Memoirs Part 11

I had drunk alcohol only once before joining the Air Force. During my first month at Phu Cat, I would work 12 hours, go to the chow hall then to my room. One day, a couple of guys came to my room and said I should join our work crew for a few drinks at the club. I still remember, there was aFilipino band playing. If you closed your eyes, you would think that the original singers were singing. From that night on, it was finish work, eat chow and head to the club. I was given the nickname two-beer Bob. That’s all it took to get me high – three beers, drunk. Monte Mose, a.k.a. “Moose,” was training me for driving a tractor and 25-foot and 40-foot trailers. He was 6’7’’ and weighed about 250, mostly muscle. Even though he was a year younger than me, he had already served in Thailand and had been at Phu Cat for several months longer than me. We became very good friends. One day he said that he was going to teach me how to drink. Old Grandad bourbon was the drink of the day. A mixed drink was only 25 cents. He ordered 12 drinks (the glasses were rather small) and lined them up between us and said, “Meet you at the middle.” He finished his six drinks before I finished my third. I kind of lost my “two-beer Bob” nickname after that night.