“Periodically the army sent inspection teams to Shattuck, as it did to other military schools subsidized by the government, to review how we were doing. There ere looking for military talent, and could offer Shattuck graduates a lieutenant’s or captain’s commission. A few days before each inspection, the cadet corps was summoned to a formation, and we would be informed about how important the inspection would be, not only for Shattuck but for our futures as army officers. it was vital, we were told, to pay deference and respect to the inspectors while doing our utmost to show them how much we had learned about such things as map reading, tactics and general military discipline.
That second year, a tough-as-nails colonel got the assignment to come to Shattuck, and one of the masters told him about me. he said I’d been something of a troublemaker, but i must have some of the qualities of a leader because i always managed to get other cadets involved in my mischief, and also, when the bell tower clapper disappeared, i’d been the only cadet with enough sense of honor and duty to demand punishment of the perpetrators. we were ordered into the woods on extended-order drill with rifles and other paraphernalia. I was the officer in charge of the blue team, which was supposed to outmaneuver the red team.
The colonel came up to me and said, “Soldier, your battalion leader has been killed. what do you do?”
“Sir,” I said, “I’d ask the company commander.”
“He’s been killed, too. What would you do then?”
“Well, I’d ask the squad leader,” I said.
“He’s been killed, too,” the colonel answered. “What would you do then?”
“Sir,” I answered, “I guess I’d run like hell.”
It was not the answer he expected, and it was viewed as insubordination. I was put on probation and confined to my room, which delighted me because it meant i wouldn’t have to take part in the extended close-order drill scheduled later in the day. But after an hour or so of being alone in my room , I got bored and decided to go into town. Unfortunately, my unauthorized absence was quickly discovered, and since i was on probation i was expelled.”
ExcerptsFrom Marlon’s autobiography “Songs My Mother Taught Me”
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