As this new type and cause of meningitis spreads in the nation, it is only expected that my thoughts would revert to the time I suffered with bacterial meningitis. If I ever wrote a book on my experiences in the navy the chapter on my time in the hospital would be a long one. However, I prefer to remember the compassion and help given me freely by a group of comrades.
It was the last day of radar school. Our seabags were packed and our hammocks with the thin mattresses were lashed around them. We were ready for whatever came next, except that I was extremely depressed and could not understand why. Grades had been posted and I was one of the top four, thus being promooted to seaman first class. We were loaded into a bus and transported to Camp Elliott, there to await orders. We were taken to a hut, one of a line, all of them with no running water or facilities. A call came telling us to sign up if we wanted to go on liberty. I responded, thinking a movie might get me out of my depression.
I threw my gear on a top bunk, not even spreading the hammock out to give me a place to lie; instead I lay on the bare wire. As I began to feel extremely ill, I called for water. No one had a cup or glass, but one guy took an envelope to the end of the row of huts where there was a faucet. He raccd back to give me the few drops that the envelope contained. For hours I called for water and the hut-mates ran over and over again to bring me envelopes of water. That went on until I fell asleep or lost consciousness. The next morning the master of arms came, cursed me, and jerked me from the bunk, knocking me to the deck. He dragged me, protesting all the way, to the master of arms shack, planning to send me to the brig. Instead, I went to sick bay where I got a pitcher of water. That's another story; this is about the compassion some young men showed to a human being -- me.
It was the last day of radar school. Our seabags were packed and our hammocks with the thin mattresses were lashed around them. We were ready for whatever came next, except that I was extremely depressed and could not understand why. Grades had been posted and I was one of the top four, thus being promooted to seaman first class. We were loaded into a bus and transported to Camp Elliott, there to await orders. We were taken to a hut, one of a line, all of them with no running water or facilities. A call came telling us to sign up if we wanted to go on liberty. I responded, thinking a movie might get me out of my depression.
I threw my gear on a top bunk, not even spreading the hammock out to give me a place to lie; instead I lay on the bare wire. As I began to feel extremely ill, I called for water. No one had a cup or glass, but one guy took an envelope to the end of the row of huts where there was a faucet. He raccd back to give me the few drops that the envelope contained. For hours I called for water and the hut-mates ran over and over again to bring me envelopes of water. That went on until I fell asleep or lost consciousness. The next morning the master of arms came, cursed me, and jerked me from the bunk, knocking me to the deck. He dragged me, protesting all the way, to the master of arms shack, planning to send me to the brig. Instead, I went to sick bay where I got a pitcher of water. That's another story; this is about the compassion some young men showed to a human being -- me.
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