Com-Central.net

To Doug and the AFV News Crew...OUTSTANDING!

D.I.: "Lei! Venga e si presenti!"

(roughly: You! (formal) Identify yourself!)

moi: "recluta Luca J######! 37a squadra, 3o plotone, prima compagnia!
comandi"

(very roughly: "Sir! Recruit Luca J######! 37th squad, 3rd platoon, 1st
company! Sir!"

It was a mild form of hazing we underwent at basic. The D.I. would explain that when so ordered we were to break ranks, run to the superior NCO asking us, come to attention (with a nice Itie army footstomp) salute and recite that info in a loud voice. The standard answer (by the D.I,. was along the lines of "I can't f#####g hear you". The second guy they called out came out at whisper level; he spent 10 minutes yelling that stuff out until his vocla chords gave out. I got called 5th. I just hollered pretty loud the first time so I only got to do it the once.

Armor (quasi) content). My barracks had as a sort of 'monument' (on each side of the main flagpole) two British 6 lbr AT guns which must have been given to the Itie army post-war. When it transpired, due to a farcical statement by another recruit, that I actually knew what they were, where they came from and the CALIBER (remember, it was draftee army), inevitbaly, my nickname for the rest of basic was 'Rambo' (sic). The D.I.s were draftees as well (don't ask), after that little epsidoe, when someone would alunch into a little 'military history' they would throw me a glance in case I had contraddictory information to share.

"when someone would alunch into a little 'military history' they would throw me a glance in case I had contraddictory information to share."

When I was at VMI that was a common trick of upperclassman. Go to a Rat (freshman) in a formation and ask him a question that he was supposed to know. If he answered it wrong he would get some kind of punishment. Then they would ask someone else in the formation. If that person answered it differently (even if his answer was correct) he would get punishment (usually twice as much) for "F#@%ing your Brother Rat"

It was a typical no win situation that military trainers seem to love so much. Sometimes you could luck out with a strong "Sir I will not F#$k my Brother Rat., Sir" but that comment would sometimes get you in more trouble for being a smartass. One time when asked "Are you a Smartass rat?" I got away with "Sir, that's what the doctor said when I was born, Sir". The upperclassman looked at my nametag stared back at me for a couple seconds (I think he couldn't figure out what to say) and then stomped off to harrass another poor rat.

By the way are you sure they were British 6 pdrs and not American 57mm AT guns? About the only way to tell the difference on most is to look at the stamped in foundry marks

Guess I should have signed in here to, I'm aboard and loking for good ways to get Russ to wrap his keyboard in Plasic

Jeff Lewis

Speaking of Russ, he seems to be having some problems getting registered here, judging by posts he left at the old site. Can anyone more computer literate than myself help him aboard? It took me 2 or 3 tries to get mine to go through.

David

"By the way are you sure they were British 6 pdrs and not American 57mm AT guns? About the only way to tell the difference on most is to look at the stamped in foundry marks"

Bob, I suspect he is correct in identifying them as British. Units of the Co-Belligerent Italian Army were organized and equipped by the British along the same lines as British units. This was during, not after, the war BTW.

David

- David_Reasoner

Speaking of Russ, he seems to be having some problems getting registered here, judging by posts he left at the old site. Can anyone more computer literate than myself help him aboard? It took me 2 or 3 tries to get mine to go through.

David

I'm on it....

Alright! I'm in! The place looks good. Death to online casino spammers!!

its pretty sad that the spammers tried to spoil a site that had had nearly six million hits.
that was a very agressive thing to try and do. I am pleased that they did not succeed.
i do like this setup, thank you very much for getting it sorted!

Hi all,

I'm just reporting for duty on the new site. I hope we can make it as good or better than the last!

Mike Haines

Cool avatar Mike!


Jeff

Hi all!

Looks like I managed to find my way over here. Nice place, too.

Geez, a guy goes away for a couple of days, and you all go and move away. I suppose it's just an accident, like my parents said it was that time in 3rd grade...I found my own way home then, too!

C

Well, I like the new forum - here everyone's a "power user".

Hope everyone from the old site finds their way here.

Claus B (infrequent poster and frequent lurker)

Thanks for your work in setting this up, Doug.