LOL. So true to a degree. A pretty standard story for many HS military school graduates from places like Culver and Georgia Military Academy, etc. Some of the wildest party animals I ever met came from those places. I had 2 fraternity bros from GMI and one of my 1st cousins went to Culver and HIS roommate at Culver turned up as the roommate of one of my frat. bros from GMI in pilot tng at Reese in Lubbock. LOL Calling Kevin “6 degrees” Bacon! Two other Culver products I know were both wildmen also. One, C. J. “Dutch” Duchissois is a multi-millionaire from up your way Wilco. His family Corp owns Arlington Racetrack in Chicago as well as the Fairgrounds in N.O.. Made the original family fortune building rail-roas cars–it’s a mini conglomerate now. He and I met in AFROTC summer camp at Lockborne AFB outside of Columbus Ohio. We had the distinction of the 2 of us getting kicked out of the Holiday Inn West, East, South and Central in Columbus for “party-hardy” activities on weekends. We ran out of time to sample the North branch. LOL!! He was a DEKE at Tulane where he got kicked out for, well, being a DEKE. He then transferred to SMU where he graduated as an AFROTC honors grad, but because of eyes joined the Marines. He was up in I-Corps at Chu Lai with the Ist MAW branch down there when I was up at DaNang. He’s donated tens of millions to SMU–I bet Tulane wishes they had been more tolerant now–had recognized his “inner qualities.” LOL!!

Upon reflection our little colloquy here reflects something about basic American culture, to wit: most people think that in order to be “serious” about something, one has to also be “solemn” about it–and this goes double for the armed forces here in America–unlike, say, my experiences with the RAF, RN, the RAAF and Aus Army, for that matter, whose collective “culture” has a far different “take” on the matter. I’ve ALWAYS been deadly serious about everything I’ve ever done–it’s just that my personality doesn’t always lend itself to the “solemn” approach. Play hard, work hard, as the old saying goes. Or as one 0-6 I once worked for said to me: “Just remember: If you’re gonna hoot all night with the owls you still gotta get up in the morning and scream with the eagles!”

I was always competitive all my life growing up on a college campus as I did in competition academically with the sons and daughters of the rest of the faculty, and as a multi-sport son of a hall of fame college coach the pressure was always on. I didn’t even date during the school year in HS, considering it too distracting to my studies and athletics–never attended a jr or sr prom–left the dating to the summer when playing the amateur mid-west tennis “circuit”(such as it was in those days). As a result I won a Nat.Merit Scholarship I never used as I went to LSU on a tennis scholarship. I was also a good enough HS footballer that I’ve still have a personal letter from Ben Martin, then the Head coach at the AFA, wanting me to come play for him as a defensive back. I was small for the position even then, but I know/knew how to take (and give) the “big hit.”

In college I was w.o a car for my 1st 2yrs–as my Aunt had said that if I made st As for two yrs straight she’d buy me a new car–which she did. (I should’ve asked for an E-type Jag–they were only going for around 6 grand a pop in those days–but I was too nice a guy to impose THAT much on her pocketbook) We had Sat. classes at LSU my first two yrs there, so I never partied on Fri. nights either–I was in the dorm studying.

Of course I made up for lost time my final two years–but business before pleasure–I could afford to coast by then…pick and chose when to hit it hard…

So, I guess what I’m trying to say, sports-fans, never under-estimate a “party-animal.”

Who said it was misspent? As the old saying goes: Seemed like a good idea at the time. Besides, as I repeat, SOME of us can walk and chew gum at the same time…..