About Those Chicago White Sox

This is the first year I have looked at Major League Baseball standings from a negative perspective.  I only look at the Major League Baseball standings to see how my team, the Chicago White Sox, is doing as far as having the worst record in baseball.  Of course, they are in the middle of a rebuilding process.  The more games we lose, the better our draft choice.  I'm pulling for the worst record = top prospects.  The team with the worst record gets the #1 pick.

Of course, I "pull" for the Sox to win, but really "want" them to lose.

We have the worst record in the American league by far.  But right now, the Sox are going to have to "overcome" two National League teams, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies.

White Sox  .391  52-81
Giants  .387  53-84
Phillies  .381  51-83

The Race Heats Up!!  --RoadDog

My Vietnam War Experience-- Part 2: It's Draft Time

That war goes on forever.  Most boys were going to get drafted coming out of high school, unless you went to college (or had a high draft lottery number).  A whole lot of boys who hadn't planned on going to college all of a sudden decided to go to college and get that beautiful student deferment.

I had planned on being a teacher since I was seven years old and that meant going to college, so I was ok there.

Maybe the war would be over by the time I got out of college.  Foolish boy.

Then, the draft became the draft lottery.  Birthdays were taken and put in a big drum and dates pulled.  We high school boys watched that intently, hoping that we would not get pulled early.  The earlier you were pulled, the more likely you had a one-way ticket to Vietnam.

The first time they had it, I was not eligible because of age.  May 24th came up #31.  I would have to go to Vietnam had I been eligible.  But, if I got the low number this time, perhaps next time I would have a nice high number.

The year that I was eligible, my birthday was pulled #22.

So Much for the Odds.  --RoadDog

I Was a Marine For a Short Time --Part 2

Like I was saying, I was going to be drafted and in all likelihood, going to Vietnam. I figured that if I was going, I might as well go as an officer, so I started looking around at officer candidate programs in the Armed Forces.

I selected the Marine Corps which offered me a second lieutenancy upon graduation of college and six months more of basic. I would have to go to two six week courses at Quantico, Va., outside of Washington, DC. The first between sophomore and junior year and the second between junior and senior.

I signed up and spent six of the hardest weeks of my life in 1971. The first three, I just could do anything Corps-style and had enough drill instructor time to last a lifetime. Those guys were rough. Fortunately, I had gone through pledging a fraternity and with the treatment I got there, I was able to handle the stuff they'd do and in-your-face. Other guys in my platoon had not pledged and found this difficult.

I transferred from Northern Illinois University to the University of Georgia for junior year. I was known as the "guy with no hair" because of my USMC haircut. Remember, this was still the time of the hippies. I decided to finish college at Northern, but had to take some extra courses at Georgia the summer between junior and senior years so contacted my person in OCS, Officer Candidate School, and thought I had it worked out so that I would be able to do my six weeks after graduation and then the six months of basic.

However, I must not have, because several months later I received my Honorable Discharge. Evidently, with the war actually winding down, believe it or not, they didn't need that many more second louies.

With such a short service, I really don't consider myself a veteran, although I can still join the American Legion.

So that Was My Short Time in the Corps. --RoadDog

I Was a Marine For a Short Time --Part 1

I was a Marine for a very, very short time.

I didn't think the Vietnam War would EVER end. It really got hot while I was in junior high school and went all the way through my high school years and college.

The first year they had the draft lottery, I wasn't eligible, and I had the number 31. I was happy with that as I figured the next year, when it would count, I'd surely get a higher number.

Wrong!!! The year it counted, I was number 22. I was getting an all-expense paid "vacation" to Vietnam compliments of Uncle Sam. That is, I'd go after college. I had always intended to go to college anyway, something you had to do if you wanted to be a teacher. But , that war just WASN'T going to end. And after four years, I would be eligible for the draft, and with a 22, I was gone.

Stay Tuned. --RoadDog