Friday 17 October 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWJQ_WCOK8k





I went to NFM today. Then Tima and I went railfanning. I went to a new location in Shawnee on the BNSF line. Shawnee police were dispatched to my location to check me out. It was fine. I then went to downtown Merriam. Then I went to get Suyen at woik and we went to YJ's to have the chickenhoof dinner.
Created: 2008-10-17 21:13:05

My training consisted of trying on my new uniform, which didn't fit. It was a bit too big. It also had holes in it and places where it had been patched up. For rank, a soldier stuck a yellow sticker on the lapel with a chevron drawn on it. I was told to come back when my sticker fell off or got faded. The jacket had some funny tears in the back that had been sown, and besides the mothball smell, it had another funny smell which I couldn't make out. My bag was taken off the train and emptied in front of me. They took the little food my aunt had given me for the trip. Then they found my extra pair of sneakers. Bar soldier said, "good boy, you're gonna need this." Seeing my bag emptied out on the ground made my heart sink. I wanted to yell out, but dare not. I knew that these soldiers were not necessarily good guys and that I might get hurt, or worse. There were others from the train they rounded up -- all men, about my age. Bar soldier said, "they are giving us less and less." I noticed that I and one other were the only whites they took. The rest were black or hispanic looking. They got us all in a group and started making us walk. Other than the clothes I wore, I didn't feel like I was in the military. Aren't we supposed to march or something? We were forced to walk all the rest of the afternoon. The grey day started to turn to a chill fall evening. I thought, where's my jacket? They didn't issue me a jacket. One of the conscripts started mouthing off about his discomfort, only to be met with the butt of a rifle to his ribs. He was told to march or be shot.
Created: 2008-10-17 21:22:49