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Rafting on the Colorado River - Daniel Friedman poetry & prose (C)Poetry & Prose by Daniel Friedman
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Poetry by DJF

Prose by Daniel Friedman

I was Just Following My Orders, Sir!

2021/06/06

In 1966 I scraped by and graduated from W&L - a school that prided itself on imbuing us with a strict sense of honor. So had my military high school (FUMA). 

After a summer of employment as a bottleneck moving through a men's clothing factory, I reported for active duty.  

In the fall of 1966 I was in the Army at Fort Meyer, Virginia, where one of my 16 additional duties included running two post movie theaters. 

At AG school we had been taught never to sign an acceptance for any fund or material without an inventory as if it were lost we were personally responsible. 

That was academic theory. Now I was "in the real Army" (and expecting soon to be off to kill for peace - to Nam)My predecessor who also had enjoyed 16 additional duties to his main assignment had already left. 

My CO told me that I needed to sign a letter to him in which I accepted accountability for the movie theatre funds as left by predecessor.My audit found that money was missing, and had been for over a decade. 

I went to my CO for advice. I said I had no evidence and made no suggestion of theft or malfeasance; It was simply sloppy bookeeping. Mostly no bookkeeping. 

My CO was furious and as I stood braced at rigid attention he gave me a second, loud and very direct-order to sign a letter accepting accountability for the movie theatre funds. Now!

So I did.

I wrote and signed a letter stating that I was signing the letter of acceptance of the fund as direct-ordered to do so by my superior

I sent a copy to the Army Airforce Motion Picture Service CO Hq to whom I was accountable, adding to my note that money was missing, and asking the AAMPS to allow me to accept responsibility for the fund with an  "adjusted balance" in accordance with my audit  (attached).  

Wet behind the ears I was naive - the career sargeant in my office told me what would happen. He said:

"Lieutenant, do you understand what is going to happen to you now? "  "You have embarrssed your CO, and your ass is going to be fired!"  

Amazing! I didn't imagine that you could be fired while in the Army. Killed, yes; Even beaten up. But fired?

Life did not come with an instruction book. Not before, during, nor after the Army.

In 48 hours I was indeed "fired" - sent to a new, far-more-remote assignment in outer Siberia (so to speak, at CAMSTA Cameron Station) where they figured I could do less harm as post adjutant. (Total staff, 2 officers, 4 enlisted men, 2,400 Dod Civilians). . 

The Department of Army's Inspector General was called in by AAMPS and the IG sent a team of forensic accountants to Fort Meyer where they spent months sorting out years of snafu'd bookeeping. Nobody had stolen anything, but the books had to be "right".

I still think they should have just accepted my new starting point. 


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