Looking for an Airplane
After arriving at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas in October 1974, the world we young airmen now would be living in was going to be much different from the world we had lived in prior to our joining the service. As I have related to you before, our “Flight” of airmen consisted of about 50 young men. Our “sister Flight” who lived directly across from us in another dorm, also had about 50 airmen. While we lived in separate quarters, we participated in many of the training activities together.
At the time of our arrival at Lackland, there were three different Air Force Bases near San Antonio. They were Lackland AFB, Kelly AFB, and Randolph AFB. All different types of military airplanes and helicopters were in the air at any given time. The army had a large base there as well named Fort Sam Houston. There was, and continues to be, a large military presence in that part of the country.
We airmen had come from all over the United States. We all spoke with different slangs, and sometimes even used English words not everyone knew the meaning of. Everything we saw and did was new to us. It was both fascinating and daunting at the same time. We had so much to learn, and it was hard not to be overwhelmed. Every one of us reacted differently to the challenges placed before us. I just did my best to pay attention and try to stay out of trouble.
There was a large, square, blacktop area that was known as the Parade Ground. Each day, we would head there to exercise, march, or run. There was a white line about 20 feet from the edge of the blacktop that identified where we had to stay while we ran around the blacktop. It was a mile around the circumference, and after just a bit, we would run 5 miles each day.
After a couple of days of getting haircuts, uniforms, and learning how to fold our socks and underwear, we were taken to the parade ground for the first time. We all were amazed at the size of this big area. Sometimes, the grounds would be full of airmen, other times it would be quite empty.
This particular day, early in the morning, the ground was empty, except for our flight of airmen. We were a rag tagged and disheveled bunch if there ever was one. We started practicing marching, turning about, flanking movements, etc. One thing I learned quickly after joining the service was the way they wanted you to stand. The Air Force only allowed us to stand at attention or at a thing called parade rest. I never cared for either of them. They hated every other type of standing. Always before, we had used many different types of standing. We had always before stood straight, slumped, stooped, leaned over, on one foot, weaving back and forth, spinning, propped up, or just nonchalantly. Those days were over.
After being on the parade ground for just a little bit and trying to stand in a way that made our sergeant happy, an airplane flew overhead. A young man in our group, I. J. Bryant, cocked his head to the side to see the low and loud airplane screaming overhead. While doing so, the way he was standing got somewhat kiltered, and totally improper. The sergeant saw Airman Bryant standing the wrong way and got very angry, very quickly.
He rushed over to him and screamed, “Airman, what are you doing?” Airman Bryant replied, “Sir, I looked up to see the airplane.” The sergeant asked, “What type of airplane was it?" Airman Bryant said, “I don’t know sir.” The sergeant said, “You don’t know?” Airman Bryant again replied, “No sir, I don’t know.” The sergeant said, “Well, it’s about time you learned.” (Airman Bryant, like most of us, had probably never seen over 3 or 4 airplanes in his life.)
The sergeant took Airman Bryant out near the middle of this big blacktop parade ground, told him to stand there with his head cocked to the side, while looking up in the bright blue sky for an airplane to pass over. He was instructed to immediately report back to the sergeant as soon as he saw an airplane. The sergeant came back over to where the rest of us were standing. We hoped we were standing properly in one of the two assigned ways. None of us were looking up into the sky, but we couldn’t help but steal a glance, and could hardly suppress a smile, as we saw the fate of our buddy, standing in the middle of the pavement with his head cocked to the left, looking for airplanes.
In just a moment, an airplane flew overhead. Airman Bryant saw it and rushed over to the sergeant and proclaimed, “Sir, I saw an airplane!” The sergeant asked, “What type of airplane was it?" Airman Bryant said, “I don’t know sir.” The sergeant said, “You don’t know?” Airman Bryant again replied, “No sir, I don’t know.” The sergeant told him to get back out there and continue to look for another plane. Airman Bryant raced back out to the assigned spot. Upon arriving, he again stood at attention, with his head cocked sideways, looking into the sky.
In just a moment, another airplane flew overhead. Airman Bryant again saw it and rushed over to the sergeant and proclaimed, “Sir, I saw an airplane!” The sergeant asked, “What type of airplane was it?’ Airman Bryant said, “I don’t know sir.” The sergeant said, “You don’t know?” Airman Bryant again replied, “No sir, I don’t know.” The sergeant told him to get back out there and continue to look for another plane.
It wasn’t but just a moment until still another airplane flew overhead. Airman Bryant saw it and rushed again over to the sergeant and proclaimed, “Sir, I saw an airplane!” The sergeant asked, “What type of airplane was it?" Airman Bryant said, “I don’t know sir.” The sergeant said, “You don’t know?” Airman Bryant again replied, “No sir, I don’t know.” The sergeant told him to get back out there and continue to look for another plane.
This scenario repeated itself for probably the next 30 minutes. After 10 or 12 times, when asked again what type of airplane it was, Airman Bryant said, “Sir, I believe it was a fighter plane.” The sergeant congratulated him on what he had learned that morning and said with a wry smile, “Get back in line with the rest of the guys.” “Make sure you’re standing properly!”
