This is also posted under the "Shooting the Breeze" section but I thought posting it here more of you might get a kick out of just how stupid the Army was at times!!!
Following VE Day in the ETO,my unit was to go to the Pacific(PTO) and we were sent lock stock and barrel to the Arles Staging Area near Marseilles for a refitting and remanning etc.
This was following(at least in my case) some 281 days of combat and many of the men had done the same or nearly the same thing. Why do I emphasize this?
Some genius in the Command running the Staging Area thought that it would be a good idea, not only to keep the men busy, but (and this is a direct quote) "to refresh their ability to hit a given target and to become familiar with their weapons". Apparently he thought we had been pointing our weapons at the Krauts and yelling "BANG I GOTCHA".
After a few rounds up in the air,,or men turning around and pointing their loaded weapons at the Range Crew while asking such questions as how do I put a shell in this weapon(M-1s), it was decided that this was too dangerous for the Range People so the "exercise" was called off.
We didn't know it but our BN. CO(originally a Capt in HQ Co.) was watching all the time and according to his driver almost split a gut laughing before he cleared the area.
Next day we were back to hanging around the Co. tent area playing touch football.
Sgtleo 