Another one of those days you never forget

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fulda, Germany -- almost exactly 15 years ago, when I was but a young pup in this man's Army, I sat outside the office of my Regimental Commander, Colonel William Wallace. I was about to meet with destiny; I was asking Col. Wallace for a letter of recommendation for the Army's Officer Candidate School.

I was nervous, and my Captain didn't help much. He was a helicopter pilot (UH-60's), and had been enlisted and a warrant officer before going to OCS himself. As we were waiting to see the Colonel, I asked him which was worse -- Basic Training, Warrant Officer Candidate School, or OCS? He said OCS was far worse, because boot camp and WOCS had rules, things the drill instructors couldn't do to you; OCS didn't have those kind of rules. He didn't elaborate, but it sure made me wonder why I wanted to become an officer.

The interview, what I remember of it, was short. Col. Wallace already knew me from the chapel service Lori and I attended, and I had once briefed him on the Electronic Warfare system I operated. What I remember most about that day was my euphoria as I floated across Downs Barracks with a signed recommendation letter in my hand.

I was elated because for the first time in my short career, someone recognized potential in me as a soldier. Up to that point in my life, it was my greatest professional accomplishment. I attended and completed OCS some four years later, and the rest is history.

Today, I ate breakfast with now General William Wallace (that's 4 stars). I've known for several days he was coming, made sure I knew his itinerary, and cleared my surprise visit with my boss. (They don't let just anybody show up to talk to Generals, you know.) He shook my hand before we sat down, then the Colonels all entertained him with diatribes about our world of Information Technology. I thought I saw some flashes of recognition in his eyes -- so I patiently waited to get a word in edgewise, and when he got up to go out, I finally introduced myself as someone who worked for him in Fulda.

He put his arm around my shoulder and told me he thought he recognized me, then asked a few genuine questions about what I do now. When I reminded him that he gave me the letter, he smiled and said, "I did? How'd that work out for ya?" (I was in uniform!) With his entourage in tow we strolled outside the chow hall and chatted about Fulda for a minute, then he was off to his next briefing. As I saluted, I told him it was good to see him again.

Last night, I related to Lori how during my one-year tour to Korea in 2001, my Brigade chaplain was the same man who was my Squadron chaplain all those years ago in Germany. One day at Camp Hovey, I was getting on a shuttle bus and there sat Chaplain Ahl and his wife, who had come to visit him. She immediately recognized me, and even remembered Lori and the boys -- even though we had had no contact for 9 years.

It's good to know that people remember.