T.I.N.S (Sorry Jack)
I was at the Evac Hospital in Qui Nhon for my monthly Blood Pressure check (another story) and was walking across the tarmac to catch a plane back to Camp Radcliff, and I see this guy getting off the plane, walking toward the terminal. As we get closer, I recognize the guy, he's one of my old collage roomates from Michigan State. After exchanging all the usual greetings and back slapping, I ask him what's he doing here and why is he a Major. Turns out, he's the 4th Div Veterinarian, on his way to Saigon to see his boss. I tell him what I'm doing, and he says that the next time I get back to Radcliff from the field, give him a call. So the first time we're back in on stand down, I give him a call, turns out he's just down the road from our BN area and he says come over for dinner. I get over there and he's got this neat little fenced in compound, with seperate sleeping quarters for himself and the 4 guys that work for him, a SGT and 3 SP4s. They've got this club house with wet bar, kitchen,
TV, stereo, tables and chairs, just like a little neighborhood bar, all to themselves. Anyway, he says, you've got a choice for dinner, steak or lobster tails, with a fresh salad, baked potatos and vegatables. After I picked my jaw up from the floor, I asked him how they managed that. Well, it turns out, one of their other jobs besides taking care of all the dogs, was to inspect all the fresh and fresh frozen food that comes into Radcliff, including all the food for the General's mess. Of course, they would always find food that was unfit and would have to confiscate it. I had both steak and lobster that night and was back again the next night with 2 buddies.
They had a tough job, but I guess somebody had to do it.