1957, Thomas Turman, chased by draft board in Colorado, escapes college to Hollywood where he eventually has a talk about options with his smug uncle. In the end, the only choice is to go into the service and get it over with. (the choice the uncle made during WW II). Tom. goes down for the induction after a wild party and is taken despite two swollen and bruised ankles; gets high scores on IQ tests aiming him toward school of his choice (according to recruiter…HA!)
In Boot Camp, San Diego; to try to avoid the nasty bits of military training, Tom notices either a baseball or a basketball on watch chain of Chief drill instructor and exaggerates his skill in both sports. He is immediately taken for a tryout in front of base coach, a Lt. Commander who “played at the Academy”, dressed in the poorly fitting fatigues and boots just issued him. He and another kid from Kansas are selected for the team and returned to the barracks with the others to go through a bizarre 90 days of military indoctrination.
DRILL INSTRUCTOR SCREAMING AND SHOUTING; SHAVE OFF ALL YOUR HAIR; GO TO CLASS; GET REMOVED FROM BARRACKS TO TRAVEL FOR 5 DAYS PLAYING BASEBALL LIVING IN HOTELS; RETURN TO SAN DIEGO HELL©WEEK…BACK AND FORTH.
Tom and Kansan score perfect scores on rifle range; Marines running the range request a service transfer to Marine sniper company. Tom refuses Marines but gets drafted by the Army as he forgot to notify his draft board of his joining the Navy.
Tom’s mates are 8 Texans choosing Navy over jail sentences; bedwetters and AWOLs. He’s investigated after arguing with 3rd Class Bosuns Mate civics instructor about communism…but winning the district baseball tournament…graduating and selecting Seabees over all the Bosuns Mate’s school suggestions.
PORT HUENEME, CA.: Survey/heavy Equip Schools and more baseball; competing for top spot in school to get choice of next duty station (another recruiter myth); places second to Dartmouth grad and gets sent not East but slightly West to Fallon Nev.!!!
FALLON, NEV.: Surveying with old records for runaway extension dealing with neighboring farmers; running the cherry picker to pick up planes that have crashed as well as cars; after turning 21, driving the crazies to Reno for a four-day gambling bender and checking the whorehouses for trouble maker sailors.
MCB-6 in DAVISVILLE, R.I.-more school in preparation for const. projects in Spain; first trip to N.Y. and dealings in subway, girls who work for Time Mag.; more baseball and broken knee with hospital stay, stealing the hospitalized vets for furnace room card games. Projects in BERMUDA and running the brig for the Marines; and then projects in Argentia, Newfoundland and flying the DEW line. Back to Bermuda and all the Spring Break college girls being sent to the island to get away from the rabble in Ft. Lauderdale…Ha!… more underwater surveying and the use of a submarine to save time; SWAN ISLAND Black Op and the big secret; coming back to Bermuda with Iguanas; going home on flat-bottomed LST taking longer than Columbus stopping in Cape Hetaeras for broken tanker; loosing steamroller and two V.W.s belonging to Ensigns and smashing Chevy pickup to 3 ft. wide in hold. Breaking up Billy R’. s arranged marriage at a dinner in Boston brahmin’s house.
