On the other hand, a couple of West Pointer's became good friends. Dave Muntz, originated in the Corps of Engineers in the mid-50s; and Roger Yankoupe was from the class of 64.

Dave was a 1st Lt when I joined the 317th Engineer Battalion in 1958, and he more or less took me under his wing; and after we became engage, his wife, Gayle, helped Liliane with the military aspects of being (shudder) a dependent.

Dave was assigned to the 36th Engineer Group at Camp Stanley in Korea when I was Post Engineer at Camp Falling Waters for I Corps (Gp). Since I ate most my noon and evening meals at the Camp Stanley O-Club, Dave and I became very good friends. Shortly before I left Korea, Dave's folks came to visit, and we spent a long weekend at Walker Hill, the R&R Center. Unbeknown to me, until I tried to check out, Dave's folks picked up my tab. His Dad was a vice president of Kellogg's, and pop tarts had just come out, and I hadn't seen them. He sent a case to Liliane who was back in Germany while I was overseas. Dave later switched to the Medical Service Corps and retired as a full bull.

Roger sez he remembers me from Korea where he went as a fresh butter bar to the 11th Engineer Battalion. I, obviously, had at least seen him, but in those days I didn't pay any attention to second lieutenants.

Roger had at least three promotions below the zone, and became my boss in Germany in the European Engineer Division as a major. He and I used to stay after hours talking about cabbages, kings, and finer things; which drove his deputy mad because we were friends. He later took over the 12th Engineer Battalion in Dexheim, which in Germany, was given to those lieutenant colonels who were destined to achieve flag rank.

Roger, as a general, became the Southwest Pacific Division Engineer in San Francisco, and one time flying back to Washington DC in his plane, told the pilot to radio in to the Pueblo Airport, have them call the depot commander, and tell him he wished to have lunch with me, and would be there in an hour. That put my boss into a snit. A general coming, and wanting one of his GS-12s to go to lunch!

Both are gentlemen of the first order. I have known other West Pointers of good character, who were damn fine officers. And, I have known a few who were like my roommates in Nam; alas!

There is a pecking order in the officer corps when it comes to assignments. First were the West Pointers; second were the regular army officers; and third were us reservists on extended active duty. And those of us in the third rank did not always get choice assignments! And, yes, I was beginning to become pissed off at the way my "career" was being mangled by OPO. It was just a matter of luck that I had been given command of the 370th Engineer Company in Germany three years earlier; only because the S-4 of the then 7th Engineer Brigade (Construction) wanted an experienced captain as it's CO, was I diverted from a previous assignment.

Anyway, apologies to the West Pointers, with this caveat - "If the expletive "ring knocker" applies, so be it!"