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Folks, I’m in a bit of a hurry today. We are having a few folks over for dinner tonight that we need to make preparations for. I do have several pictures that I will be posting tomorrow. Gary
Fort Leonard Wood
Reply from Dwight Lang (61): Tucson, AZ
It was early summer 1961 and two farm boys, Dwight Lang and Merle Allard, were off to boot camp in Ft. Leonard Wood. Being former Dunseith Dragon athletes and fit as fiddles. What to worry? Piece of cake, right?
Somewhere between the Chicago train stop and the last leg bus ride to the fort, we noticed this heavy dude, flabby and red headed had joined us. I remember as we were issued our clothing at the induction center how O’ Riley got the XX everything. Man, I thought, he will never cut it. As you might have guessed, O’ Riley got his share of ribbing (Pillsbury, tubby, fatso, all those goodies) from all of us, yours truly included. Thank goodness he was mild mannered because some of that crap had to get under his skin. I begin to notice as boot camp went on how O’ Riley’s fatigues started to hang a bit loosely on him.
Like Mark told you before, we got the overnight, full combat gear camping experience as well. Except it was later in the summer and the heat was stifling and maybe the red clay a bit more sticky. Naturally it rained as we made camp and everything got soaked. Somehow one of the straps on my backpack broke as we prepared for the march back to base. So with my M-1 rifle hanging from one shoulder I had the full weight of the soaked backpack hanging from one strap on my other shoulder for the march. I can’t remember if I was got sick or what. But as the red mud grew heavier on my boots and backpack strap cut deeper into my shoulder, I was not keeping up as well as I should have. Out of nowhere, I felt someone grab the strap and pull the backpack off my shoulder. With the words, let me help you bit, Dakota. As you guessed it was O’ Riley. His comment was that he had shed over a hundred pound of lard the last few weeks, so what was a little pack to tote a while. After about a quarter mile or so, I had recovered enough to take my pack back for the final leg into camp.
After boot camp was over, we all went our separate ways and I have no idea what happened to O’ Riley but will never forget the hand he gave me that night after the ribbings I had piled on him through boot camp. Finally, I gained a new respect for boot camp in Fort Leonard Wood (not exactly a piece of cake) and I hope an incite to never judge another too quickly.
Dwight
Wesley Schneider’s reply
Via Vickie Metcalfe (70): Bottineau, ND
Gary and Dick,
This morning I delivered the printout with Dick’s question? ” The boiled egg dare” to Wesley. Wes told me his father, for years drove a school bus-wagon with his team delivering children to school in Dunseith. I believe it was old Highway #5. He said it’s quite possible he might have taken on a dare about swallowing a whole hard boiled egg. Because, he used to eat boiled eggs ……whole. He really couldn’t recall any specific incident. He told me,he’d never throw a chicken into any stove so Dick, the mystery person must be must the other Wesley. I really don’t believe Wesley would do that to his fathers bus…….. Yes I think he did some little shenanigans but Wes is very steadfast respecting his mother and father. I carried my printer into the Spectrum where Karen Larson solved my ink problem. Now I can print out more messages for Wesley. Thanks to each of you who sent messages to Wes,. He enjoys reading them and will soon be telling another story. Until later. Vickie
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Dunseith Alumni
Official Blog of the Dunseith, ND Alumni
