Silver Dollars

Yesterday was a big day.  After 32 years and 4 months on active duty, I am now retired from the US Army.

I went into the Pentagon this morning and turned in my building pass, outprocessed the health and dental clinics and dropped by the security office so they could close my security access.  I spoke to a few people i know, but it was mostly a solitary process, and walking through that big building does something to you.

By 1100 I was at Fort Meyer doing the final outprocessing.  That took several hours as there were some hoops I had to jump through; things I should have done already, but I always had something better to do.  It was a really nice day at Fort Meyer; lush and green and cool and humming with soldier-activity.  Everyone had something to do, and even if it wasn't very important, a soldier in uniform moving purposefully can make it look important.

They printed out my DD214 to document my service at about 1515 and sent me on my way with instructions to pick up my retired ID card within the next few days.  There were plenty of other officers being helped, so not a lot of fanfare.  I had to wait to pull out of my parking spot while an older guy made his way into the ID card section.  It didn't take long; just enough time to wonder how long it would be before that was me, I guess. 

When a new officer is commissioned in the Army, his first salute is important.  It's the first of thousands that he will give and receive, each and every one of them a reminder of what he's about.  The tradition is that a new lieutenant will give a silver dollar to the first person who salutes him after being commissioned, so there's some money to be made by saluting new officers.  I had to negotiate around several hopeful prospectors as I made my way down the hill at West Point after I graduated, and if I remember correctly, my father gave me my first salute and got my silver dollar.  28 May 1986 was a day a lot like yesterday; bright and fresh and blue.

A young captain in class A's was training three members of the Unknowns Tomb honor guard on the parade field across the street from the Officer's Club, and as I left Fort Meyer I stopped my car on the side of the street to go talk to him.  They were, all four of them, exactly what you hope to see in young soldiers; sharp, serious and focused.  Captain Bender called his soldiers to attention and saluted me in a much more crisp and professional manner than anything I had ever produced, I'm sure.  I returned his salute - my last - and then shook his hand, and as I held his hand I reminded him about the tradition of giving a silver dollar to the first salute.  I gave CPT Bender a Susan B Anthony that I had brought just for the occasion.

A dollar's not worth as much today as it was back in '86, which I guess is apropos, both for me and the dollar. :-)  And now I'm done, at least with that.  Next stop: Fort Worth to see mom, Ventura to see Sarah and thence to Australia.