Reflections of My Life by JL Byars – page 8

It was so hot that we would get up while it was dark and get our training done before the sun got things so hot you could not touch them.  Then we would lay around on our army cots and try to keep cool.  We would take our canteens to the water tank, fill them up and pour the water on our cots – hoping no officer had seen us do it.  It was a “no, no” to waste water since it had to be trucked in from a lake some distance from camp.   In spite of the hot weather, some of us disregarded siesta time and began to hike the desert in off duty hours, scaling the mountains and jagged peaks, perhaps just to demonstrate the desert could be overcome. We were not bothered by the sun, sand or rocks.  Not us.  We were the masters!!

I never want to see another can of sardines, which we called “goldfish.”  It was served almost daily with tomato sauce and dog biscuits.  If you were lucky, you got fresh fruit, canned turkey and Fig Newtons by the case.  I have never had a taste for sardines since then, but Fig Newtons are not that bad!!

All the time we were training in the desert I thought we were on our way to Africa. By this time we had gotten used to the 130-degree weather.  You may not think you can, but with “the army ways” you do!!

While in the desert we had one of the worst sandstorms I believe I was ever in.  It lasted about 36 hours.  All of our tents were blown down and scattered across the country.  We had to pitch tents again, and much of our clothing was blown away and we were issued more.  We gained a new respect for the vast powers of the desert.