I have my original U.S. Army Motor Vehicle Operator’s Card where SSG Raymond L. Ragar has signed off on every type of vehicle allocated to the 615th Company. 

The issue date of the card was 14 August 1969. It has his signature for the 2&1/2 Ton, 3/4 Ton, and 5 Ton.  Below the 5 Ton in the Other Records (optional), in a different typeface, is the Truck Tractor 10 Ton. This story is about that last listing, the 10 Ton Tractor.         After I was reassigned back to the 615th from my TDY assignment with the 95th MP Battalion Headquarters, and sometime after 15 June 1970, while on post patrol duty someone came up with the idea that to keep busy on the night shift we would look for vehicles that were not “secured.” When we located one we would drive it to the Provost Marshals Office (PMO).

        The Desk Sergeant would call the registered units Commanding Officer and report the seizure of the unsecured vehicle, ask them to send a driver to retrieve the vehicle, and cite the person who had been responsible for leaving that vehicle unsecured.

       The unsecured vehicles operation then progressed from a numbers game to the point where patrols then went out on an ego trip to see who could bring in the largest unsecured vehicles. 

        After a few weeks of this, one of the commanders who was summoned to retrieve his 10 ton water truck questioned the Desk Sergeant as to who had driven the truck to the PMO, and asked to see proof that that the MP driver had the necessary endorsement to operate the vehicle. 

        The entire guard that night was immediately directed to the motor pool where we woke up the Company Motor Sergeant, SSG Ragar, to cover our asses. We were able to convince SSG Ragar to sign off on everyone’s Operators ID card for all the trucks up to the 10 ton Tractor, even though most of us had never driven one let along been qualified on one. 

        It was 0300 hours (3:00AM) and SSG Ragar was dressed in his skivvies while giving us his lecture of never wakening him at that time of day again.  The new endorsements were not dated for obvious reasons!

SGT William H. “Bill” Novosad, 615th MP Company, 95th MP Battalion, July 1969 to September 1970.