One day in the first week in Navy boot camp.

[oneighty]

After leaving the train we were set upon by a large group of sadists. Many of them looked just like us, young new recruits; but they have been awarded special authority to harass the new recruits as they themselves had recently been harassed. They were quite good at it as we would become in the weeks to follow.

A few days passed during which time we learned our place in the scheme of things did not exist. We learned that we had no opinions about any thing. We lay silent as mice at night in the barracks afraid to make the slightest sound. Once a voice cried out in the silent darkness "I think I see the light!"

I stood at attention dressed for the very first time in my strange white uniform. My white hat was prevented from slipping down from my bald head only by my protruding ears. There were a hundred of us standing so.

The full Commander performing the inspection stopped in front of me. "Stand up straight sailor." I made a serious but failed trembling effort to stand straighter. The Commander reaches out places a hand on each shoulder trying to straighten me up. He failed as I always had the right shoulder a little lower than the left. I could no help it.

The Commander abandoned that effort. Looking into my tear filled eyes he says "Sailor did you shave this morning?" In a quaking voice I reply, "I do not have to shave Sir." He says "Yes you do."

So it was on that day in July 1951 I shaved for the very first time in my young life.

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