Mom didn't raise a dummy!!

     When I was stationed in Whidbey Island, WA we had to go through a week long security guard training.When we were done we had to guard the aircraft on our watch. It wasn't too serious of a training but, more of a common sense training to be alert on our duties. 

      On the last day of training we were asked one at a time to come up front and face the trainer. He handed us a light weight pine billy club. Which is our weapon of choice when we were on duty. The instructor was pretending to be an intruder to steal an aircraft and he was holding a fake pistol in his hand. One at a time he would call us up and asked us to show him what we would do if we were approached. Each time a person came up they would try and attack or try and take the pistol from the trainer. each time the trainer would say nice try pretend to shoot his pistol and say " BANG! YOUR DEAD!!" "You have a pine stick I have a pistol!" Mind you my friend Jack and I were the only Marines in the group of  trainees. The rest were sailors. No offense but, they weren't trained the way we were. So. Jack and I were snickering as each person got shot and killed.

     Well the trainer heard us and called me on it. He says "OK!! Since you think this is funny. You go ahead and show the class what to do. So, I wanted to make it clear that he was a person with a large pistol that would and possibly kill me! He says "right". I have a pine billy club to defend myself and he says "right". I look at my club and then his pistol. I take the club SSLLOOWWLLY put it out in front of me kneel down, place the club on the floor and then stand, do an about face and walk away with my hands in the air. At this point there was a slight hesitation and silence in the room, then laughter. The instructor said I was the first person to ever do that without being told to never fight back when all you have is a club.

      This is one thing I grew up with was common sense. I see the situation and decide do I have a chance to take this person. NO!! Do I play it safe by dropping my weapon and take the chance of a quart marshal for leaving my post?? YES!!!. Knowing that I stayed alive, PRICELESS!!!