My Time At Fort Chaffee Was The Most Fun

        It is amazing how much you forget over the years and how much you remember when reminded. I was one of the troops of the 411th sent to Fort Chaffee in 1975. After sitting in the parking lot for a couple days we finally left headed north. I remember the convoy as long, slow and boring until somewhere north of Texas, and just after dark it got considerably colder.

        We arrived in the middle of the night and led to an old barracks area where there was nothing but dust and bare bunks, no blankets or sheets the first night. The snoring was terrible and a few weeks after arrival one of the MP's named Pritchet convinced an apartment manager in the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas, that they needed apartment security so Pritchet, myself, and another MP we called Newby ( the whole time he was there) moved off base. The apartment manager was really a great guy, they were not accustom to regular Army and the public treated us very well, unlike military towns.

        I was one of those guys with the ability to shine boots and for my expertise I secured a position as a front gate guard to the base along with SGT Leo McCarthy, and SP/4 George Banks. It was considered great duty as you had someone to talk to.

        Early on there were some incidents of off duty MP's being assaulted leaving an on base Enlisted Mens club so one afternoon/evening about 10 of us MP's (off duty of course) went to this em club in an effort to talk to some of these problem children. It must have been a sight to the patrons as ten of us walked in and sat at tables with our backs to the wall and ordered mostly cokes. Timing could not have been better as we suspected that the attacks were being conducted by reservist doing their two weeks and there was a line of luggage stacked against one wall as most of the patrons were reservist leaving for home. As luck would have it one of the problem children had a problem, and the fight was on. This was truly a bar room brawl as most of the people in the bar was involved in the fight. I remember seeing tables and chairs being thrown at us and one chair struck me in the face knocking me down on the luggage against the wall. Without thinking I started throwing their luggage at them and when it was all over several of them were picking their clothes up from all over the floor as some of the luggage came open spilling their belongings. I left the bar but was told later that Top heard of the incident and stopped by the bar, and bought a round for our guys that were still there.

        Many nights after evening shift most of the crew with adult beverages met at the post swimming pool, climbed over the fence and enjoyed a cold drink and a swim. On one occasion we secured a couple cases of chickens from a mess hall and made a road trip into the nearby Ozarks for an all nighter.

        In my 3 years in the Army I was stationed at several locations and temporary at several more but I recall the time at Fort Chaffee as the most fun.

SP/4 Michael Wood, 411th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, October 1974 to January1976.