Page 85 - Firehouse Pond

Field Manual 21-150 Appendix A-1

Our hand-to-hand combat training included pugil sticks. They are basically

long sticks with only a little padding on each end. Think tremendously large
Q-Tips. I got my butt kicked every time. I never gave in and never gave up,

much to the annoyance of my Drill Instructors.

Next came live grenade training. Live fire with the M-14 was one thing; the
bullets went out and away. But holding a live grenade with the pin removed;

you are literally holding your life (and others’) in your own hand. Baseball
skills came in handy.

We repeated everything over and over and over until we had it down pat. We
could march, fire our weapons accurately, throw a grenade and come close
enough, defend ourselves and our fellow soldiers hand-to-hand and bayonets
attached if need be.