During rifle range training, laying in the cold puddles (February in Mo.) one night I went to bed with chills and fever and the next morning I skipped the 6 AM formation, staying in bed. The captain showed up in my doorway to make sure I would go on sick call. It turned out that I had developed an "upper respiratory infection" which put me in the hospital for two weeks.

After basic training I expected to receive orders to report for "Advanced Infantry Training" which was the last step before Viet Nam.  The Army, recognizing my complete lack of military skills and high level of cowardice assigned me to duty at Fort Eustis, Va. with the Signal Corps.

Fort Eustis was the base where training was done on the repair of all military vehicles from jeeps to tanks and aircraft. My job was to aid in the production and broadcast (closed circuit) of training videos.