The news of the bridge collapse on I 5 reminds me of

[EQGuy]

the time my friend George B in the Army took out the only bridge to Fairbanks over the Tanana River on the Friday before Labor Day weekend in 1969. We were both in the earth moving platoon of the 808th Engineers stationed at Fort Wainwright just outside of Fairbanks. He had taken a load down to Fort Greely on a flat bed driving a 5 ton tractor and was returning the same load driving a 10 ton tractor. The 10 ton tractor is higher than the 5 ton. The load included a bulldozer blade sitting blade down with the arms in the air. He was driving fast to make the grade on the other side of the bridge. When he hit the bridge the trailer bounced and the dozer blade caught the cross bars in the bridge and took out two or three of them. It also knocked a sheep’s foot roller off which knocked a large hole in the pavement. The bridge did not fail but ADOT deemed it unsafe and we got to build a Bailey Bridge over the river that weekend. ADOT decided to let traffic cross the bridge one vehicle at a time as this was the only road to Fairbanks at the time. After we completed the Bailey Bridge ADOT decided they did not really need it so we got to take it down again.

The state of Alaska presented the Army a bill for $1,000,000. The Army told the state that Lt B was the man responsible even though he was 100 miles away in Fort Wainwright when the load was loaded on the trailer at Fort Greely. Alaska then filed a law suit against Lt B for $1,000,000. The Army chose not to provide him any assistance in the suit and when I got out of the Army in March of 1970 he was still fighting it on his own. That was too bad because he was a nice guy. After seeing how the Army protected its junior officers I was thankful I did not go to OCS as I had signed up to do.

 

[rwsmith]

I can't believe

I can't believe that the Army could shunt that onto an individual on duty doing their job. Yeah, the army takes care of its own....

 

[shouldazagged]

"Be all that you can be." Just don't ever let anyone under your command screw up.

Sad.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I got drafted after I graduated college in 1964. People from that time know there were a lot of ways to avoid being drafted, but I just wanted to check it out..plus I was broke! The Army started hitting on me to go OCS soon after basic started but I already knew it would add about a year to my hitch....no thanks. After I got my permanent duty orders, the Sergeant Major on post hit on me to take a direct commission. By then I knew for sure the shortest hitch was best for me. Best decision I ever made. All my college buddies who got commissioned went to Nam.

That LT who was getting screwed should have been talking to his Senators and Congressman. In the Army, LTs are lower than whale dung.