In spring of 72, during the Collegetown riots, I was in NROTC (Naval
ROTC).Ê We all (e.g. my other Navy cadets & I) were just a bunch of
college kids, so we hung out with everyone else checking out the
relatively tame standoff with the Ithaca police one warm spring weekend
evening.Ê Well, our Gunny Sergeant (whom we knew as "Gunny") did
likewise, and next week we got a stern reprimand from Major King ( a
really great guy and Marine Officer) on how we Navy Officers were
expected to hold a higher standard than watching (or encouraging) riots.

Well, my roommate, Marty (last name withheld) brought back a canister of
pepper gas as a souvenir to our dormroom in Class of 17 Hall, which he
attempted to clean up (another story) to no avail.Ê He did manage
however, give all our clothes a good stiff shot of pepper gas deodorizer
which lasted through finals.Ê So here I am in ROTC Thursday afternoon
next week, as we all denied our participation to Major King (all 25 of
us) following his stern lecture, while my uniform reeks of pepper gas.Ê
Gunny is across the drill floor (? forgot the name of that place)
looking at me with a big smirk on his face.Ê I suspect everyone in our
unit knew where I spent my time that week!Ê (Big deal, everyone else was
there too, including the Major's daughter!)

Funny part about it was, I went on to do a couple tours in the Navy, and
if you think this story is outrageous, you need to quaff a couple with
me down at the Chapter House again!Ê (Gunny could have quaffed my career
that day!)

Jim August (Eggebroten) '75