Can’t believe how much that silly Medina Base Valley High hillside corner floods back memories! After I arrived Basic Tng on my 24th b’day 24 Sept ’61,I awaited assignment to Jan 3 ’62 Officer Training School right at that entrance. Was made
“Casual assigned” Orderly Room Runner walking base AM delivering msgs and picking up in PM’s. One foine
mid-Dec day was MY name on a set of orders and assigned to OTS Jan 3! I’m a college grad Airman , one stripe and only BA degree without a commission in 5,000 enlistees!
My TI Staff Sgt Jesse Villareal
won bets on I’d outscore all the month’s
basics since 1 Oct ’61 I found later
over a beer but put “Dumb College GUY” to ever degrading positions til from 1st Sq leader to “Chow Runner”
who carried his clip board schedule and “Chow? what’s next?”
and’d trot along to show us where after lunch
like Bfast I’d be 1st in line by being REAL fast to Dining
Hall# 2 ( now BX Garden Shoppe for cow poop fertilizer) climbing outa barracks back winder to save 100′ distance 6:30 AM . Always no waste time so to march in 1st “By Left Flank!MARR!”

Meant hottest, freshest bad coffee, most non-solidified oatmeal and thinest Shit on Shingle
toast and burger grease “go heavy on the flour” starchy hard to wash out 100% cotton Peter Pan collar nonsense blouse every day uniform AFTER Silly Sage Green fatigues, Basics . But made a happy Jesse V TI,lived at home about 3 mile away in ’60 Jeep pick up
where he grew up far W side Barrio. All considere was ME worked Him N’ never caught on! 8