Shower Party

I remember a time at Kemper, it must have been my birthday and it must have been after I became an officer; as I had decided to hide out in the Officer's Club. Our O Club at the time, had been "rode hard and put away wet." The only good thing about it was that it allowed you to get away, watch tv with only about 4 channels. Cable had just started to make a move so we had TBS. That was the big thing. And it was enough for a simple country boy like me. Great movies, occasionally switch to CNN or weather or something like that. and usually it seemed that I was the only one taking advantage of it, as the officers at that time liked to go out and could. So the O Club was becoming a dinosaur.

In any case, I was there watching tv. It had a great couch that had been broken in by a few years of cadets, so it was just right to nap on while the tv droned on. Suddenly there was a knocking on the door. Answering it, I saw, I want to say Anderson. And if that was the case, then it would have been 1981. Anyway, he said that someone had been in my room and my sousaphone had fallen off the bed and had broken. I assumed that the bell had come off, and assured him it wouldn't be a problem getting it back together.

Now "K" Barracks was a 'L' shape, long halls and doors on each side. My room happened to be in the middle. As I almost got to me room, I heard "Get him" and all the doors opened up and Band Company flowed out and into the hall and surrounded me. I had been set up. As their grinning faces surrounded me, I didn't make a run or even fight as they grabbed me. The only thing I did say was that they had to take my shoes, pants (they were dry clean only) and my glasses and then they could throw me in the shower/and or shaving cream me. If not I would make sure that some of them talked funny before going in. As usual, my demands were met. See; they knew that what happened to me might happen to them. As long as you respected a few things, there was no problem. At a military school where shoes and uniforms were important, taking of shoes so they could be shined again and your pants, which could stain and hand to be dry cleaned and you could only do that once a week, were important. Also glasses. Especially if you had to see music to play. and considering I was the only tuba player (and sounded like 3 tubas at times) my glasses were also taken care of.

Yes I got wet and probably shaving creamed. Did I care? No. Did everyone have fun? Hell yes! Would I do it again? You have no idea.