Tarantulas and Scorpions in C-Ration Boxes
Lieutenant Gray Story#5
After a few days in the field we were preparing for our trip home. Pilots got to fly home in the air-conditioned Cobras and we could be home in about thirty minutes. After being in the field a few days without showers it was nice to get home and have it behind us.
As I was getting things loaded into my Cobra and getting ready to leave I noticed Lieutenant Gray carefully stacking some C-Ration boxes behind the pilot’s seat. There were about eight boxes. From about shoulder level on up there was a small storage area behind the pilot’s seat. I was going to be flying in that seat so I asked Lt. gray what was in the C-Ration boxes.
Lt. Gray said the boxes had tarantulas and scorpions in them. The next obvious question was, “Are you putting live tarantulas and scorpions right in back of my seat in the aircraft?” He confirmed that he was and I told him to get them out of there immediately.
While Lt. Gray was removing the boxes I asked him how he got the tarantulas and scorpions and what he was planning on doing with them. He said he had paid the enlisted soldiers one dollar each for each one they caught for him and that he was planning on going to a pet store in town and selling them to the store for three dollars each.
No sooner did Lt. Gray have the boxes out from behind my seat than he started placing them in the ammunition bay. The bay didn’t have any ammunition in it but it was where we placed our bags of clothes for the return home. He was going to put his tarantulas and scorpions in with our clothes. This was not acceptable to me either so I told him that he was not putting them in with my clothes where my family or I might get nailed by one of those critters after I got home. The C-Ration boxes weren’t very secure and I wasn’t taking any chances. I told Lt. Gray to get rid of his nasty critters.
Lt. Gray left with his boxes of critters and I was happy to see him go. In about ten minutes Lt. Gray was back without his boxes so I asked what he had done with them. He said, “I put them in the back of one of the trucks.” I asked him if he had told anyone that he was putting tarantulas and scorpions in the truck. He said he had not told anyone. I then pointed out to him that the enlisted guys ride back home in the back of those trucks. They often sleep as they bounce along over rough dusty roads for three hours and there was a good possibility that some of those boxes would come open. I finished with, “Get over there and tell those guys about the scorpions and tarantulas and put someone in charge of them or get rid of them. And if you don’t want to trust anyone else with your critters then just stay there and you ride home with them. Any enlisted guy would be very happy to take your place in the Cobra with me and take the thirty minute ride home in air conditioned comfort".
In ten minutes Lt. gray was back and said that he had paid one of the enlisted guys to keep track of his boxes. And he told me that he had informed the enlisted soldier what he was watching. I let him ride home with me in the Cobra but I was very unhappy about it. Because my patience was worn out I would rather have given the ride to any one of the enlisted guys.
It is one thing when we put ourselves in danger but it is a very different thing when we put others in danger and they don’t know it. There are risks in everything we do but we have no right to needlessly put others in high-risk situations. The person who drives drunk or sleepy or with an unsafe vehicle is taking a risk with other people’s lives that they have no right to take. Some times one member of a family or group puts the entire group at risk because they elect to do or not do something. Both parents and children can put families at risk with selfish actions. If other’s health, interests, safety or lives are at stake they have the right to agree to be in or out of the game. So before you put tarantulas or scorpions behind someone’s head you better have them agree to the idea.
After a few days in the field we were preparing for our trip home. Pilots got to fly home in the air-conditioned Cobras and we could be home in about thirty minutes. After being in the field a few days without showers it was nice to get home and have it behind us.
As I was getting things loaded into my Cobra and getting ready to leave I noticed Lieutenant Gray carefully stacking some C-Ration boxes behind the pilot’s seat. There were about eight boxes. From about shoulder level on up there was a small storage area behind the pilot’s seat. I was going to be flying in that seat so I asked Lt. gray what was in the C-Ration boxes.
Lt. Gray said the boxes had tarantulas and scorpions in them. The next obvious question was, “Are you putting live tarantulas and scorpions right in back of my seat in the aircraft?” He confirmed that he was and I told him to get them out of there immediately.
While Lt. Gray was removing the boxes I asked him how he got the tarantulas and scorpions and what he was planning on doing with them. He said he had paid the enlisted soldiers one dollar each for each one they caught for him and that he was planning on going to a pet store in town and selling them to the store for three dollars each.
No sooner did Lt. Gray have the boxes out from behind my seat than he started placing them in the ammunition bay. The bay didn’t have any ammunition in it but it was where we placed our bags of clothes for the return home. He was going to put his tarantulas and scorpions in with our clothes. This was not acceptable to me either so I told him that he was not putting them in with my clothes where my family or I might get nailed by one of those critters after I got home. The C-Ration boxes weren’t very secure and I wasn’t taking any chances. I told Lt. Gray to get rid of his nasty critters.
Lt. Gray left with his boxes of critters and I was happy to see him go. In about ten minutes Lt. Gray was back without his boxes so I asked what he had done with them. He said, “I put them in the back of one of the trucks.” I asked him if he had told anyone that he was putting tarantulas and scorpions in the truck. He said he had not told anyone. I then pointed out to him that the enlisted guys ride back home in the back of those trucks. They often sleep as they bounce along over rough dusty roads for three hours and there was a good possibility that some of those boxes would come open. I finished with, “Get over there and tell those guys about the scorpions and tarantulas and put someone in charge of them or get rid of them. And if you don’t want to trust anyone else with your critters then just stay there and you ride home with them. Any enlisted guy would be very happy to take your place in the Cobra with me and take the thirty minute ride home in air conditioned comfort".
In ten minutes Lt. gray was back and said that he had paid one of the enlisted guys to keep track of his boxes. And he told me that he had informed the enlisted soldier what he was watching. I let him ride home with me in the Cobra but I was very unhappy about it. Because my patience was worn out I would rather have given the ride to any one of the enlisted guys.
It is one thing when we put ourselves in danger but it is a very different thing when we put others in danger and they don’t know it. There are risks in everything we do but we have no right to needlessly put others in high-risk situations. The person who drives drunk or sleepy or with an unsafe vehicle is taking a risk with other people’s lives that they have no right to take. Some times one member of a family or group puts the entire group at risk because they elect to do or not do something. Both parents and children can put families at risk with selfish actions. If other’s health, interests, safety or lives are at stake they have the right to agree to be in or out of the game. So before you put tarantulas or scorpions behind someone’s head you better have them agree to the idea.
posted by Bruce | 6:11 PM
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