REMF's Gone Wild

Tuy Hoa was a big base with lots of brass, hordes of lifers, and assorted REMFs. It was not uncommon to be harassed by the MP's when we stood down there.

One afternoon, I was with a Sgt. coming back from the PX or the theater when it started raining. We began to jog hoping to get back to the Company Area quicker. A MP Sgt. in a jeep pulled up and ordered us to halt.

He informed me that I had a uniform violation; my trouser legs had come unbloused and were hanging down. No big deal but this was a chance for this REMF to hassle me.

I remember he kept pushing at me calling me stud. This was pissing me off. I told him to call me Specialist, my last name, or just Doc - but not stud. My attitude infuriated him. He went for his stick.

The situation escalated but before he could beat me down I submitted and covered my head. He cuffed me behind my back and shoved me hard into his jeep.

It was a short ride to the PMO, military police station. There I was hustled inside and placed in an interrogation chair in the center of the room. There was no reason for any of this to be happening.

After leaving me to sweat awhile, the MP came back in the room. He held his 45 and just walked up to me and placed the barrel against my forehead. Words were spoken but in my mind it was a blur. He was telling me to pray as he wanted to see me beg and cower. He cocked the 45. My last thoughts were that someone in 2nd. plt. would avenge me. I closed my eyes and he pulled the trigger.

Click. Nothing happened; I was still alive. He had dry fired the weapon. The sensation of almost dying left me speechless, wondering about life, feeling my hands still cuffed tightly and wanting to kill so bad I could taste it in my mouth.

That's when my Plt. Leader showed up with the Plt. Sgt. He asked for my release and pointed out that there were grunts outside with weapons. He told the LT at the PMO it would be best for all concerned if I were released into his custody. That's what they decided to do and once I was back with the Plt. all was well. Sometime later I found a unique way to deal with the MP Sgt.