James C Earle's 19 Memorable 79th Moments

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Jim Earle's
19 Memorable Moments at Grafenwoehr in 1973

BRUCE

YOU DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE WEB SITE. HOWEVER, YOU MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS:

1. YOU DROVE THE 3/4 TON TRUCK OVER THE CLIFF AFTER NARROWLY MISSING THE OLD MAN AND DESTROYING HIS APPLE CART. I ONLY HAD 21 DAYS LEFT IN THE ARMY AND YOU ALMOST KILLED MARK AND I ;

2. YOU SHOWED UP THE FIRST DAY IN THE 79TH WITH LUMPS ON YOUR HEAD FROM THE INCIDENT WITH THE GERMAN POLICE THE NIGHT BEFORE. (I RECALL SOMETHING ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS MOVING VW'S INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET);

3. TOMPKINS LOST THE TIRE WITH MARK AND I AND I SMASHED HIS HEAD AGAINST THE DOOR OF MY BUS. MARK WANTED ME TO HIT HIM, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MORE HUMANITARIAN TO SMASH HIS HEAD AGAINST THE DOOR ;

4. TOMPKINS DROVE THE CAPTAIN'S JEEP, WITH THE CAPTAIN IN THE JEEP, OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A DITCH. THE CAPTAIN THEN DROVE HIM TO A HOSPITAL WHERE THEY CONCLUDED THAT TOMPKINS HAD TO BE ON DRUGS. WE KNEW THAT WAS NOT TRUE, HE WAS JUST AN IDIOT;

5. MARK AND I RESCUED TOMPKINS WHEN HE LET A 2 1/2 TON TRUCK,WHICH HE HAD BEEN DRIVING, ROLL ON HIS FOOT AND THE FRONT TIRE WAS RESTING ON HIS FOOT ;

6. YOUR INCIDENT WITH THE KNIFE ROBBERY HAPPENED IN THE GRAF DISCO AND WE WENT OUT TO GET THE MACHETES IN THE VAN TO EVEN THE SCORE, BUT THOSE GUYS WERE GONE WHEN WE GOT BACK ;

7. WERE YOU THERE IN GRAF WHEN WE DESTROYED THE OFFICE FURNITURE AND BLAMED IT ON THE MEDICS, NORD AND KERRY? AS I RECALL, WE HAD A MOPED AND TRIED TO DRIVE IT THRU THE DOORWAYS, BUT OUR COORDINATION WAS IMPAIRED BY WINE AND MANDRIX. THAT LED TO THE OFFICERS BARRING ALL OF US FROM THE OFFICE. HOWEVER, SHELLY WAS TOO SMART FOR THEM AND HE MADE THE WALL PARTITION FLEXIBLE SO WE COULD GET INTO THE OFFICE TO USE THE PHONE ;

8. REMEBER THE HUGE BONFIRE THAT YOU AND MARK SET AND THE MP'S CAME AND WATCHED IT BURN?

9. THEN THERE WAS MY CLASSIC MOVE OF ATTEMPTING TO GET JUSTICE FOR THE AMERICAN INDIAN FROM SGT. LAIDLAW'S PLATOON BY GOING INTO A BARRACKS OF BLACK GUYS, WITH LAIDLAW, WHILE DRUNK, TO DEMAND THAT THEY PRODUCE THE BLACK GUY, I THINK HIS NAME WAS BAILEY. I RECEIVED A BLACK EYE, BROKEN MOLAR AND LOST MY FRONT TOOTH CAP FOR MY EFFORT. WHY DIDN'T MARK GO WITH ME ON THAT MOVE? MAYBE HE WASN'T AS DRUNK AS ME ;

10. ANOTHER CLASSIC ON THE TOMPKINS' SAGA WAS THE TIME HE GOT LOST IN THE WOODS AND HE WAS NOT MORE THAT 30 YARDS AWAY FROM US. THAT WAS THE TIME WE USED THE CIGARS TO WARD OFF THOSE DAMN HORSE FLYS ;

11. SHELLY WAS A CLASSIC. THEY GAVE HIM TO US BECAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS GETTING DRUNK ON THE KARLSRUHE BASE AND HE WAS TOO LOUD AND HE BELIEVED HE KNEW EVERYTHING. SGT REWIS SENT HIM WITH US TO GET HIM OFF THE BASE ;

12. WERE YOU WITH US THE NITE WE TOOK THE WEST POINTER OUT INTO THE WOODS TO GET STONED?

13. DO YOU REMEMBER SGT ASHBAUGH? HE LOOKED LIKE CAPT KANGEROO AND HE ALWAYS HELD US UP IN THE FORMATION UNTIL HE HAD HIS CLERK TYPE UP THE PISS TEST REQUESTS FOR OUR ROOM;

14. WERE YOU INVOLVED WITH THE CHRISTMAS TREE CAPER? WE WERE STOPPED BY THE GERMAN POLICE AFTER WE CUT DOWN SOME TREES IN GRAF FOR SGT REWIS AND THE HHC BARRACKS, BUT THE VAN WAS SO DIRTY, THEY COULD NOT SEE INSIDE ;

15. THEN THERE WERE THE TRIPS INTO FRANCE FOR THE WINE AND MEALS AND THE GERMAN SEARCHES ON THE WAY BACK;

16.IN AMSTERDAM WE HAD THE BAR EXPERINCE WHERE WE THOUGHT THEY WERE FEMALES AND THEY WERE GUYS, WE BEAT IT OUT OF THERE PRETTY DAMN QUICK; THE GOOD PART WAS THE FREE BIKES AND THE JAZZ CLUBS;

17. WERE YOU WITH US IN GRAF WHEN WE ALMOST GOT BLOWN UP BY THE ORDINANCE GUYS WHO SET CHARGES ON UNEXPLODED SHELLS AND DID NOT TELL US? I CAME WITHIN 50 FEET OF GETTING BLOWN UP;

18. ONE OF THE BEST STORIES (HAPPENED IN HOHENFELS) IS WHEN WE ALMOST ACCIDENTLY KILLED MARK WHILE TRYING TO TOW A 3/4 TON TRUCK WITH A SIX FOOT CHAIN ATTACHED TO A 290 BOBTAIL. THAT WAS CRAZY. I ELECTED TO RIDE ON THE TOP OF THE 290. BRUCE CORNISH FROM "B" COMPANY WAS THE DRIVER AND MARK ELECTED TO "DRIVE" THE 3/4 TON TRUCK. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE TRUCK WAS THROWN ALL OVER THE PLACE AND MARK WAS GETTING THROWN ALL OVER IN THE CAB. HE EVEN TRIED TO JUMP OUT BUT WAS THROWN BACK INTO THE TRUCK. IT WAS SNOWING, THE ROAD WAS GRAVEL AND MUD WAS FLYING AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO SEE AND THE 3/4 TON TRUCK KEPT HITTING THE BACK OF THE 290 BOBTAIL. MARK DID SURVIVE, AS YOU KNOW.

19. MARK HAD A SWORD FIGHT WITH KAUP. MARK HAD A MACHETE, KAUP HAD A BROOM STICK. KAUP WOUND UP WITH A HAND WOUND AND FAINTED AND HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL.

Perspective

I have often thought about the lessons we learned in Germany and all of our connections. Somehow, we survived some crazy experiences and can look back with fondness at the people we have touched and have been touched by.

Funny how it all seemed so long ago and so far away, but when the memories flood back, we are once again young and full of energy. That's how I remember that time full of unfocused energy for whatever presented itself.

Take care.

Jim

Left to Right: Rodney Nord, Mark Kogut, Jim Earle, Bruce Christman
HHC Barracks at Grafenwoehr, Spring 1973 The 79th Engineer Battalion Web Site