At about the same time I was at Fort Ord for basic training. One week at the reception center and then sent up the hill to basic. The first day was breakfast, ten pushups, the filling of a dental chart and an eye chart checkup. The gentleman counting teeth was having a problem until I pointed out that I had no bicuspids. I was bad enough on the eye chart that they sent me to the hospital to see a "real" doctor.

So I am sitting there with the doctor looking at my eyes through a keratometer when some guy enters behind me and says, "Hey I hear you're short." The doctor replied, "Eleven days, four hours, 34 minutes, 12 seconds." I started laughing and said, "Sounds like you will be happy to get out of this man's army." "Yup. But you are as 4F as the day is long and will be out of here before I am."

Well of course his estimate of army efficiency was off by a bit. It took six weeks. But I was on my father's annual pass. I was in my twenties but the SP had never issued new passes as they were expecting Amtrak to come down the road at any time.

Only spent one weekend on the base. Walk out the front gate. Cross the road to the post with the sign "Ord" on it, congratulate the two others who knew about it and flag down the Del Monte. A nominal amount to upgrade to first class and a comfortable ride to The City.