Some 35 years ago, I was privileged to be a part of the First Cavalry Division Horse Platoon at Fort Hood Texas. While there I often met men who had been cavalrymen before the horses were replaced with mechanized weaponry. Nearly every one of these men expressed their love of horses, and sadness at their falling out of use. I did meet one who claimed the opposite.
We were doing a demonstration at a local rodeo in Texas. This fellow walks up to where we were tending to our horses afterwards. He told us that he had been in the cavalry at Fort Bliss Texas. We asked him what it was like back then, and he said he hated it. He was glad they had gotten rid of the dirty, stinky smelly, cantankerous beasts. He told us that his family farm was not far from Fort Bliss, and he requested leave to visit his family. The leave was denied, so he went AWOL (absent without leave) and went home anyway. When he came back, they threw him in the stockade (small military jail). He was told that his commanders understood his homesickness, and ordinarily would have given him a light sentence. Instead, they threw the book at him because he had stolen a horse to make the ride to the farm.
I never did ask him why a fellow who hated horses was at a rodeo and took the time to seek us out behind the arena.
I'd love to hear other folks stories of meeting old timers.
We were doing a demonstration at a local rodeo in Texas. This fellow walks up to where we were tending to our horses afterwards. He told us that he had been in the cavalry at Fort Bliss Texas. We asked him what it was like back then, and he said he hated it. He was glad they had gotten rid of the dirty, stinky smelly, cantankerous beasts. He told us that his family farm was not far from Fort Bliss, and he requested leave to visit his family. The leave was denied, so he went AWOL (absent without leave) and went home anyway. When he came back, they threw him in the stockade (small military jail). He was told that his commanders understood his homesickness, and ordinarily would have given him a light sentence. Instead, they threw the book at him because he had stolen a horse to make the ride to the farm.
I never did ask him why a fellow who hated horses was at a rodeo and took the time to seek us out behind the arena.
I'd love to hear other folks stories of meeting old timers.