i was tear gassed once in the 60’s

I was just reading about a guy who was tear gassed in the 60’s. He was at an anti-war rallI was just reading about a guy who was tear gassed in the 60’s. He was at an anti-war rally and the police threw in tear gas and he left real fast.

I was tear gassed once in the 60’s myself. The difference was, I was the military.

We were in basic training, doing all the stuff that was supposed to prepare us for military service and combat. Fort Bliss, in El Paso was where I was stationed.

We got to the training field and came to a little house. It was probably eight by eight square.

The drill sergeant told us that today we would learn what tear gas felt like. Tear gas was used occasionally in combat so they wanted the troops to know what it was like. I didn’t particularly want to, but kept wisely quiet.

We went in by fours. He gave us a gas mask at the door and told us to hold it in our hands and put it on when they told us.

I walked into the room. No windows. Suddenly, my eyes started burning, I had trouble breathing. My face where I had shaved that morning burned. The drill sergeant shouted Wait! We stood there gasping and crying.

He told us that before we could put them on, we had to say our military ID numbers. I finally remembered it and recited it.

Then he said, Okay, put them on.

It was such a relief to put the gas masks on. They were horribly uncomfortable, but they filtered the air so well.

We stood for a few moments and he told us to go on out.

I heard that one guy walked through the wall to get out, but I am not sure if that was apocryphal or not. I know I felt like it.

Not sure what brought that on. Part of the great tapestry that is my life.

That sounded hokey, didn’t it?