165 Days Short

INTRODUCTION

165 Days Short is the Diary of SP4 Bob Gersztyn during the last six months of his two years of active duty in the army, when he was stationed at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, after being drafted in August 1966. He spent his first year in the 593rd Engineering Company as both a carpenter and company armorer (small arms weapons specialist). After he was transferred to headquarters platoon of the 9th Field Artillery and Missile Group he also became a mail clerk along with the other two MOS’s (military occupational specialty). Prior to his conscription Gersztyn was a greaser from the Detroit, Michigan suburb of Warren, working in the automobile industry. After spending a year with beer brawling construction workers, he found himself in a new unit filled with West Coast hippies and intellectual types, who were personnel clerks. They turned him on to pot and he tuned in to a new wavelength and ultimately decided to drop out of the existing status quo mentality of conformity that his life had been up till then. The following diary is the documentation of that transformation.

MARCH

Saturday, 2 March, 1968, 165 days.

We had a wall locker inspection this morning, as usual. Top didn’t give me too much trouble today, and Barry got his stripes back. I have day-room orderly this afternoon, but have only been in the day-room for an hour so far. I finally blew the fire hose nozzle.

Tonight Duran is taking my duty so I can go out with Mule’. I also got Shame On Me & Love Is Blue. The guys, The Monk, Wise, Walker and Powell, are flipping out on I Am The Walrus. Mule’ and I ate at Fong Village, then we went to the Ritz and afterwards had a couple of beers, before we came back.

Sunday, 3 March, 1968, 164 days.

Got up at 12:30 PM. Went to 1:00 PM Mass with Mule’, after which he drove me to the gym. Finished my workout and came back at 5:30 PM. Later we went out to eat then went to the show on base to see P.J.. Came back and went to bed by 9:30 PM.

Monday, 4 March, 1968, 163 days.

Woke up at 5:30 AM missed breakfast because of the 3/38 th’s IG. I worked on the hall detail this morning with Gary Thomas. The mail came in late as usual and the only thing Top complained about today were the holes in my fatigue pockets. I’m waiting for the afternoon mail and it is late again. I deposited $20.00 in the bank and had .16 cents interest coming.

For some reason I feel very happy today. I suppose it’s because I know I’m getting short. I have Standby Driver Duty tonight, but I went to the NCO club afterwork with Mule’ and Whitey for happy hour anyway. Lane took my duty for that short while.

Tonight the Monk, with 19 days left cut his hair to about 1/2 inch length, but knowing him there’s some sort of rebellious meaning behind it. It’s 9:50 PM and I lit my last cigarette, and am going to bed.

Tuesday, March 5, 1968, 162 days.

Woke up at 5:40 AM didn’t go to Reville because I had SD. Missed breakfast again. This morning Top told me that the new guy, Parella was going to sign for all the R&U equipment. I was happy to hear it, but now I smell a rat. I am positive that I will be transferred as soon as someone passes the mail test and can take my place. My reaction to this is that I feel sick to my stomach about starting over in a new unit. Especially if it’s a fucked up strack line unit, with duty every other day. I’m trying to figure out how I can get transferred off this whole fucking post. The new gym was officially opened today, but won’t be open to the public for another week. That means another week of bus rides on Ft. Sill’s undependable bus lines.

I worked out tonight, but was down on my lifts about 10 lbs. Each. This is probably due to my diet which eliminates all carbohydrates. I’ve gone down 5 lbs in the last week. I want to be able to make the 148 lb. Class for the May powerlifting meet, and am starting early. I weighed 155 lbs when I started.

The word out today is that there will be an extension. The word will be out by Sunday, whether or not (so they say). I’m going out with Mule’ for something to eat and a couple of beers. Got in about midnight. Nothing happening so I went to bed.

Wednesday, March 6, 1968, 161 days

Got out of bed at 5:40 AM, missed breakfast again. Tomorrow we go back on a normal breakfast schedule, so I can start eating it. I laid back down until 7:00 AM and not too many people fucked with me. More than likely I will be transferred. So I applied for a secondary MOS of 76K30 (Small Arms Weapons Repairman, AKA Armorer). Since I worked in the MOS for 8 months and went to school for it, I feel it would help me out if I should get transferred. Besides that it’s an easy job and is usually ED (exempt from duty).

I went to a career class this afternoon for army re-enlistment. Man what a joke. I found out that there are around 8 people getting transfered from HHB, and I'm one of them. I’m supposed to go to the 225th Maintainance Co. The most fucked up Gung Ho unit in 9th Gp. I talked to the BC about it and he said that he will try to get me sent back up to HHB on TDY. I sure hope so, because I couldn’t hack going to a new unit with only 160 days left, especially that fucked up place. I did a rare thing after I got off work. I ironed my fatigues. Probably because I’m shakey about getting transferred. After chow, Mule’, Whitey and I went to the NCO club for happy hour and I got happy.

The dayroom TV was broken so a few of us started to watch Brewers TV, that is until we got interested, then he came and walked off with it. The Monk took Newbold, Wise and me out to have a few drags off his pipe. After that Newbold and I went into the bay and studied Simpsons towel for an hour. We got some fantastic designs out of it. Went to bed about 11:00 PM.

Thursday, March 7, 1968, 160 days.

Got up about 5:30 AM. Made it to breakfast this morning after Reveille. So far I did some work today, for a change. LTC Alford chewed out 2 Lt Smith at the blockhouse. Nice to hear someone else get it for a change. I went to the gym to work out after work. Smoked the Monk’s pipe when I got back. Got the Monk pissed off, because I wouldn’t give him a $5.00 bill to get change for, so he could borrow .50. Went to bed at 10:00 PM and fell asleep almost immediately.

Friday, March 8, 1968, 159 days.

Got up at 5:40 AM and I’m dead tired. I worked with Gary Thomas in the latrine this morning. The one job & person I hate to work on and for the most. Wrote letters to Jerry and Dave, but missed the mail this morning so the letters didn’t get out. I really went gung ho. I put military creases in my fatigues and spit shined my boots. We had a 15 minute GI party since there were only 5 guys present for it. Duran, Walker and I went to the Gallery and met Whitey, Newbold and Daily there. We left when it closed at midnight. I got to bed about 12:30 AM.

Saturday, March 9, 1968, 158 days.

Got up this morning at 5:40 AM again and put on my dirty fatigues. Went to breakfast to find that they had SOS, but I got an egg anyway. I work in the latrines with Gary Thomas this morning again (Hell). Had police call and afterwards I put on my inspection uniform. I got a few laughs since nobody has ever seen me with strack fatigues and boots before.

Mule’ and I are going to Chickasaw for the weekend. Just hope that we stay out of trouble and get some nookie. We ended up going to Oklahoma City and staying at the Black Hotel. We drank a pint of bourbon that I had leftover from Dallas. Later we went out to eat some Mexican food, came back to the hotel and watched TV since we were to tired to do anything else. In a way I was sorry we didn’t go out, but I was too tired to worry about it.

Sunday, March 10, 1968, 157 days.

Woke up at 11:00 AM and watched Laurel and Hardy. Got dressed and checked out, took off, got something to eat and made it back to old Fort Sill. I took Mule’s car, had a short workout and went to church. The Mule and I went to the Rondevous for a few beers. Brewer and SGT Wright came in after us and the first thing Brewer said was, did I get any mail? Man these guys drive me nuts about their mail. I can see why mail clerks are always grouchy. Later the Thomas's came in and we had a few beers together. We left a little after 11:00 PM. I got to bed by about midnight.

Monday, March 11, 1968, 156 days.

Woke up about 5:45 AM and made it out for Reville on time. I screwed off all morning and wrote a couple of letters. I got a letter from home today. The weather is terrible. It’s snowing and raining. Now the snow is starting to take hold and stick to the ground. I may end up shoveling snow again tomorrow. Hot dogs for lunch today. Ugh!

I signed out of the battery, and into the 225th, and out again on TDY back to HHB, 9th FA Msl Gp. First Sergeant Love said that he wishes that I were signing out for good. I’m thanking God that I don’t have to stay in the 225th. From what I saw of it they’re nothing but a bunch of slobs. Their uniforms look like they’ve worn them for the last month, and that’s the orderly room personnel.

The snow has really piled up and its knee deep outside. Duran and I were going to go bowling, but our plans were changed when we couldn’t pull his car out of its space. I ended up volunteering to help Mule’ and Berry shovel LTC Alfred out of his garage tomorrow morning. I’ll have to get up at 5:00 AM, but at least I’ll get out of regular details in the morning. It’s 9:00 PM and I think I’ll go to bed now. The TV’s broken anyway. I wore my pajamas tonight and believe it or not most guys dig them.

Tuesday, March 12, 1968, 155 days.

I didn’t make it up to help get LTC Alford out. Not that they didn’t try to get me up. I got up at 5:40 AM as usual. By the way 5:00 AM is when you’re supposed to get up. Wise and I started shoveling snow at 6:30 AM and finished at 1:30 PM. Top has been harassing me all day. I’m in a pissed off FTA mood now and just got done sweeping the hallway. I guess I missed the mail this afternoon, because it’s 3:00 PM and I still haven’t got it, but I don’t give a shit. I’m dead tired but will still make it to the gym tonight, I hope. I answered the letter I got from home yesterday this afternoon. I made it to the gym and got a full workout done, and did pretty good. Herbert came up and we made it back on the 8:00 PM bus. I made it to bed at about 10:00 PM and was tired.

Wednesday, March 13, 1968, 154 days.

Got up