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Paul Noll Joins the US Army
10. Basic Training at Fort Ord, California
Fort Ord is on the coast a few miles from
the city of Monterey, California. It is often somewhat chilly and foggy. The
barracks were two story wooden frame buildings with
open studs on the inside. The ceilings were high and had open
floor joists. You were required to have the windows open from 800
to 1700 hours. Heat was allowed only for an hour from 1700 to
1800 hours daily. I learned that Fort Ord had the highest
incidence of pneumonia of any Army base. After so many came down
with colds and flu they allowed heat to be on for four hours
daily. But we were young and survived. This street is where we
would assemble for formations and such things. Because I had a car, very rare
for recruits, I could travel anywhere I wished. Recruits were not supposed to
have cars but no one told me that.
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