June, 1963, Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. The Platoon Sergeant is addressing my Basic Training Platoon (1-C-2-2) for the first time:

Now, some of you guys are white and come from the city. Some of you guys are white and come from the country. Some of you guys are negroes and come from the city, and some are negroes who come from the country.

I'm not going to put up with race stuff here. To me, you're all a bunch of dickheads and you're all green. Now start getting squared away.

Presence or lack of melanin has never meant much to me or my family. You're either a decent human being or you're a shit. Simple.

(By the way, one of the "negroes", a really quiet kid from Alabama, did some of the best hand jive I've ever heard. When he got going the whole company -- 210 men -- would stand around and enjoy.)