How Do You Open Combination Locks?
The first month of Flight School was called Preflight and it was four weeks of being constantly harassed and attending classes on how to be an officer. The major part seemed to me to be the harassment. But after that four weeks we moved from the area where Preflight was to On the Hill where those who were actually flying lived. We thought this was going to be much better.
We were to move on Saturday to our new area. Early in the morning we were packed and ready to go when they came to pick us up with buses. It was probably about nine in the morning when we got off the bus in our new area and there to meet us was our new tactical officer or “tac officer”. His name was Mr. Green and he looked like a left over German SS officer and even more, he acted like it! He walked around with a swagger stick and beat his leg.
When we got off the bus he was yelling and had us put our bags down in a pile. Then he had us fall into formation. Everything seemed to go down hill from there! In front of the barracks was an area marked with lines that were the exact distance for one minute of marching at the correct speed and distance. When marching, US Army soldiers were to take one hundred and twenty steps for 30 inches each minute.
The flight or platoon of just over fifty guys spent the entire morning marching back and forth over this marked off area. One candidate would be put in charge and would march the flight the distance. When completed Mr. Green would stop the group and yell at the person in charge telling them that he would never be able to fly if they couldn’t march a group at the right speed and distance of step. All one person had to do was be one second off on the time his foot went down on the finish line or be a half an inch off where his foot touched the ground and the yelling started. Every person had the opportunity, even though not wanted, to march the group and be yelled at. No one did it correctly according to Mr. Green. So much for having all the harassment and hard times behind us!
At the end of that wonderful first day on the hill Mr. Green came into the barracks to give us some instruction. Each candidate had a group of wooden lockers for his clothing and supplies. At the very top of the built-in lockers was one locker that was supposed to be for personal items and was to be kept locked by the candidate. Items stored in this locker were supposed to be exempt from inspection by the tac officer.
In the evening Mr. Green came down the hall and told the candidates to gather around. He came down to our room and walked in. The group gathered around in our room and as close as they could around the door. Then Mr. Green said for one of us to put a lock on a locker so I put a lock on one of my lockers. Mr. Green reached in his pocket and pulled out a lock picking kit and opened the lock. He then told us that he would look in all of our lockers any time he wanted and that included the one we were allowed to have personal items in and was not supposed to be inspected. He said he would inspect any thing, any time he wanted!
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help but wonder how he would open a combination lock. So I said, “Sir, candidate Karn, how do you open combination locks?” He then asked if I had a combination lock and I responded “Sir, candidate Karn, yes sir.” He told me to put the combination lock on one of my lockers, which I did. He stepped up to the locker and with his big Army boot he kicked it and smashed the front to pieces. He then turned to me and said, “Do you have any more questions candidate?” I answered, “Sir, candidate Karn, no sir!” As he left the room he growled, “Get your locker fixed!”
When Mr. Green walked out of the room I didn’t know whether to laugh or not. The locker was smashed and I had to do some extra work to get it fixed but some how it seemed all worth it. Over the years I have become certain that the extra work was worth it. I have laughed many times and have always wondered if Mr. Green laughed as he went down the hall.
There really aren’t any dumb questions. Some questions bring enlightening answers, some bring more questions, and some bring totally unexpected answers but all are worth asking. There are only a few times that questions should not be asked and only a few questions that should not be asked. Questions bring more information than about anything else! Things happen when we ask questions! We would probably still be living pretty primitively if mankind had not started asking if there wasn’t a better way of doing things! Questions lead us to answers!
We were to move on Saturday to our new area. Early in the morning we were packed and ready to go when they came to pick us up with buses. It was probably about nine in the morning when we got off the bus in our new area and there to meet us was our new tactical officer or “tac officer”. His name was Mr. Green and he looked like a left over German SS officer and even more, he acted like it! He walked around with a swagger stick and beat his leg.
When we got off the bus he was yelling and had us put our bags down in a pile. Then he had us fall into formation. Everything seemed to go down hill from there! In front of the barracks was an area marked with lines that were the exact distance for one minute of marching at the correct speed and distance. When marching, US Army soldiers were to take one hundred and twenty steps for 30 inches each minute.
The flight or platoon of just over fifty guys spent the entire morning marching back and forth over this marked off area. One candidate would be put in charge and would march the flight the distance. When completed Mr. Green would stop the group and yell at the person in charge telling them that he would never be able to fly if they couldn’t march a group at the right speed and distance of step. All one person had to do was be one second off on the time his foot went down on the finish line or be a half an inch off where his foot touched the ground and the yelling started. Every person had the opportunity, even though not wanted, to march the group and be yelled at. No one did it correctly according to Mr. Green. So much for having all the harassment and hard times behind us!
At the end of that wonderful first day on the hill Mr. Green came into the barracks to give us some instruction. Each candidate had a group of wooden lockers for his clothing and supplies. At the very top of the built-in lockers was one locker that was supposed to be for personal items and was to be kept locked by the candidate. Items stored in this locker were supposed to be exempt from inspection by the tac officer.
In the evening Mr. Green came down the hall and told the candidates to gather around. He came down to our room and walked in. The group gathered around in our room and as close as they could around the door. Then Mr. Green said for one of us to put a lock on a locker so I put a lock on one of my lockers. Mr. Green reached in his pocket and pulled out a lock picking kit and opened the lock. He then told us that he would look in all of our lockers any time he wanted and that included the one we were allowed to have personal items in and was not supposed to be inspected. He said he would inspect any thing, any time he wanted!
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help but wonder how he would open a combination lock. So I said, “Sir, candidate Karn, how do you open combination locks?” He then asked if I had a combination lock and I responded “Sir, candidate Karn, yes sir.” He told me to put the combination lock on one of my lockers, which I did. He stepped up to the locker and with his big Army boot he kicked it and smashed the front to pieces. He then turned to me and said, “Do you have any more questions candidate?” I answered, “Sir, candidate Karn, no sir!” As he left the room he growled, “Get your locker fixed!”
When Mr. Green walked out of the room I didn’t know whether to laugh or not. The locker was smashed and I had to do some extra work to get it fixed but some how it seemed all worth it. Over the years I have become certain that the extra work was worth it. I have laughed many times and have always wondered if Mr. Green laughed as he went down the hall.
There really aren’t any dumb questions. Some questions bring enlightening answers, some bring more questions, and some bring totally unexpected answers but all are worth asking. There are only a few times that questions should not be asked and only a few questions that should not be asked. Questions bring more information than about anything else! Things happen when we ask questions! We would probably still be living pretty primitively if mankind had not started asking if there wasn’t a better way of doing things! Questions lead us to answers!
posted by Bruce | 12:10 PM
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