Winter in Minnesota is in black and white. Most days are cloudy, the trees are leafless, the ground is white from the snow, as are the Germans and Swedes- the predominant population in Minnesota. There are more blondes in this state than there are automobiles!
Memories from my childhood are in black and white. That's how everything looked. Trees were black, the snow was white. In the 1940s an 50s, all farm houses were white. Holstein cows are black and white. Most cars were black.
Going into the Marines in 1963, I was sent to San Diego for boot camp. I was amazed by how bright and colorful everything had become. The people I would come in contact with all sounded strange. It was at this time I learned to read “accents” by listening. As Marines came from every state, and most free countries, I already knew the Minnesota/Wisconsin Swede dialect, “yah fer sure”. Then there is the “New Yalk”, the Southern “Yoall”, the New Orleans Cajun, Texans have their own, ya gotta know one.
Anyhoo, the point being, after learning to understand and imitate these accents, I would find it useful in Vietnam. Every combat unit carried a communication radio. It was used to call in “Sit Reps”- situation reports. It was a lifeline that was used to call for help, artillery, flares, med evacs, if you had wounded. Most nights we would be out on a road ambush or Bridge Guard. We were hooked to our unit by these radios which, were called prc 10.
Prick 10s had been around since the 50s. They were tube radios, old and unreliable. By 1967 they were being replaced by Prick 25s, transistorized, lighter, and reliable. Ambushes required no verbal communication. Two clicks from the “mic” meant your “Shit was tight”, everything A OK. Other times when it wasn't necessary to maintain silence, calling in a “sit rep” was an undertaking to say the least. Usually the Marine Commo people would leave a “snuffie” in the “comm shack”. While it was still light. They usually went to chow, or whatever they had to do.
Every radio operator must first learn the Comm lingo, like what's called Military phonetics. A-alpha -Z-Zebra10-4s and all that. Also being able to read a map on both ends in order to tell that artillery battery what your co-ordinance is, where on the grid square you are located. As the saying goes, “The most dangerous person, is a 2nd Lt with a map.”
Anyhoo, back to the “Snuffie” the Comm people left manning the radio. Most likely he sounds like Forrest Gump and has never paid attention to radio procedure. Whenever a “Gump” was on radio watch, I would enunciate to him,”Go git yorn Gunny”. He usually understood. When the Gunny came up, I would tell him in no uncertain terms, that I was out here guarding his in the rear ass, and he better put someone online who understood Radio Procedure, because I was the only thing between him and certain death. Then I would announce he was speaking to “Capt. America”. That was usually all it took, until this “Gunny” one-upped me and announced he was Major Domo. If you're a reader, you know who “Major Domo” is.
Anyhoo, the movie I was in is out now. Older Than America. I'm thinkin of learnin' my language.
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