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CS ATTACK ON THE O-CLUB |
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BY DON "DOC" REYNOLDS |
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CS Attack on the O-Club!!
I'll tell you a story about the building of the NCO club in Sherwood
Forest. It was either late 1967 or early 1968. (CRAFT) The NCO club
was
situated on the runway side of the dispensary on a newly poured concrete
slab, and the O-Club, which was already built by the time I arrived,
was
on the other side.
The club was built by volunteer labor from all ranks and grades, Pvt.
through RLO's. I have no idea who requisitioned the plywood that
lined
the interior walls of the club, and I can't swear to the veracity of this
information, (I heard that the individual responsible found a pallet or
two of 3/4" interior grade plywood, hooked it up and one of our
slicks
came by and flew away with it) but there was enough plywood to completely
cover the inside walls of the club.
I spent a few days torching the interior walls of that club and enjoyed
the hell out of it. There was a certain artistry to burning the wood
as
too little flame did not bring out the grain well and too much flame over-burned the wood so that the grain was obliterated by the scorching of
the wood. It didn't take long to get the hang of it and I put
in some
pleasant, self satisfying, hours burning the wood. I seem to recall
that
when the burning was done, they used verethane to seal it and it looked
damn fine. I was more than a little disappointed that after the opening, I
think there was a party, I never got to set foot in the damn place again.
Speaking of requisitioned merchandise, it seems to me that there was an
air conditioner that had been requisitioned by a group of people in the
company for the purpose of making the dispensary a more
comfortable place to do business. I don't have the specifics, but
the air
conditioner was appropriated to the use of the officers club, and there
were more than a few individuals who felt that they had been
treated poorly by said appropriation.
After some talk and conspiratorial collaboration among a number of
individuals, it was decided something needed to be done to send a strong
message that rank may have its privileges but the assertion of rank to
gain that particular privilege would not be without a cost attached.
Now, if I remember correctly, the individuals who participated in this
particular outrage, were thoroughly intoxicated on alcohol and medicinal
marijuana. There had been a meeting if the minds, if you will, in a
slick
out on the flight line, where the perpetrators had spent a goodly amount
of time scheming and conspiring, smoking and joking, prior to coming
up
with the agreed upon plan. It was determined that a couple of CS
grenades
placed in the intake of the air conditioner would have the desired effect
of getting the message across to the officers who had so blatantly pulled
rank in the appropriation of the air conditioner, that their act was unappreciated by at least a small group of individuals within the company.
The individuals involved swore one another to absolute secrecy, knowing
that if their involvement were ever identified, that their actions would
probably be looked down upon with some disdain if not with outright rage.
One young troop, who shall forever remain nameless, agreed to place the
grenades in the intake at an agreed upon time. The remainder of the
conspirators found places where they could watch the reaction of the
officers after the CS had infiltrated the O-club without being overly
conspicuous. At the agreed upon time, which was around 2000 hrs, it
having been determined that the individuals in the club would probably be
fairly intoxicated by then, the CS was released and the havoc commenced.
The O-club was rather crowded that evening, and the effect of the CS was
rather rapid in its effect on the personnel within the club. The CO
was
there along with the Flight Surgeon, whos office WAS the O-club.
You've never seen such a sight in your lives as 25 or 30 WO's & RLO's
came busting out the front doors of the club gagging, puking, crying,
spitting, and threatening absolute havoc on the perpetrators of this vile
act.
For about a week or so there was a serious investigation which attempted
to identify the individual(s) involved, with the threat that, if found,
they would probably be given a free ride to the overheated Conex's at the
Long Binh Jail. No perpetrators could be identified as they all
realized, in retrospect, that they might have overdone the revenge card,
and the price they would have to pay, if their identities were discovered, was greater than they had realized while planning the act.
After a few weeks went by, tempers cooled and the investigation was placed
on the back burner. Those involved, however, realized that if they
were ever identified, they would be going to LBJ, regardless of the amount
of time that had transpired between the act and their discovery, because
they had stirred up a hornets nest by their act of vengeance.
I am somewhat mystified that the perpetrators were never identified, given
the number of individuals involved in the conspiracy.
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