it was like a gazillion degrees out. At one point, waiting for our turn to move up to the pad, I dozed off on what I thought was a good spot leaning against the turret. That hot old Texas sun rolled around the sky and came at me frontal. My crewsuit zipper was down a bit, and it burnt this pasty mick kid up in about 20 minutes. The sunburn followed the serations of my crewsuit zipper EXACTLY, and burned precisely around my I disc, and even through the holes in my I disc. Hurt like heck. I told no one.
After the incident where I foolishly cracked the hatch, i stayed in the hull like any other good Trooper trying to get out of humping tank ammo at 110 F. Then, after one particular main gun round, the park brake on the tank let go and it started rolling backwards. So, I jump both feet onto the huge mother brake pedal. The tank commander - Major Nurse - was relieved the tank stopped - as it was about to crush several Americans standing right behind it - but he did not know WHY it stopped.
"Wha?... Trooper _____, are you in your hole?"
Me; "Yessir."
Maj Nurse: " Good thing"
Trooper Smith (the tank gunner): "He's hiding there sir, he should be humping ammo in the sun."
Maj Nurse: "Trooper ____, why aren't you on ammo party?"
.....busted...
Tom