Speaking of barrels--as suggested by another Category.
Remember when each property had a barrel on the back of the property that was used to burn trash? No one believed they were polluting anything and it was an easy method of getting rid of everyday house hold trash.
Everything went in to be burned--paper, tin cans, bottles, etc. It seems there was a trash pick up company that came around on a regularly scheduled basis of two or three months, or so, and emptied the ash contents of the barrels and they may also have picked up larger items, such as old stoves, etc.
After so much use the barrel tended to rust at the bottom and fall apart. A new barrel would have to be replaced and holes would have to be cut into the bottom to provide for adequate air flow.
I don't recall where my dad or anyone else got their barrels--maybe it was from the trash company.
Waldo,
When I was a pup my Dad had a Farmall Cub tractor. My brother Steve and me would dump trash barrels into a 4 wheel wagon(steel wheels) and for a small fee haul it to the Elk Falls junk yard. because Steve couldn't back the 4 wheel trailer we usually ended up unhooking it and backing it in by hand. A lot of people in Elk Falls used old rock screens from the Moline rock quarry and wired 4 of them together to make a burn "barrel". Back in the 1800's and a little after most city folks burnt paper but most bottles went into the privy hole. When the hole got full, dig one beside it and scoot the outhouse over the new hole. Most bottle diggers dig in old privy holes.
My parents, living way out in the country as they did, had a burning barrel right up until we sold the place in 2001.
Jarhead,
Interesting about throwing bottles in the outhouse.
In 1948, we moved from a house that had an outdoor privy to one that had indoor plumbing.
I do recall a relative somewhere in Elk County, digging a new hole and moving the structure over.
I also recall that Monkey Ward, Sears, and Spiegel catalogs found their way into the outhouses as a cost cutting measure. I hated that.
I also seem to recall that pushing someone's outhouse over was a sport enjoyed by a few.
I doubt if there is any older man on this forum who ever did that when he was a kid, though.
I still use a burn barrel.
Quote from Waldo
I doubt if there is any older man on this forum who ever did that when he was a kid, though.
Don't be betting a lot of money on that Waldo. Elk Falls still had lots of outhouses when I was a little demon. I bet Frank can tell a few stories too. :angel:
Johnnie Fletcher from Mustang ,Ok( the man who wrote the "Kansas Bottles" book ) ,told me he dug a privy hole looking for bottles and the hole was 17 feet deep. Just this summer a digger from Illinois told me he dug one that was over 20 ft. Fletcher said he suspects a lot of the holes started out to be wells but were dry or too much hard rock so they just built an outhouse over the hole. I guess country folks didn't bother digging much of a hole. They just left the little back door open and let the chickens scratch it clean.
This reminds me of the outhouses in Viet Nam that had no hole dug underneath.
They were nice airy screened in structures that sat at ground level. In the back was a long door that opened up and a hired mama san would place a barrel cut in half under each opening.
Every day, or so, the mama san would come around and lift that door up, pull the full half barrels out away from the structure, pour diesel on the stuff in each and then set it on fire.
When I walked off the airplane at Cam Ranh Bay coming in country, I thought the place was under attack because of the many streaks of billowing black smoke that was going into the air.
When I was in Massachusetts a few years ago we went to an old CCC camp that is now on State Forest property and you could still see the trenches where the latrines had been. My husband had grown up next door to it and had hunted on it a teenager and remember where a lot of things had been. There were still three large fireplaces where they cooked the meals at.
I am 19 feet outside the city limits and I still have a burn barrel but just use it for limbs and leaves now, take the food and things that won't burn to a friends dumpster.
Quote from Waldo:
Every day, or so, the mama san would come around and lift that door up, pull the full half barrels out away from the structure, pour diesel on the stuff in each and then set it on fire.
DO WHAT ?? Mama sans burning the crap ? You gotta be kidding me Waldo !! Guess that's another difference between the Army and my beloved Corps.
When I first got in-country all FNGY's burned crappers and filled sand bags for a few days until you got outfitted and "sorta" used to the climate.
We remember strange things huh ? Spent a couple weeks on a hill running patrols and such. The hill was hill 1103, also known as FSB Nevilles. High enough we were socked in by clouds half the time
One morning I decided to go sit and" contemplate " The crapper was two poles tied over a slit trench. As I sit there looking out over the landscape it seemed like I could see forever. It was like I was on top the world. Damn near peaceful until I got this vision of a NVA sniper taking aim at the highest, most prominent, thing on that mountain. Decided I didn't need to go near as bad as I thought I did.
As disgusting as this is going to sound...............the mamasans in Korea did the same task, except it wasn't burned. They hauled it in wagons on the backs of bicycles. We referred to them as "honey wagons" and when passing one on the road, put the pedal to the metal to get past the stench. The contents of those honey wagons were used to fertilize the fields, mostly the lettuce that they used to make kimchi. It was basically the cheapest and easiest fertilizer around.
Larryj
Quote from: larryJ on August 19, 2011, 11:28:48 AM
As disgusting as this is going to sound...............the mamasans in Korea did the same task, except it wasn't burned. They hauled it in wagons on the backs of bicycles. We referred to them as "honey wagons" and when passing one on the road, put the pedal to the metal to get past the stench. The contents of those honey wagons were used to fertilize the fields, mostly the lettuce that they used to make kimchi. It was basically the cheapest and easiest fertilizer around.
Larryj
My uncle wouldn't eat rice til just recently because of that reason.
Don't know how this went from trash to latrines , but , many memories both ways.
QuoteDon't know how this went from trash to latrines
well, one is from the waste, and other is from the waist. :D
ready
We use to have burn barrels, and I miss them as now there are burn bans.
we got ours from oul drums and a shotgun will supply the holes for the circulation.
Tes, they do rust out from time to time.
It sure saved on the landfills at that time!
ready
Quote from: readyaimduck on August 19, 2011, 06:30:05 PM
We use to have burn barrels, and I miss them as now there are burn bans.
we got ours from oul drums and a shotgun will supply the holes for the circulation.
Tes, they do rust out from time to time.
It sure saved on the landfills at that time!
ready
why does that have an effect? Put a grate on top and its safe to use. Never stopped me from burning in one thats the purpose of the barrel to contain the fire.
I remember one year when Georgia enacted a burn ban but they allowed campfire. I had to burn a lot of wood so i just loaded up the wood and put rock around it, and sent the kiddos out with marshmallows!
We had a grate to use when burning and a lid Daddy made for the rest of the time.The barrel would last for many, many years. When PA. went to recycling they would put out the recyclables and burn what little was left. Even when they stopped allowing open burning we'd just call and get permission for agricultural burning and it was no problem to burn the orchard pruning and what was left from the big veggie garden.
Quote from: jarhead on August 18, 2011, 07:34:52 PM
The hill was hill 1103, also known as FSB Nevilles. High enough we were socked in by clouds half the time
Jarhead, this hill you are talking about? Was it higher then any hill in Elk County?
Janet,
Sorry I missed your question. I don't know if it is any higher but it damn sure was steeper than anything I know of around here and I think alot higher . I think when a hill had the designation of like 1103 it meant it was 1103 meters above sea level. Waldo can probably answer your question better than I can. all I know is we left hill 477 (LZ Catapult) that was almost on the DMZ and for two grueling days of humping we were with-in a stones throw of reaching the top of 1103 when we got word that a recon unit named American Beauty was getting their asses kicked in the DMZ (google that for an interesting account and Jimmie Stewarts step son was KIA) Less than a platoon of my company, me included, turned around and made a mad dash back to LZ Catapult. What took two days to climb took five hours to go back and it was a cluster #%$* !!! At my reunions we just refer to it as 'the Run" :D
Dang jarhead 3309 feet is no hill its a small mountain! Brasstown bald is almost 4500 feet in ga and is considered the highest point in georgia. Takes 2 1/2 hours to climb it
Quote from: jarhead on August 26, 2011, 11:51:24 AM
Janet,
Sorry I missed your question. I don't know if it is any higher but it damn sure was steeper than anything I know of around here and I think alot higher . I think when a hill had the designation of like 1103 it meant it was 1103 meters above sea level. Waldo can probably answer your question better than I can. all I know is we left hill 477 (LZ Catapult) that was almost on the DMZ and for two grueling days of humping we were with-in a stones throw of reaching the top of 1103 when we got word that a recon unit named American Beauty was getting their asses kicked in the DMZ (google that for an interesting account and Jimmie Stewarts step son was KIA) Less than a platoon of my company, me included, turned around and made a mad dash back to LZ Catapult. What took two days to climb took five hours to go back and it was a cluster #%$* !!! At my reunions we just refer to it as 'the Run" :D
Quote from Steve
Dang jarhead 3309 feet is no hill its a small mountain! Brasstown bald is almost 4500 feet in ga and is considered the highest point in georgia. Takes 2 1/2 hours to climb it
Yea Steve, was that with 75-100 lbs of gear you're carrying PLUS hacking part of the way with a machete thru vines and crap PLUS walking most of it on a ridge that was like walking on a knife blade AND not to forget the 2-3 walking wounded
and one WIA being carried because them sneaky little sum bitches decide to lob a few mortar rounds down on us the 1st day of the hump. Kinda changes things don't it? :D
Hell if it had just been me I would have dumped all my gear and RAN up that SOB in 2 hours just so I could hide in a bunker !! 8)
Quote from: jarhead on August 27, 2011, 07:41:49 PM
Quote from Steve
Dang jarhead 3309 feet is no hill its a small mountain! Brasstown bald is almost 4500 feet in ga and is considered the highest point in georgia. Takes 2 1/2 hours to climb it
Yea Steve, was that with 75-100 lbs of gear you're carrying PLUS hacking part of the way with a machete thru vines and crap PLUS walking most of it on a ridge that was like walking on a knife blade AND not to forget the 2-3 walking wounded
and one WIA being carried because them sneaky little sum bitches decide to lob a few mortar rounds down on us the 1st day of the hump. Kinda changes things don't it? :D
Hell if it had just been me I would have dumped all my gear and RAN up that SOB in 2 hours just so I could hide in a bunker !! 8)
Its amazing how we do not perceive the size of the terrain there by the military calling them hills. I knew there were some sizable mountains but didn't know that the hills they talked about were mountains.
Had a buddy that was there who talked about crawling up one of them there hills over downed trees and burnt vegitation to get up to them sum bitchs. i understand that it is a beautiful country as far as scenery goes.
Steve,
It makes no sense to me why 1103 was called a hill when a stones throw to the south- east was Tiger Tooth" Mountain", 1739 meters high. Marines did go up Tiger Tooth a few times but not me---I would have said "not only no--but hell no". At that heights I get a bloody nose !!
I imagine Nam is a pretty country but I would hate to cut firewood there. Pieces of shrapnel the size of plow shears imbedded in the trees and a metal detectors nightmare with all the metal laying around (unless by now it's all rusted away )
I would love to go to Nam today but the places I would want to go to, I doubt even a dirt bike could get me there---and this bum knee is the ONLY reason I can't hump to them places--Hack--cough--pant--wheeze !! :)
jarhead, I would have loved to have seen that run back down the hill. I didn't know much about that war. What exposure I got was when I went to college right out of high school and I remember how many vets were in school and how bitter they were about that war.
I have to say, Thank you, Lord, for getting jarhead back to Kansas in one piece, so that he can relate stories to those of us who were not there, especially when he paints a picture of him running down a mountain to help his fellow soldiers. Thank you, jarhead, for your service.
Janet,
That's strange that vets you knew in college were bitter about Nam. All my buddies I served with are all proud to have served and say they wouldn't have missed it for the world. I think a lot of the bitterness was whether you joined or got drafted. Most don't know it but the Marine Corps also drafted during Nam time. You know one, J.C, a rancher from Busby. J.C. was at KC getting drafted thinking he was bound for Ft Leonard Wood when a Marine recruiter walks in and says"you, you, you and you,come with me" J.C. said it was kind of a shock but glad it turned out that way. Guess it was his punishment for being short haired and clean cut.
Whoa there, I didn't run down no mountain to help anyone. They MADE me do it !!! :D
Uh, don't want to sound nit picky but Army is soldiers--Marines are called----we will just let ol Sarge finish that one---and then I will punch him in the eye---again !!
Steve, I wrote my ol platoon commander and asked him why we called the mountains, hills. He said it was because if he had said 'we are going to take "mountain" 484 on Mutters Ridge that he knew I would be going to the Corpsman begging him to send me to the rear for an in-grown toe nail or jungle rot or something. but when he says"boys were are gonna be taking "hill " 484 tomorrow my reasoning would be" just a hill--not a problem" . Maybe that's why he was an officer and I was a lowly peon. :D
Quote from: jarhead on August 28, 2011, 09:38:54 PM
... I was a lowly peon. :D
Was? Oh, sorry Jar, I was typin out loud again. <snicker>
Don't press your luck there Fly-Boy :)
Quote from: jarhead on August 28, 2011, 10:05:15 PM
Don't press your luck there Fly-Boy :)
LOL
You either Buster Brownshoe... I buy keyboard ink by the barrel! :D
I posted this in early 2008 concerning the draft during Vietnam. This event occurred after about 195 men had reported to the Kansas City Induction Station at 7:00 am that morning. Five of these men were enlistees and knew they were going into the army. The rest were draftees and had no idea which branch of the armed forces they would be serving.
About 6:30 pm, an Army master sergeant walked in and blew a whistle. He shouted for all draftees to line up in four lines. Many of the draftees were eager to do something after a long essentially boring day consisting primarily of waiting, so most promptly complied.
After all were lined up, the master sergeant started down one line counting. When he got to the 17th man, he told that group to move to another room. As they departed, he shouted, "You men are in the Marines Corps!" Most did not like what had just happened and one or two started to argue--but to no avail.
The master sergeant counted the next batch and said, "You men are in the Navy." After the next batch, he said, "You men are in the Air Force." Then he advised that everyone left was in the Army.
I was drafted in Denver. During the orientation and oath taking (and giving), we were asked to volunteer for the mar....Marines. Nobody did.
As far as bitterness, it was a combination of bitterness toward our government for running a bad war, bitterness because when the troops returned, they were cussed at, spit on and generally insulted being called baby killers...........bitterness toward a country that drafted them away from their families. Had Johnson quit the politics and ran the war like it was supposed to be run, it would have been different.
IMHO
Larryj
I was eligible for the draft in dec of '72. I therefore took part in the govt sponsored lottery (# 233 ) drew a big sigh of relief!! I was enrolled at Emporia State at the time, and had made plans to join up if my lottery went bad. I had a few friends that pulled really low numbers. I don't recall what was a "safe number" Do you remember ballpark what was considered a safe number Jarhead? I do know any friends of mine that went I had nothing but complete and total respect for their service and still feel that way today. 18 years old, plucked from elk co. to there..........................one helluva change in scenery for sure.....
QuotePosted on: Today at 09:31:00 pmPosted by: doobie
Quote[I therefore took part in the govt sponsored lottery /quote]
That was in itelf a step towrds helping... Thank you for being willing to 'step up to the plate'
ready... and too old to sign up for the army in 76. ( I tried ...was denied)
Quote from: larryJ on August 29, 2011, 07:10:24 PM
As far as bitterness, it was a combination of bitterness toward our government for running a bad war, bitterness because when the troops returned, they were cussed at, spit on and generally insulted being called baby killers...........bitterness toward a country that drafted them away from their families. Had Johnson quit the politics and ran the war like it was supposed to be run, it would have been different.
IMHO
Larryj
That's a fact Jack!
Waldo,
some of the ones that I knew who were drafted in the Corps said a recruiter would come into the Army induction center and pick the ones he wanted. Some said they picked the clean cut looking guys, then another place they picked the hippy looking ones. To each his own I guess on who they wanted to suffer the most. Served with two, that I know of , who got drafted when they were 26 years old (the cut off age ,I think, back then). One we called Pops because he was so" OLD" and the other was Gramps. Gramps was pitching in S.C.for a minor league ball team but was caught messing with a recruiters wife and found himself in boot camp at the ripe ol age of 26---at least that's the story he told.
Larry, thank you for correcting that to a capitol "M" :)
I agree with what you say about Johnson. He should have appointed ol Chesty Jr here to be commander of all West Pac forces . I would have sit in my office in Australia with my mock up with toy ships and colored pins and then pulled out all Army forces from Korea and put them in the bush in Nam. Then build air conditioned barracks for the Marines and put a beer machine and whore in every barracks----Whoops---I better back off that one---that one is what got my daddy, Chesty Puller, in deep doo-doo with the Ladies of the Garden Club and such !! ( I think that is a true one, by the way)
Doobie, I don't know nothing about the draft lottery. I was still deferred for high school when I signed up and the lottery hit the boys the senior class after me. My oldest brother joined when I was 6 years old so I was indoctrinated (sp ?) and brain washed from that time on. As Forrest would say---"it was my destiny " :)
Jarhead, I agree,,,,,,,,,,,ol Chesty Jr. would have been a heck of a lot better than these two..................
General Wastemoreland - General Hershey Bar ............used to see these two walking around Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood in the late sixties and early seventies.
www.altmanphoto.com/Wastemoreland.html
Larryj
I apologize for calling all military people soldiers. That is a bad habit of mine. I even call sailors soldiers. LOL I will remember to watch what I say and try to use the correct names. If I don't, please correct me.
I sure didn't know, doobie, that you were up for the draft. That was news to me. And I don't remember you going to Emporia State, which at that time was called Kansas State Teacher's College. Did our paths ever cross up there? Maybe I was too busy studying? LOL
Quote from: Janet Harrington on August 30, 2011, 05:21:42 PM
Did our paths ever cross up there? Maybe I was too busy studying? LOL
cough~sputter.... **blowing iced tea all over my keyboard**