The short story that follows is based on the actual experiences of Richard C. Sanger, a Second Lieutenant for the Air Force during the Korean War. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, where he also participated in the Reserve Officer Training Corps or R.O.T.C. program. R.O.T.C. is a federal program that prepares students for a military career while it pays for a portion of their education. Mr. Sanger was called into service in 1952 while living in Salisbury, Connecticut. He went to war just one year before the Korean War ended. During his years of service, he worked as a supply officer for pilots in several countries. He served both in the U.S. and outside, including Morocco, Alaska, and extended time in South Dakota. While in South Dakota he traveled on short-duty tours to places including Guam, Greenland, and England. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain in 1958. He went on to attend law school and now lives and works as an attorney in Collinsville, Connecticut.

A Camp Without Hot Dogs

It was a damp day in the Black Hills of Rapid City, South Dakota. It had been raining on the campers for several days. But this was no ordinary camping trip. This was a test of skills, agility and survival. The small unit of men was out to prove to the Air Force that they could take whatever Mother Nature threw at them.

The test was one each Air Force member had to face each year - survival in the woods for five days with limited supplies, traveling from a drop-off point to a specific destination within a definite time frame. The group was given matches, string, wire, a compass and a map of the area; and each soldier was given one meal. It was a 25 to 30 mile hike through unknown territory to reach their destination.

The men didn’t have the luxury of a tent. As the storm increased in intensity, they sought shelter under the only thing available - a large spruce tree. Though it kept the soldiers from getting completely soaked, it did little to prevent the dampness and the chill. Grouchy attitudes were common in moments like this, but most of the men approached the week as an adventure.

Hiking was made more difficult by the rain, and once in a while, one of the men would slip and fall, caking his face and clothing with mud. In spite of themselves, the men laughed when the slips came, finding humor in what would have been a dirty situation in everyday life.

Richard Sanger was one of the men on the sojourn. He and a few of his comrades used the wire and the string to create nets for fishing. Others dared to test themselves further by attempting to catch fish barehanded. It was not always successful and often resulted in unexpected baths. The fish caught in the nets were roasted over an open fire, fed with firewood gathered by the soldiers. It wasn’t always easy to find dry wood after the rain, so having a cooked meal was always a treat.

Vegetables were not necessarily part of the diet, but several members of the team knew enough about camping to recognize and collect edible plants and berries for the group. Fortunately there also was a constant supply of clear stream water for drinking.

At the end of the fifth day, having successfully reached their appointed location, the men were rewarded with a ride back to base camp in trucks.

The terrain was perhaps not the same as in other countries, but the men discovered how to keep their wits in unknown territory. It was a chance to put to use a set of skills most people never discover.