in 1970 I was stationed at Fort Greely Alaska. Had a sweetheart of a job creating and operating a self service supply store. One of my duties was a weekly trip to Fairbanks with a 5 ton.
Scene 2
Developed a severe pain in my hands. Could have been arthritis or frostbite. Pain was worse during the cold season.
Doctor could not find any evidence of injury but recommended I return to warmer weather in the lower 48.
For the price of some army winter gear, including bear paws he'd sign a medevac for psychosomatic pain
Scene 3
Flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage was military standby. In Anchorage I had to spend a few days waiting for a flight to Seattle. As I ran out of pain medicine I visited an airforce doctor who gave me some really potent pills. One pill and I was fried. Flight to Seattle was a seat on a medevac flight from Vietnam. Rows and rows of bunk beds with casualties.
We were airborne no more than 5 minutes when the external left engine exploded with a flame trailing the airplane. From the cabin comes the co pilot with a fire extinguisher. I just wondered what was the purpose of the extinguisher inside the cabin. Apparently the pilot had cut fuel to the engine and the flame died out.
Minutes of calm until a second explosion, this time on the right side. The co pilot came from the cabin this time without an extinguisher, just to look out the window and confirm that the flame was out.
At the moment of the second explosion I thought "what the heck," I swallowed five very potent pain pills. Best happy hour ever.
The aircraft circled over the ocean to dump a full load of fuel. A collective sigh at the moment the airplane began taxiing to the terminal. Due to intoxication from pain pills I required assistance leaving the aircraft.
Scene 4
Because my medical condition had been listed as psychosomatic pain I was housed in the mental ward at Madigan hospital, just outside Tacoma. I could sign in and out throughout the day. The shrink knew my condition was not mental and my pains weren't as bad in the warmer than freezing weather.
Scene 5
I was sick and tired of live in the shrink ward. Went AWOL. Took a bus to San Francisco, booked into the 'Y," stayed a week till the party money ran dry.
Returned to Madigan and reported myself return from AWOL status.
Funny thing is they had no paperwork and asked me how long I was gone. I was committed to declaring 'one day.'
I was summoned to the commanding officer. A photographer was present as I was awarded an Army commendation medal for my job in Alaska.
The room was then cleared of witnesses and I was read the Article 15 punishment
I was demoted from Sp5 to Sp4, restricted to hospital grounds for 30 days.
The hospital had a movie theater, a snack bar, a commissary. I was assigned as supply sergeant of the holding company
Scene 6
My hand pains had lessened, but still fired up on rainy and cold days. The shrink prescribed valium. I got what seemed to be a month's supply.
I must have forgotten taking that first pill. My then girlfriend, later wife, sent the military police on a search. They found me passed out kneeling in front of the altar at the chapel. I had placed the empty pill bottle on the altar. The cops stopped at my locker to search for any other drugs. I was out cold when my stomach was pumped.
Scene 7
I woke in the recovery room with this intense headache. I noticed my jacket on the nightstand. I remember I had aspirin. Other patients in the room saw me taking the pill and streamed 'he's doing it again.'
A medic rushed in and jumped on top of me. Trying to make him stop, I choked him with both hands.
Days later I tried to apologize. Nothing doing. I almost killed him. Other patients had to come to his rescue.
The shrink then asked what sort of assignment I would prefer. I became an instructor at the US army quartermaster school.
Scene 8
Almost two years later, married, I came home intoxicated. Expecting a massive hangover the next morning I put a glass of water on the nightstand and a partial bottle of aspirin in the top drawer. I passed out
I awaken sometime during the night I see the bedroom ceiling, then the living room, then the night sky, then the inside of an ambulance. I'm strapped in. I had to spend six hours in the hospital for observation. That's the minimum required time when a suspected drug overdose is reported. Want to guess where I met my wife ? She was an army nurse.
I asked my first sergeant for a day off because of extenuating circumstances
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