks late at night. He takes a shortcut across the flight line. He sees a UH-60A Blackhawk helicopter unlocked and takes it for a joy flight while drunk. He flies the aircraft down the main roads of both Camp Humphries and the village outside the gate Anjonee.
He flies at treetop level, out of the main gate and down to the clubs in Anjonee. Landing on the top of Duffy’s nightclub. He then circles Camp Humphries twice before attempting to land and hope nobody noticed. SPC Hathaway crashes the UH-60 aircraft on landing back at the 45th Transportation Company maintenance ramp, aircraft totaled, no injuries reported.

1987-0915, Race, the Army Solution to the Race Problem, It Worked.
Block 7 of the new NCOER (annual report card): “Supports EO/EEO.”
If a leader checks NO. The Soldier has six-months to plan his civilian career.
A “NO” check equals mandatory QMP.
This is a civilized solution to the Race. Soldiers of all races get along better than civilians due to Block 7. It is that simple.
The Army did the same thing in 1983 with the drug problem. If a Soldier’s urinalysis result comes back positive, the Soldier has two-months to prepare for a new life as a civilian. No drama necessary. Both Block 7 and the urinalysis work.
Now if the Army can just figure out how to fix the “sex” problem. May I suggest a Block-8? “Supports celibacy” You won’t be able to win a war with those type of men but at lease sex problems will be solved

1987-1026, Religion, Pagans Demand Access to Army Chapels.
Pagans demand all Army chapels open at midnight any Friday the 13th. For midnight service. Also, a small farm animal permit requested to include snakes, chickens, and cats.

1988-0228, Gay, Army Studies Lesbians.
An Army study finds women are three-times more likely than men to be Gay in the Army. 50-percent of female Soldiers have had a lesbian experience in the past year.

1988-0615, Porn, Barracks Do Not Have Curtains.
At night, civilian women drive up and down barracks row. They came in every age and weight class. The Army never invested in curtains or cloudy windows for the barracks, latrines or shower rooms. The women enjoyed the view. Even wives would stare when driven past the barracks.
If a Soldier wanted a date with a local girl, all he had to do was sit on the front porch, Women would drive up and stop to talk. The local women wanted to date and marry a Soldier. Soldiers are a desirable socio-economic class. They have a good paying job, with benefits. Also, you can’t get in the Army with a criminal record.
When the drinking age was raised to 21; many of the women who trolled the barracks areas were underage and would do just about anything for a bottle of Boons Farm Cherry Hill wine or some Coors beer. The Army is fun.


1988-0822, VD, AIDS
Army finds 1.3 AIDS cases per 1,000 Active-Duty Soldiers tested.

1989-0522, Military, the Best and Worst Army Posts:
Top Three:
Ft Lewis Washington.
Ft Carson Colorado.
Fort Hood Texas.
Bottom three:
Ft Polk (Camp Swampy) Louisiana.
Ft Drum New York.
Ft Riley Kansas.


1989-0616, Accident, Camouflage Net Kills Five.
Late at night, five Soldiers were sitting on top of a pile of camouflage netting in the back of a 2 ½ Ton Truck. The netting extended out the back and on top of a towed artillery cannon. The netting became tangled in the tire of the cannon as the vehicle was driving back from the range.
All five Soldiers were pulled from the back of the truck and killed. The driver did not discover the accident until he returned to base 50 miles away.
Author’s note: I was not able to find this article while doing research for this book at the Library of Congress. Please e-mail me the details on this story.

1989-0720, Leadership, GEN Frederick Woerner Fired.
Replaced by GEN Maxwell Thurman (Mad Max). Woerner was critical of President Bush and his policy towards Panama. This is GEN Thurman's first troop command since 1975 when he was the Commander of the 82D Div Artillery.
Author’s Note: I am convinced GEN Thurman died of AIDS. It was widely reported in tabloid newspapers. His door at Walter Reed was labeled, “infectious quarantine,” not something acute myelogenous leukemia, would require. He was single and lived with his single twin brother. He was the commander of forces in Panama just prior to the War. He was replaced and died 4 years later in 1995.
1989-0720, VD, Secret: GEN Thurman Dies of AIDS.
GEN Frederick F. Woerner, Jr. was the commander of all troops in Panama just prior to the US Panama war. GEN Woerner was critical of President Bush and his policy towards Panama. Bush fired him. His replacement was GEN Maxwell Thurman (Mad Max). This is GEN Thurman's first troop command since 1975 when he was the Commander of the 82D Div Artillery. GEN Thurman was a lifelong bachelor who lived with his twin brother LTG John R. Thurman III.
After the war in Panama GEN Thurman was replaced when he fell ill. The official illness was acute myelogenous leukemia.
Many reports in tabloid newspapers said GEN Thurman had AIDS. His door at Walter Reed was labeled, “infectious quarantine,” not something acute myelogenous leukemia, would require. He died four years later in 1995.
1990-0815, Gay, GEN Thurman’s AID Caught:
SFC (MP) Alan Hughes, arrested GEN Thurman's aide-de-camp, a major, during an undercover sting. He was soliciting sex in the men's room of the Ft. Clayton library. The MAJ, a West Point grad, had an arrest by NYPD when he was a young LT stationed at Fort Hamilton. He was running a dungeon for gay men.


1989-0911, Military, No AC in the Soldiers’ Home.
Retired Soldiers are living in substandard conditions at the Soldiers home located in Washington, DC says the homes' governor, LTG George McKee, AF, Ret.
The homes’ four dormitories are not air-conditioned. Some residents live in open bays with a gang latrine. The medical center does not have AC. The home has 1,900 residents and operates without taxpayer support. Its annual budget is $40,000,000 (90,692,903-2022); residents pay this by losing most of their retired pay to live there. Money also comes from a 50-cent deduction from Active-Duty Soldier's pay each month and money forfeited in UCMJ action goes to the Soldiers Home.
Authors Note: In 1989, the 1,900 residents divided by $40,000,000 equals $21,053 (48,882-2022) per-year per-resident. Seems to me they could get cheaper care in a luxury retirement community, or one with AC.