It didn’t take me too long to decide I didn’t particularly care for toting a rifle around all of the time. We had not been there very long before they asked for volunteers for the Color Guard. Those were the recruits out front of each group with flags, and some had sabers. Although I had already learned never to volunteer for anything, I took a chance on this as it had the advantage of not carrying a rifle which I turned back in to the armory.
Each morning when my Company went out on the drill field for marching practice, I fell out of ranks and proceeded to the drill hall instead.
Upon arrival there I, as well as dozens of others selected, took a saber from a wall rack. We were then taught the fundamentals of being a Color Guard. However, about the second day, I was behind on my laundry so instead of practicing I slid out through a side door and went back to our barracks and on to the laundry room. As I was not too fond of military drill I did the same day after day. Then I discovered they actually expected us to go out there in front of all those people and know what we were supposed to do. I had no idea what Color Guard did. One day as I was walking in the front door, another sailor near me fell down and split the crotch of his pants out. He was immediately thrown out of Color Guard. Light bulbs went off all over the place as I witnessed that. The next morning the same thing happened to me. I was thrown out of Color Guard also. When I told my Company Commander what had happened, he decided as I knew nothing about drilling with the Company I was just to remain in the barracks every morning during practice and catch up on my laundry. I remained in that status for the rest of boot camp.
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