Under the heading regarding USO stories, I referred to a boat ride where I discussed interservice training differences with a fellow on the referenced same LST (Landing Ship, Tank - a small cargo and troop carrying ship in the US Navy used for making direct amphibious landings on beaches). Here is that story, as in most all my reflections of course true.

We were on our way to a beach landing in Operation Double Eagle I (one) in January, 1966, south of Quang Ngai in the province given the same name. A several day storm came up. The boat - ship was rolling rail to rail. It was too tough topside so we were all below hanging out in the messhall. Myself and Ron Galbraith had loaded earlier from On Ton(?), a village at an inlet north east of Chu Lai. I was still covered in red like dirt. I got it from having been part of grunt operations for the previous 5 months in I Corps, VN. Although not, I looked haggard at my age 20.

A sailor, likely a couple of years younger than me, but equal  probably in our lower ranks, kept starring in my direction from across the tables. He was pasty white. I remember thinking "How can these guys stay so untanned living out here in the ocean all the time?"

Finally, he came over with a hesitation and look that suggested he was  seeing a couple of animals, that is, me and Galbraith. And sort of incidentally, I think this young man was from Iowa, as it turned out later to be reflected in the conversation.

He said "Can I ask you something? I have heard that the Marines and the Army Rangers have the toughest training of all of us." Inserting here for parenthetical importance, this event happened before the group called Navy Seals commissioned a public relations firm in the 1980s to enhance their image. He went on. "Do you know and can you explain the differences between the two programs?"

I began, "Sure. I've been through both schools. And the only difference occurs at the cliff climbing training. When the Rangers pull themselves up their lines, they are allowed to use their feet and legs. They put the soles of their boots, which have special rock climbing treads on them, against the cliff and while leaning back standing perpendicular out from the rocks and holding on to the rope, they walk almost straight up till they get to the top."

"WOW!" the young swabby said, or something else exclamatory.

Continuing, "In the Marine school, when we ascend the same cliff, we are not allowed to use our feet or legs. With the same gear, we are / were required to pull ourselves the whole way only using our hands and arms."

"Gosh!!"

"But," I went on to explain, "that was not the hard part. In the Marines' cliff climbing school, we had to scale the slate like actual cliff wall in pairs pulling equipment hanging from straps connected to the backs of our packs."

"SonofaGUN!!!" he said. "What kind of equipment were you carrying?"

"Each pair of Marines was tied together to a solitary 105 Howitzer which hung below us about 10 feet."

"Holy Heck!!" he exclaimed. "That must have been tough!" His voice speaking in awe, if not reverence.

"Not really." I responded in humility. "Each gun was on big wheels so that it rolled along up the cliff pretty easily behind and under us, with the barrel pointing down to the rocks below."

"Well that's good!" he said. "Not as hard I guess with the wheels."

"However," as I finished the discussion, "the strain on our arms and hardness of the climb wasn't the problem. Rather, it was the risk that made it so difficult. The grappling hooks fired to the top of the cliffs 500 feet above were OK for a couple of us in full gear. But with the Howitzers tied on, the hooks kept tearing out of the sod at the top. That made the average life expectancy of 2 Marines carrying a single piece of artillery up the cliff only 47 seconds."

At the end of the conversation, and his asking me where I was from, I concluded "Texas."

Epilogue: If the reader is not military, nor are you familiar with either the Navy, Marine Corps or Texas traditions undergirding these particular kinds of interservice discussions — thus you may not understand the point of this story — here for clarification, then, is a photo of a 105 (caliber) Howitzer.

It weighs just over 3000 pounds.