The man who taught me how to handle the M16A1...41 years later!

[imarangemaster]

The darndest thing happened to me this last week... I ran into my Drill Sgt. from basic training 41 years ago. He is the man that first introduced me to the AR platform, teaching me to use the M16A1.

As a Realtor, you are assigned "Floor Time" on the "Up Desk" in blocks of 4 hours, about every 3rd to 5th day. That means that you get all "walk in" clients looking for real estate to buy, etc. You also field any calls that are not directed to a specific agent, just random questions about parcels, etc. I am a new agent (just licensed 3 or 4 months), si I like floor time to build my client base. Last week (Monday, as it turns out, checking back) I was on the "Up Desk".

A woman about my age (I'm 63) walks in, looking for horse property in our county. She says they are moving here. I asked her if she had time to sit and give me some specifics, and she said not too much, as her disabled vet husband is in the truck, and not doing too well, as he is succumbing to his agent orange exposure. I had her fill out a client info sheet, so I could open them a client portal on the web, where I set up a specific search, and they get notifications of properties in their specification by email. She fills it out hands it to me, thanks me, and walks out the door.

I pick up the sheet and see "Geri and Joe Prater". I run outside to the truck, and there he is, an older DI Prater! I ask him, "Sir, you wouldn't be Drill Sgt. Prater, from Fort Ord, April 1974?"

He said, "I am!"

I responded "B63, All the Way, Drill Sgt!" I introduced myself to him again. He remembered me, because I was married, 22, and had a kid when I was in basic, and there were only two of us in the platoon that were older and married. One was Gig perez, 26 (who had been a Canadian pro Football player) who was his platoon guide, and myself, who was his assistant platoon guide. HE was only there one cycle, and then went back to Vietnam in Oct, 1974. I also had actually run into him in 1978 in Truckee, CA where I was a deputy, and he was a truck driver who stopped at the SO to ask road conditions.

Well, that is toooo weird! what are the odds that 41 years later, my drill sgt, who is not from the area (in fact when I joined the Army, I wasn't from Grass Valley area, either), would walk into my realty office and look for property on the one in 20 chance I was on duty at that time and day!

Anyway, I am looking for his perfect "Warrior's rest Ranch" as I call it. We are back in touch, and catching up on the last 41 years. I was saddened to hear that my other Drill sgt. SFC Gallagher, was Killed in about 1977 in a car accident.

Both these guys were tough as nails, harder than heck, but FAIR, and had nothing but the best interest of making us soldiers.

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[browningautorifle]

I know these things happen to us sometimes. Someone asked what was the longest it had been when I ran into a guy. At the time it was 22 years...I've since dwarfed that by the 40 year mark also. We had our regimental hundredth a year back and there were lots of guys like that. I just did a gunshow last weekend and had about four of my own recruits com past me... Side notes, you started basic two months after I did here in Canada. Long time ago wasn't it? Your DI went BACK to RVN in 1974...I was told no combat troops went after '72? I too had one of my Training NCOs killed in a car accident, but only a year after I finished... So many similarities...

[imarangemaster]

He was a helicopter crew chief that tour. Lots of support troops in RVN until the end in 1975. In 1974, at the MP school at Ft. Gordon GA, they were looking for newly minted MPs to volunteer to go to Vietnam. We were all enlistees by that time, most with duty station contracts signed at enlistment. Thus they wanted people to "volunteer" to go. I was married with one kid already. The wife said "H@LL NO!"

[browningautorifle]

All that makes sense. You'd have wound up at the embassy standing at the front gate that day.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

The odds ,astronomical. Unless you factor in fate. I believe there is a purpose behind these types of encounrers having had a few myself.
Great stories. Thanks for sharing.

[imarangemaster]

My wife Debbie and I just met up for an afternoon with Sgt. Joe and his wife, Geri. Reconnected after all these years. Not only did we discover they are our neighbors, they are now new friends...

Today



1974:





And me, as assistant Platoon Guide, tallying scores at the M16A1 range:

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Might want to check the geneology. You might be related. It might just be the glasses and the staches.

[CINDERS]

6 degrees of separation guys it keeps cropping up all the time..................