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How Big Bill Got His War Wound

( By former member of the C Pro C Warrant Officer Mike Mulvihill )

Photo of Mike Mulvihill spacer. Way back in the day when I was a skinny-neck soldier, underpaid, unloved, and crapped upon by betters, peers and followers, in the Canadian Army, and a member of 4 Provost Platoon, 4 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group, British Army On The Rhine, stationed in Fort Henry, Soest, Westphalia, Federal Republic of West Germany, (now that's a mouthful). I did not realize it at the time, but I was a Cold War Warrior, defending our Western values and way of life against the other guys system and view of life.

spacer. Looking back on those times, I now realize they were the best times of my life for job satisfaction, camaraderie, close friends, simplification of life's view, and just in general, fun times. I really do wish I could do it all over again. (Are you listening, Lord?) But that is Life, isn't it? We travel the road we are given and get to smell the flowers along that road if we wish, but we can never go back. C'est la Vive ! But Wow! We really all did make a difference when put into today's context, didn't we? I really am proud of the contribution me and my mates in all of this made in spite of what the spin of the left leaning Oligarchs try to put on those times. We did our job, and we did it extremely well!

spacer. Anyway; those times have many great memories for me, and as is the usual for the human condition, our minds edit out the crap and only leave the really good times in the forefront of our memory bank to recall. I opine that is great! It's the species way of coping with adverse emotional crap and moving on.

spacer. Over the years, I have been putting down in writing my War Stories, for my grandchildren (and my children) for when they finally realize what I did and have done with my life was of use to the greater good, so that they get It from the horse's mouth, and not from the other end, second hand. So, having said that, this is one of my War Stories that makes me smile even now. It's how Big Bill, (with whom I soldiered) got his War wound, while a Cold War Warrior and member of A Section, 4 Provost Platoon, 4 (4 Pro Pl) CIBG, BAOR, in the 60's Federal Republic of West Germany!

spacer. At this time (mid 60's) in 4 Pro Pl, I was the fourth lightest person for weight in the Platoon. Only Dick W----, Bobby H----, and the Commanding Officer, were of less weight. I weighed in at 188 pounds soaking wet! It was a time in the Provost, when the unwritten motto was, be big, or be good! (I was reasonably good, fast and sneaky!). Big Bill was around about 230 pounds or about the average size of most of the MP members at that time in the Platoon. (95% of the platoon at that time were over 215 pounds in weight!)

spacer. This occurred on the big NATO exercise in the fall, 1967. We had been out 10 weeks so far under canvas, at Soltau, Luneburg Heath, for Unit maneuvers and training, Command Post Exercises, and the like. This all in the general area of Hamburg Germany and culminated in the 10 - 14 day NATO exercise in Northern Germany by all NATO members. This was a maximum effort exercise with no time off or stand-down until finished. You adapted and overcame any difficulty or adversities and carried on, or you were pilloried by other NATO members as being not up to standard, a title you did not want to have hung on your neck as a professional soldier.

spacer. Big Bill was the junior partner in the Jeep Team of Alpha 3, A section, 4 Provost Platoon. The other member was Mike H---, (Some may remember him as a defenseman on the Huskie hockey team of 4 Transport Coy at that time). This was his first NATO exercise after his posting into the unit. Bill had a great attitude, and was a bon Vivant in the unit. I was a member of Alpha 2 Jeep Team, as junior member, along with Smoky B------s, the senior member.

spacer. We had been on the Final Drive of the exercise for about 4 days. It covered all the major aspects of an Army in battle: defense, withdrawal under fire, advance to contact, passage of lines, river assault and consolidation of objective. The traffic control required really did tax the platoon, as you had other NATO units passing through your territory to complicate and exacerbate things, and proper movement of troops was paramount to any success of regardless of what phase of battle you were in.

spacer. Then the Section Sergeant (Sgt. Robbie R--------) came down the route, with the End-EX order and instructions for us as to what to do now, and the rendezvous grid reference for the section for further orders.

spacer. Alpha 2 orders on End-EX was to de-sign the route that Alpha 3 had signed about 4 hours previously, and RV with them down the route at the Traffic Point that they were manning, and then proceed to the Section RV.

spacer. This we did. Of course; when we arrived at Mike's and Bill's location, we had to have a coffee, and a BS session to discuss the exercise so far. Now, in the course of the Fall-EX, Smoky and I had acquired a brand new QM issue trailer tarp (tarpaulin) cover for our trailer. This was almost unheard of, and was right up there with a Christmas Miracle! This was much commented upon by Mike and Bill, and some dispersion as to our methods of acquiring same was put forth, and defended vigorously by us as to our method of acquisition. but, possession being 9/10 of the law.

spacer. After coffee, and confirmation of our orders, (we were to proceed to the Section RV grid reference under leadership of Alpha 2) we started out on the route. At this time, Mike H--- placed a lit Thunder Flash on our brand new tarp, as we pulled out around them. I shouted to Smoky about this and he said to keep on going. The Thunder Flash exploded, and then Smoky told me to pull over. We got out, and found a brand new hole in our brand new Jeep Trailer tarp! Just then, Mike and Bill (who was driving) passed us with great jocularity out the open jeep doors at us. (We had the doors off the jeeps for the NATO exercise.)

spacer. Smoky told me to drive and to pass them. He fairly turned the air blue because of the hole in the new tarp that they had caused. That I did.

spacer. As we pulled up beside Alpha 3 on the road, Smoky lit a Thunder Flash of his own, and threw it into Mike's and Bill's jeep. Now, normally, if you can't find the Thunder Flash that's lit, common sense would dictate that you would stop the jeep and get out, and let it do its worst. Thunder Flashes have a relatively long fuse burning time. That ----- did not happen!

spacer. It was hilarious, looking in the rear view mirror, at Mike trying to bail out of the Jeep on the right, and Bill, who didn't want to stop, leaning out of the left Jeep doorway and continuing to drive down the road. Anyway, they were only going about 10 miles per hour at this time. The Thunder Flash went off. The Jeep side curtains and roof billowed, and Big Bill let out a howl that even we could hear over the Jeep engine noise.

spacer. What had happened was the Thunder Flash that Smoky threw, hit the back of Bill's seat, and went down into the crack between the back and the seat as he was leaning forward, and did not go into the back of the Jeep as Smoky planned. Bill, in then leaning out of the Jeep door, put the left cheek of his Big Butt on the Thunder Flash, and sort of tamped It down before it went off, with the inevitable consequences. (Thunder Flashes may be just a big Fire-Cracker, but they can hurt if close when they go off.)

spacer. Bill had a hole blown in the seat of his combat pants about the size of a baseball. We had to render First Aid then and there as his posterior had been burned by the explosion. Burn Ointment from the First Aid Kit was administered by me (as I was the junior member present), which I slathered on his posterior, while Big Bill was bent over the front of his Jeep hood with his knickers down to his ankles, and mooning the world!. Smoky and Mike were laughing so hard they were in tears. Comments of an early moon rise etc. were among the more innocuous comments. A couple of German Civilians who were up and about at this early morning hour commenced with a lot of Mensch-ing and Meier-ing, and Junge - Junge about our performance of rendering First Aid in public at the outskirts of this village we were stopped at. but, even Big Bill was laughing about the situation.

spacer. We got to the Section RV, and an edited version of what happened was given to the Section Sergeant and then we proceeded to the Platoon RV. Mike H... drove. Bill went to the MIR, and got 5 days light duty. The incident was written up as Some Brit Vehicle drove by and threw the Thunder Flash, while we were on exercise. spacer. But that, my friends, is the true story of how Big Bill of 4 Provost Platoon, got his war wound while on a NATO Maneuver in Germany! (WAY ahead of Forest Gump!)

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