Donald.-/? LBS: Have Bags Ready

Posted by dt on Tuesday, 10 June 1997, at 7:05 p.m.

Readers:

Let's see....ah...yes....I completed my training at Blevoir. I briefly help
Marcos then went to the Nam. I came back to the World with a bitter taste in
my mouth...you see I was a real patriot.

I was debriefed thinking well that's one life's experiences come to pass. My
MOS (military occupational specialty???) was, as Aster points out was that
of a "trickster." I didn't read the fine print. Although not an officer
(because of the fact they can be called back into active duty at any time),
I noticed that when I got my discharge papers, it noted that my mos could be
called back at times of need... something like that....I gave this no heed
to this requirement.......

I went back to school and earned several degrees.

During this time, I thought pretty much like Aster in that I had a strong
urge to go back to the rez. I, at this time, had no tribal name. A tribal
name is not just given but is given when the elders believe that at least I
had some understanding of what our tribe was all about. I imagine I was
somewhat like young Winston (that is, I didn't wear any feathers, didn't say
things like ugghh! Wanna smok'em peace pipe....I was a tough guy) Anyway I
did allot of Indian stuff and earned my name.

What is important is how I got to and from my reservation. Let's just say I
passed very near A-51. No, I did not know anything about A-51. Well, any
way, one trip I took a little digression from my normal route and went to
Pyramid Lake and a little north. Well...here it comes....I am camping
out-I'm a loner. I am enjoying the desert one late evening (I'm sorry but it
was the classic scenario), then all of a sudden, I hear, "shhhwishhh." I look
up and over my head is the damnest thing that I've ever seen. It's big,
black and unusually triangular shaped. No lights initially and while over my
head its rotating very slowly. I didn't run, but I was scared as you know
what. At this point, a large red colored light from its center protrudes,
shuts off, then "shhwissh"...its gone. I get in my van and get to the
nearest sign of life which was a little cafe near the Lake. To my surprise,
there are a group of rather big muscular men gathered there. They turn out
to be copper miners. We looked the same color, that is, we had none. I said
did you happen to see what I saw? One the guys came over to me and almost
hugged me. He said "see, he saw it too."

We called the Sheriff's office. They wanted to report what they saw. I
said...ah..welll...I think I'll go back to my camp site....because I was
thinking, oh yeah....another nut case is what the law and order would think.
And, I rationalized if anyone wanted to talk to me I'd be around at least
until morning, then I'm gone.

Well, when I got back to my camp. I had a guests waiting for me. Their
civilian car had the white government plates. Two military guys in what
looked like USAF gear. I could tell they weren't vets like me. They were
very friendly just like the instructors were at Belvoir. We talked and I
told them what I saw. They had no expression. I didn't like them because
they kept calling me "sir." (the only rank that I held was a soft 5). I got
around telling them about my Belvoir experiences. My hackles went up when
the senior officer said, "What did you think about what I'd read?" The same
damn question that my instructors asked. I thought its just coincidence.

Well, it wasn't, but I didn't know it at the time. Also, the officer that
had a typical dt simile was later to become my mentor.

dt