Well I hit the ground hard and would you believe I got screamed at. Their must be one drill sergeant that's in charge of the obstacle course and he must have seen what happened. I guess he's the guy they hold responsible if anyone gets hurt on the course. He ran over to me and got right in my face and started screaming.

"What the hell is your major mal function private? Why the hell do you release from my slide so fucking high? Are you out of god dam mind your mind? You must have your head up your ass!"

I had been in trouble a few times and never got an ass chewing like that before.

"I released when the drill instructor told me to", I relied. I was more than a little frightened.

To my surprise he said,"I thought so."

"He ran right over to my drill instructor and gave him an equal ass chewing."

I never saw a drill instructor get chewed out before. Especially in front of his troops.

"What the hell is your goddamn fucking problem? You are supposed to be in a position of trust! What the fuck are you doing?"

He ran back over to me and asked," Are you okay son?"

I wasn't okay, but I wasn't about to do basic training all over again.

"I'm okay", I replied. I did my best to hold back the pain I was in.

The drill instructor ran back over to my drill sergeant and said, "Your lucky he's okay, or I would have you court marshaled! Now you better get the fuck off my obstacle course."

I pulled K.P. and guard duty a few more times and that was all the abuse I got till graduation day. Believe it or not I still was unaware why I had been singled out. I knew I wasn't being treated justly, but I had no idea why.

We were all excited about graduation ceremony and I was talking to Billings, and I told him that my dad was coming to watch me graduate. He later approached me and told me that Drill Sergeant was going to tell my dad about all my homosexual activity. Still not aware that I was being deliberately set up, I just said, "What homosexual activity?"

Well my dad was in the barracks and we were talking near our wall lockers and the drill sergeant pulled him away from me for a second. My dad came back to me and said, "That lying SOB."

I asked him what he said, but he wouldn't tell me. My dad said, "Well I love you anyway."

I didn't know why he said that at the time. I've since asked my dad about it, but he won't talk about it.

Anyway I made it out of there. When I got to my advanced individual training(AIT), my foot still hurt. I was getting by with it until the two mile run. My training was in fort Lee Virginia. Turns out they take their running seriously.
They have a two mile cross country course up and down big hills and across the meadow and through the woods.

All the instructors compete over who's battalion has the fastest runners. My first run I unknowingly qualified for the post run. All the fastest two milers on the post would compete. My foot hurt and I tried to get out of it, but there was no way.

I was offered a three day pass if I won the thing. Well I hadn't had a day off in three months, so I ran my heart out. During the run I couldn't think of anything, but the pain in my foot. Strangely I think that helped. I didn't win. I came in 12th place I think. My time was ten minutes and ten seconds.

I sat down after the race and I didn't think about my foot. I was laughing and talking with fellow runners. I got up to walk back, and as soon as I took one step on my right foot, the pain was so intense, I fell down. I tried to shrug it off, but it was no use. I couldn't hide it anymore. Some girl insisted on helping me walk back, which I didn't mind so much. Later I got an x-ray and my foot was fractured. It was an old fracture, so they couldn't set it.

They gave me a Dr's order for no running or extended periods of marching for six months. My drill instructor was upset, because one of his top race horses was injured. Since my time was so good they let me finish my training without having to run again. If I was slow they would have held my training till I could run again.

That's the end of the sexual harassment I had to endure. I didn't realize what was happening till I had the time to look back and evaluate all the things that were said and done. I know what was done to me was terrible, but I forgive them. God wants us to let go of the past and concentrate on today and tomorrow. None of us are perfect and let he who is without sin cast the first stone. I'm not throwing any stones and I hope none of you do either. Their is a lesson here that I think we can all learn from however, teach your children, if they are going into the military? This could happen to them and watch out.