When someone throws a knife at your head, it usually means they are upset with you, but thats not always the case. I learned that in 1973 when I was studying at the Defense Language Institute in Monetery, California. Some months before, after I had received a draft notice, an army recruiter showed up and my house and recruited me to be a linguist with the Army Security Agency. He had me pick three languages and told me I would almost for sure get one of them. I chose Russian, German and French. When my orders arrived at the end of Basic Training, I learned that I would be studying Korean. Most of my fellow students were like me, recent college graduates who had lost their deferment and been swept up in the final days of the Draft. Most, but not all: among my fellow students were a number of Green Barets. Theres no better way to say it: these were WARRIORS. They had all experienced combat and they LIKED it. That may sould harsh, but it was true. They were also, for the most part, apolitical. If they were given a mission, they would accomplish it (or die trying) and they did not question it. Strangely enough, though, they had no time for the army way and generally ignored protocol whenever possible. They were, to a man, nice guys who laughed a lot and treated the rest of us as equals. The classrooms were not air conditioned and when it got hot many of the students were having a hard time staying away. One of the Green Berets suggested we take it outside. The teacher agreed and we all went to a small park near the classroom, where he suggested we just study volcabulary words for the rest of the period. I was sitting on the ground, leaning back against a tree when I heard a THUMP! I glanced to my left and saw a dagger sticking in the tree bark, just inches from my ear. Two of the Green Barets were laughing their asses off. I reached up, worked it loose from the wood and said, Id throw it back but I dont know how. They immediately decided my education had been sorely neglected and for the rest of the class time they gave me a lesson in knife-throwing. The teacher didnt object (Would you?) and I actually got pretty good at it. Learning is a life-long activity and you never know when a skill like that may come in handy.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 16:13:29 +0000
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