Military careers

This is a place for veterans of military service to remember and reflect. War time or peace. Any service.

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Aughnanure
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Military careers

Post by Aughnanure » Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:14 pm

Military careers are often affected by circumstances and unknown forces as well as our own ability or lack thereof.
I once was in 13 National Service Training Bn. doing my “Nashos”.
There was a Company Hygiene private who seemed to be in a deadend job.
Years later I met him on the train and he was a WO2 and responsible for hygiene throughout the NSW State.

I looked up a mate from training days in the Infantry (on the net) and came up with a photo of him as a Private in Korea, he was a refugee from Poland and that’s what got him in the paper.
In Korea he was soon a Corporal, then a platoon commander whilst still a Corporal, which was unique, next he was off back to Australia to do an Officers Course.
He told me that his father had been a General in the Polish army and that his mother was a Baroness; when I asked him what his dad thought of him being in the army, he replied that he hadn’t told him as he’d never understand why a Kula-Kulowski (for that was his name) wouldn’t be Commissioned as a matter of course.
I next met Bob (which he used instead of Bogdan) on Liverpool Rly Stn. He was accompanied by another Second Lieutenant, his face lit up with a smile and I threw him my best salute which he returned, stuck out his hand and used my Christian name, I replied using Bob, and saw his companion bridle a bit at this familiarity, with a twinkle in his eye, he introduced me to his brother Officer, “Owen, meet Bill”, I said ‘G’day, Bill, pleased.to meet you”
Bill mumbled something and wisely shut up.
We had a bit of a yarn then their train came in, so complements exchanged again and we went our seperate ways, never saw him again.
However about six months later I was on the train and a young Digger sat down beside me and we soon got talking and it turned out that Bob was his platoon commander; I asked him what he was like,
‘He’s a real bastard” was the reply, further questions brought out thar Lt. Kulakowski never expected his men to do anything that he couldn’t do himself.
So I asked why was he was a bastard, as an example I was given that they were doing a 5 mile run and Bob was running beside them, up hill, and urging them on.
What’s wrong with that I asked, nothing, he said with a grin, but he was running backwards.
I got the impression that he really liked his platoon commander.
Last I heard of Bob was on the net and he was Baron Bogdan Kulakowski.
Self Defence is not only a Right, it is an Obligation.

Eoin.
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Aughnanure
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Re: Military careers

Post by Aughnanure » Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:25 pm

The opening paragraph below is a bit ambiguous, what I meant to add was that Bob and I both tried our best to be selected as part of the Imperial Guard at the Tokyo Palace when Australia’s turn was due.
We both made it into the final selection but I got eliminated on rifle drill and Bob made it.
So I put in for Signals School, was accepted and our paths diverged.
Self Defence is not only a Right, it is an Obligation.

Eoin.
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Re: Military careers

Post by Niner » Wed Aug 17, 2022 10:39 am

Good stories, Eoin.

In the US military people take many paths and end up in surprising places too. I remember a shake and bake buck sergeant who was said to be just marginally competent in Vietnam by his platoon sergeant. He later went to OCS and retired as a full colonel in charge of a brigade of special forces troops toward the end of his career. I got a strong feeling the only time he ever got shot at was as an E5 in Vietnam a lot of years ago. But he looked the part.... imagine over six foot tall Superman without the cape and tights. I think by appearance was how the Army picked senior officers at least once upon a time. Makes some sense. The peacetime Army is mostly play acting anyway.
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