Foxholes and Cognac

The D-Day landing on Omaha was chaotic. He hit the beach and immediately started digging a foxhole. Just as he was finishing, another GI jumped into it.  So, he started another hole and yet another GI jumped into that! He then moved forward and took cover behind an anti-tank barrier. A German artillery shell landed close by, he glanced back and the two holes he had dug were gone, along with the soldiers who had occupied them.

A few days later, they were approaching a French village they believed had been given up by the Germans. They suspected there was cognac stored in villager's basements and they wanted to get theirs before the officers did. So, they commandeered a couple of jeeps and went into town.  As they were preparing to leave, one of the teams came out of a basement and saw a line of Germans standing at attention. They wanted to surrender but the NCO's did not want to escort them back to American lines because they didn't want their cache of cognac discovered. So, they loaded up the German's weapons, told them to walk 20 miles "that way" and headed back to camp with the German weapons and some mighty fine French cognac.

And that's the way it was for then Army Private Zaragoza Munguia.

Experiences of Alonzo Munguia's father - Zaragoza Munguia. He would remain in the Army and retire as Sergeant First Class.

What Goes Around

The ROTC grad and future MSC began his Air Force career in 1964 trained as a transportation officer.  His first assignment; Hahn Air Force Base Germany.  For his first duty he was incorrectly assigned as an Aerospace Ground Equipment Officer.  The shavetail lieutenant figured his job was to step up no matter the assignment so he did just that.

One night, a shakedown inspection was scheduled in the enlisted dormitory and the shavetail was surprisingly selected to be part of the team.  It had rained a few days before and in his haste to get to the enlisted dorm the Lieutenant had left his rank on his raincoat. He arrived for the inspection without any rank on his blue jacket.  The accompanying first sergeant reassured him that he would cover for him, they were assigned a floor to inspect and they proceeded.  

Sometime prior to that night, the lieutenant's mother had given him a magazine subscription as part of his college graduation present.  The lieutenant hadn't given it much thought but on the night of the inspection it abruptly came to mind.  In one of the rooms, he looked down on a stack of magazines and saw that they were addressed to him. It turned out the airman, a staff sergeant, was a postal clerk and was regularly stealing magazines addressed to others.  The team wrote up their findings in their report to the commander.  The sergeant was busted two ranks with one suspended and ended up an airman first class.

Colonel Collins E. "Hugh Smith
USAF, MSC (Ret)
Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, 1965

Six years later, the lieutenant had successfully completed a line transfer to the Medical Service Corps and was a Captain.  He was assigned to Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam and as part of his in processing went to the Post Office to sign in.  There, he encountered the very same airman who he had busted years earlier.  The airman had made staff sergeant again and remained a postal administrative specialist.  There was a moment of mutual recognition and the Captain wryly stated; "Well, I guess I can kiss all my mail goodbye."  In response, the clerk said;  "No sir.  You are going to get the best postal service possible.  The clerk, in fact delivered on his promise as he upgraded all the Captain's outgoing mail to first class throughout their overlapping tours.

One night while returning to his room from the hospital, the MSC stopped by the post office to check his mail box in one of a series of small alcoves there.  As he opened his box, he heard something behind him.  He turned to see two Army soldiers staring at him.  One of them said; "Ain't never fragged an Air Force guy...got one now."  The other pulled a knife and said; "My turn." The other said; "Are you going to do it or not?" The one with the knife said; "I'm doing it now." The Captain was cornered in the alcove without an obvious escape route.  Just then, a nearby interior half-door opened, someone reached out to pull the officer inside the post office, slammed the door in their faces and the soldiers ran.  It was the very same sergeant...the one giving him first class postal service had topped it off by saving his life.

What goes around does indeed often come around...but not always in a way we might expect. Sometimes it becomes a notable, profound memory in a retired Air Force Medical Service Corps Colonel's career.