Ch. 2 (1983-1984)
Dealing with loss, poorly, very poorly
Several weeks had passed since Randy learned of Carol's passing. He spent his off-duty time drinking. He was managing to keep his drinking from interfering with his duties but his supervisors were more than aware and more than a little concerned. In addition, he was isolating himself more and more. The few friendships he'd started in the unit were withering. The huge amount of sympathy he'd been receiving was slowly changing to pity as they watched him self-destruct. In addition, his presence was a constant reminder that most of the unit felt the company commander had badly mishandled things when Randy was notified of Carol's death. Randy had become something of an embarrassment to command.
During this time Randy started having very vivid dreams. In those dreams, he saw Carol walking up a slight grade along a two-rut road along country meadows and forests. She was wearing a spring print sundress and carrying a floppy white straw hat. Her back was always to him and no matter how hard he tried to catch her he never shortened the distance between them. If he called she would turn and wave at him as if to say "hurry up" but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get closer. The dreams didn't stop until after he had arrived at the field station.
The 332nd MI BN was tasked with providing additional personnel for the NSA field station at Camp Humphreys. Camp Humphreys is now the location if I Corp HQ. At that time it consisted of the field station and several more support battalions for the 2nd ID. The field station was physically separated from the rest of the post by the airstrip and its own perimeter fence. The decision was made to send Randy to the field station. This solved a number of issues for command.
Randy didn't have much, less than two duffle bags of possessions and he was gone like he'd never been there. His arrival introduced him to 1SG Pashton. 1SG Pashton had just come from an AIT bn as a first sergeant. He treated the troops under him like they were trainees. Anyone under the rank of SSG E-6 was required to have off post passes with them. No passes, no leaving post under any circumstances. A lot of what he did with troops would have been normal in most active duty units. The field stations were a bit different. The personnel assigned there worked a rotating 12-hour shift, 4 shifts of 0700-1900, 2 days off, 4 shifts of 1900-0700, 2 days off rinse and repeat.
1SG Pashton had been pre-informed by the 332nd about what had occurred with Randy. He was less than sympathetic. He made certain that Randy was aware that he was less than sympathetic. Because he'd been told that Randy might be drinking a bit much he placed Randy on restricted access to off post. He didn't pull Randy's passes but he did require that Randy sign them out from the Charge of Quarters (CQ) each time he used them, that the time was noted in the log and that they had to be returned within 12 hours. This went on until the week before Christmas.
That week was eventful in the unit. Company duties and requirements and the attrition due to troops finishing their year-long yours in the country had come to loggerheads. Not enough bodies to do it all. Because it was observed that the company commander's three times daily, mandatory formations were consistently running long and causing issues with shift changes in the field station, the company commander was told there wouldn't be any more formations. In addition, a number of the company only policies, like off post passes, extra barrack's inspections and general army chicken shit were scrutinized, criticized and ended that week. Add to that a barracks wide remodel was started. What had been 2 man rooms were now 4 man rooms. All NCO's E-6 and above were required to find off post housing. The local Korean construction crew spent a week doing demolitions. They got to the point where there was no running water or heat in the building. That's when the contractor pulled his crews off the job and wanted to renegotiate the contract.
The first thing Randy did with his off post passes was go to the Post Exchange at I Corp HQ and put money down on Harley Davidson Sportster through the military purchase program. Pay for the bike while he was in country and pick it up once he got home. The dealership that would have his bike was in St. Cloud Minnesota. About 140 miles from home. His uncle Jim had done the same thing when he went to Vietnam in 67.
So now it's January, daytime high temps in the low twenties, nighttime lows often below zero, no heat, no running water. What was commands response? They issued one additional blanket and made arrangements for the troops to use the next door barracks sanitary facilities and showers. Of course for the benefit of using those facilities the people in Randy's unit got to clean them twice a week.
Long and short of it for Randy was that he was finally allowed off post access like nearly every other soldier stationed at Camp Humphreys. Randy wasn't impressed much by the bars and clubs outside the gate. His best friend in the unit was a character named Brent Anthony Timmins, B.A. to his friends. Not only did that match his initials it matched his attitude as well. B.A. Was dark chocolate in complexion to Randy's paper whiteness, short to Randy's tall, chubby to Randy's slim. A Mutt N Jeff friendship.
The second week of January saw the monthly alert. Everybody grabbed their weapons and gear and headed out to be placed in various fighting positions around the perimeter. Randy was in the ville when the siren went off. He was about half drunk at the time. Pretty much since getting his off-post access back, Randy spent his free time drinking. Randy returned to post, got his gear and went to the arms room. When he got there he was told to report to the first sergeant because he was "late". Randy found top Pashton and reported for duty. Top asked him why he was late. Randy replied, "I'm on my days off from the field station and I was in the ville first sergeant."
"have you been drinking today specialist?"
"Yes first sergeant, I have been."
"Why did you come back on post?
"It's an alert first sergeant. The company commander just put out during commander's time that we needed to get back here as soon as possible if there was an alert,"
"Fair enough specialist. I want you to man the position between the station and the antenna field by the maintenance shed."
"Understood first sergeant."
Randy made his way to the position. It was just above zero degrees with a twenty mile per hour wind blowing straight out of Siberia. Windchill's minus twenty or colder. When he got to the position he found it filled with ice. Zero cover from the wind. Randy moved some pallets and barrels and covered them with a partially iced up tarp. About this time another troop from the unit joined him. Tyrone was from Alabama, had twice the clothes on that Randy did and was shivering from cold in ten minutes. After twenty minutes, portions of his face and ears started taking on the paraffin wax appearance of frostnip if not frostbite. Randy noted this and told Tyrone to report back to the barracks because he was getting cold weather injuries.
Tyrone left and Randy waited for the alert to end or a relief to come get him out of the cold. Nearly three hours later the unit supply NCO came looking for him. "Specialist McCabe, are you there?"
"Yes sergeant Hill, I'm here."
"Why are you still here? The alert ended two hours ago. Everyone thinks you went over the fence with your weapon. You need to get back to the barracks right now!"
