'75 BCT Memories


From John Quattrocki

I flew in on the Continental Chicago to LA flt #72 (w/ a stop in Colorado Springs) with Tom Finn, my high school classmate. The plane landed on runway 35 (or so) and so when they opened the door to the stairs (no jetway then) we were looking right at Pikes Peak and were greeted by the hottest/driest wind a kid from Chicago who had only ever traveled to Iowa and Arkansas, had ever known/felt.

We ate at Pizza Hut or somesuch that night and as promised/directed by our LO, stepped out on the street the next morning and found an Academy bus within minutes; through the South gate and up to the ramp ... "Bring Me Men ..." took my one piece of luggage and placed it by a placard with the letter "Q" under Vandenberg (in just about the same spot I would "earn" 7 tours for PDA two years later) and then headed off to a line for the infirmary and some in-processing check-up where the upper-class were hanging off the terrazzo and telling us --- in clear and unambiguous terms --- it was "not too late" to turn around and go home;

More inprocessing ... could not believe my good fortune with the slide rule and the CRCs they gave us ... underwear, underwear, and more underwear ... lots of green ... haircut; Six barbers; NO WAITING.

Jaguar Sq. hmmm; that works ... and then, in turn, introduced to Dave Niebes (BCT roommate) Mike Winck ("haaaa, Mike Winck ... ya know, like the soft drink! ...") and Bob Hickox and Garshelis and Glushko (have you HEARD the new Bob Dylan album? ... uh, NO) and Bruce (get some balls in your voice!) Hopkins and Dave Livingston from "...near Wright-Pat ..." (do tell, what does THAT mean?) and Bruce Murphy (let's talk about Arkansas ... or not) and Rob Morgan (I was thinking of going to William and Mary to play lacrosse; well which is it William or Mary? not in the Big Ten so who knew from William or Mary) and Chip Ward (my brother plays football for Army; I am here to golf) and Bill Davis (let me get this right, you were two years away from graduating at USC ROTC and you did WHAT?) and Rich Dulin (GOOD, someone taller than me and HE can march/walk at the head of the Flt.) and Don Snelgrove and Joey and Barry (hmmm, about that P school ...) ... and ... Jack, Jack Shine; good I can just hide in HIS considerable shadow ... and on and on and ... just a bunch of great guys ... all of them ...

Wow, just that quickly it turned to night ... so far so good; no restrictions that I could tell on how to walk ... tooling across the terrazzo seemed acceptable ... low ground lights framed the windowed SARs on the terrazzo level of Vandenberg ... upperclass seemed friendly enough; so far so good ... who was this Galligan guy they were all talking about and could the stories about this guy 'Olds' from THEIR rookie years really be true?

Honor code briefing in one of those SARs on that first night ... or next.

...but by 37 years ago last night (the Wednesday night of first week), it all changed; William R. Looney III came out on that stage at Arnies and then sent out us out to terrazzo to meet 'his' upperclass ... hmmm ... no more 'toolin'; clearly ... jeez, those guys look serious .. and what is that high pitched sound coming from behind and well above the planetarium? ... and why is everyone now yelling so much ...
Thursday; 08 July 71 ...



From Dave Burford

See attached for artifacts from Falconews:
1. I don't know if Clips #1-4 are from the same news item.
2. Re: FalconNewsClip3.pdf
I clearly remember falling-in in front of the Old Dorm and our being posed for the news service pic - the negative must have been flipped in printing. I'm sure this was B Flt (doolies destined for 11th Sqdn) but not sure who else from COUGAR was included. It looks to me like only 3 Flts are present.
3. Re: Clips #5,6
I don't recall anything about the BCT Stardust flight other than the flight itself. I think that the cadet in the "Special Attention" photo in FalconNewsClip6.pdf is our esteemed Fred Weems [sleepvark@gmail.com] but I could be mistaken.

Here is a quick COUGAR remembrance:
1. One of the cadre (either during in-processing or beginning of first detail) had a musical bent:
In the morning we were to sing (to the Kellogg jingle):
"Good Morning
Good Morning
The Best to you each morning
C-O-U-G-A-R-S
Cougars best to you!"

2. Somebody thought this was so good that we also were required to sing (to the Nestle's jingle)
"C-O-U-G-A-R-S
Cougars are the very best
sssmack wads"
What I don't recall is just what the cues were for us to sing these ditties.
Best Alive!

Dave Burford

Falcon News Clip1 Falcon News Clip2 Falcon News Clip3
Falcon News Clip4 Falcon News Clip5 Falcon News Clip6
A Typical BCT Day... Remember???
0600 Reveille - whistles blow, doors kicked in
0605 Terrazzo Assembly - Playing of the Colors/Flag raised
0610 Morning run - 1 mile in fatigues & combat boots
0630 Shower, shave, make bed clean room
0645 First call morning meal formation - march to Mitchell Hall
0730 1st Period - Drill in fatigues with M1 Springfields
0830 2nd Period - March to academic bldgs for academic placement testing or field training lectures (first aid, map reading, etc)
0930 3rd Period - Lectures on honor, ethics
1045 First Call PE Formation - March to athletic fields in athletic uniform for hour of calisthenics or running. Occasionally we do the obstacle course.
1200 PE done - shower, dress, study for lunch
1225 First Call Noon Meal formation - march to Mitchell Hall
1330 5th Period - Drill in blues, no rifle
1430 6th period - Sq lectures on being a cadet
1530 7th period - Command Time --> Recitation of cadet knowledge to superiors
1645 INTRAMURALS - March back down to the athletic fields.
1800 Intramurals finished - shower and dress and study
1825 First call Evening Meal formation - March in formation to Mitch Hall
1935 March to Arnold Hall for Heritage Lecture - Speech by someone important or a short motivational movie
2045 Back to Dorm
2100 Shower Formation - "Skivvies & Shower clogs" and stand in hall doing whatever the upperclassmen tell us to do
2130 Shower over free time - shine shoes, laundry, study, clean
2200 TAPS
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