Early-December, 1969 THE PIG PALACE

We had built bunkers every place we went, but we had never had such access to building supplies. We built a bunker with an 8? ceiling. Inside were bunk beds so each man had his own bed. We found enough wood to build tables and chairs so we could play cards. We built a gun rack on the wall so we could grab our rifle as we stepped out of the bunker. We used some claymore mine wire to tap into artilleries generator and we had electric lights. We even had a cold box with ice for cold beer and soda. The mess hall was always complaining about missing ice, but we always seemed to have plenty. Our routine was to go to the mess hall and get a plate of hot food and return to the bunker where we had accumulated a nice condiment bar of our own with a supply of catsup, salt and other seasonings. When we were done we would put the plates on the floor for the dogs to eat the scraps. As we laid around after lunch we heard the command "Attention". The command normally proceeds the entry of an officer into the quarters of enlisted men. Since most of us had not heard the command since training days, one of my men responded with "Bull Sh**". As I rolled over to join in on the fun, I looked up to see a Colonel step into the bunker. I jumped to attention. The Colonel sauntered around our bunker. He looked at the plates on the floor and said "You men live like pigs!". He stopped at our gun rack and took down a rifle. He acted appalled that the rifles were loaded. I started to explain that we were the first line of defense for the fire base but it was already obvious that we were seeing things from two different perspectives. From where we came from, a loaded gun was not a threat, but security. And where we came from our bunker was not a "pig pen" but a "Palace". And from that day on our bunker was called "The Pig Palace".

Early-December, 1969
THE PIG PALACE

We had built bunkers every place we went, but we had never had such access to building supplies. We built a bunker with an 8? ceiling. Inside were bunk beds so each man had his own bed. We found enough wood to build tables and chairs so we could play cards. We built a gun rack on the wall so we could grab our rifle as we stepped out of the bunker. We used some claymore mine wire to tap into artilleries generator and we had electric lights. We even had a cold box with ice for cold beer and soda. The mess hall was always complaining about missing ice, but we always seemed to have plenty.

Our routine was to go to the mess hall and get a plate of hot food and return to the bunker where we had accumulated a nice condiment bar of our own with a supply of catsup, salt and other seasonings. When we were done we would put the plates on the floor for the dogs to eat the scraps.

As we laid around after lunch we heard the command "Attention". The command normally proceeds the entry of an officer into the quarters of enlisted men. Since most of us had not heard the command since training days, one of my men responded with "Bull Sh**". As I rolled over to join in on the fun, I looked up to see a Colonel step into the bunker. I jumped to attention. The Colonel sauntered around our bunker. He looked at the plates on the floor and said "You men live like pigs!". He stopped at our gun rack and took down a rifle. He acted appalled that the rifles were loaded. I started to explain that we were the first line of defense for the fire base but it was already obvious that we were seeing things from two different perspectives. From where we came from, a loaded gun was not a threat, but security. And where we came from our bunker was not a "pig pen" but a "Palace". And from that day on our bunker was called "The Pig Palace".

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Early-December, 1969THE PIG PALACE

Early-December, 1969
THE PIG PALACE