Jerry, thanks for the insight into Commissioned Officers' life. Michael, one of my commanding officers let me in on a little secret about savings bonds. We could "participate" in the bond program for as little as $6.25 a month, dividing the $18.75 fee for the $25.00 bond into three monthly contributions. On returning from a several day unauthorized leave, I was called to Captain Hamner's office for a consultation. He informed me that, after a period of days that I had exceeded, unauthorized leave turns to desertion. He further informed me that I was his sole holdout in the company savings bond program. I immediately asked him where I should sign. That is when he informed me of the minimum participation level of $6.25 a month.
Bill,
They never had to force me to sign up I signed up for $50 bond when I joined. As I made more money I saved more money. If you talk to a lot of other folks who were there at the same time you would get a different story. Many of them were "US" and away from their home, wives and children and not very happy about it.
I was a kid on my first big adventure and enjoyed my time there. Hindsight is always 20-20 and I did some dumb things, probably should not of told the battalion commander, when he was yelling at me, that I might see things his way if I set behind a desk all day
