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Captains Pets:

I spent my basic training at Fort Hood, Texas and from there sent to Germany for the remainder of my tour in the U.S. Army. I was assigned to the 24th Engineer Battalion in Furth Germany. After arriving there with three other privates I was relocated to an ordnance outfit. Being classified as Engineer mechanics, we were introduced to the Company Commander, Captain Spry. The four of us were shown to our quarters and told that wake up call would be at five am and chow at six. We were to fall out with the other Ordinance personal and be marched to the mess hall. After we ate, we were to come back to the barracks, clean our rooms and dress in fatigues for the day.

The first few mornings went as scheduled, we became familiar with the post, where everything was located, from the PX (Post Exchange) to the Motor Pool. Our days were mostly spent at the Motor Pool repairing small equipment, when there was any to repair. Mostly we laid back all day. The Captain took a liking to us, because Mac was an expert rifleman and won several trophies for the company. One time we repaired an item for the Captain. He commented "Isn't there anything you Engineers can't do." We were in good with him, so we started taking advantage of our good fortune.

We stopped falling out to be marched to the mess hall. We cleaned our room and then moseyed on over there. We made our way to the Motor Pool without being marched there also. This went on for over a week before one of the Sergeants who marched the troupes to the mess hall became aware of us not being in formation. He met us at the mess hall door and said that since we couldn't march down with the others, then we could go without breakfast. We didn't argue with him, we went straight to Captain Spry. He calmly told us to follow him as he briskly walked to the mess hall. As we entered, the Captain said loud and clear to the mess cook, "Feed these men." Then he began screaming at the top of his lungs "Sergeant Bellaway," he continued yelling his name as he went to the back of the mess hall where the officers mess was located.

We could hear chairs sliding and men jumping to attention as Captain Spry entered the room. I have never heard a man get chewed out as bad as Sergeant Bellaway did. He was told that no man in the U.S. Army is ever refused three meals a day. I can't remember all that was yelled, but it went on for a solid three minutes. I was beginning to feel sorry for the Sergeant. When the Captain had finished his reprimand

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