In June 1950, I joined the USAF and was sent to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
One day while learning to march, we passed the PX and I observed a pretty girl walking on the sidewalk. Our Cpl. halted the flight and left us standing in the hot street while he went into the PX. We thought he was going for cigarettes, but he came out with an empty box and plunked it down on my head. He said, “If you can’t keep your eyes front as ordered, the box would do the job for you.” I wore the box all the rest of the day and learned that cpls. have eyes in the back of their heads just like schoolteachers and mothers.
Our basic training was cut short because of the Korean War. We were told to count off by twos at the air base. Ones went to cook and baker school, and twos went to Lowry for gunners school. The Air Force will never know how lucky they were, as my number was a two!