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officers! My fuse blew! I told the Lt. that I would be riding back with him to Bn. HQ.—I requested ‘Mast’ with Capt. Tolleson—presented him with my complaint— he listened but indicated it was out of his hands —not a resolution he could make. According to the rules of ‘Requesting Mast’ if the issue couldn’t be resolved at the lowest level of command it was to be passed to the next highest level—which would be Col. Utter—the Battalion Commander. This was NOT a ‘routine’ action on my part—I had never ‘requested Mast’ in my time in the Corps. —I was told that senior officers did not like junior officers ‘requesting mast’ and that it could be a career ending move. The Colonel agreed to see me and I presented myself to him in command headquarters tent. The XO, Col. Wilson, met me and escorted me in to see Col. Utter. The Col. asked me what this was all about. I explained what had happened and how I felt about the United Way fiasco—I remained ‘at attention’ in front of the Col’s field desk while he listened to my explanation. When I finished he said “ is that it? That’s your reason for requesting Mast Lt.?! I said ‘yes sir’. The Col. said “ you’re dismissed—get out of here Lt.”! I realized that I was not going to ‘win’ on this issue—that it was over and to push it any further would be counter productive. I did feel that I had at least carried an important message to Col. Utter and that my troops deserved that. For what it’s worth the matter had no negative consequences affecting my ‘career’, my fitness reports, promotions and assignments. In fact, knowing Col. Utter’s reputation as ‘one of the troops’ I think he probably agreed with me! Later on—after the ‘mixmaster’ of units our Company and my platoon was transferred to A Co., 1/4—two months later I was assigned to the Battalion Commander’s
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