Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina

February 1969 to May 1970 - I was drafted out of graduate school and sent to Fort Jackson for Basic Training. Afterward I was assigned there at SPD/Casual Company for a year before going to Vietnam.

23 Bay Street, Cambridge, Safa al Hakim and I lived here before I was drafted. Beautiful Fort Jackson, on the outskirts of Columbia, South Carolina. Richard Wysk from Chicopee, Massachusetts was in my basic training company. Moby Dick, the great white whale, parked outside my barracks at SPD. The "Gator Run" brought us AWOL soldiers for "Special Processing" every Thursday Fred Finch in the supply room where I first worked until... Rodney Latta gave me his great job as mail clerk when he was about to leave. Gerald Toner, Dan Marrs & Ed Rowley outside the supply room. Tim Neely, Harvard Law graduate, typed bad conduct discharges for our troops. The Wetzels at Tim & Kiki's apartment, an escape from our barracks. Ken Nelson in the barracks. Henry Sanchez from Texas. Henry Sanchez Tom Turner taught us to make pots in the base craft shop. Moby made it to the top of Clingman's Dome in Tennessee. Tom George & Ken Nelson at Clingman's Dome, October 1969. Tom George at Clingmans Dome. Tom George & Ken Nelson in the Tennessee mountains. Jerry Toner in Charleston, SC on another trip.