"Combined Action Program School, III MAF, Da Nang, Republic of Viet Nam on 17 May 1969 Class 9-69."

Or at least so my own certificate reads! That and the fact that yours truly was one "Sgt D.P. Morony 2276948," and that I'd apparently survived the easy-going two week shake and bake class.

However, the coveted "Director's" signature on my certificate was not that of Colonel Edgar Danowitz as I might have wished, as shortly after recruiting me and a bunchola of others the preceeding March, he had gone up to the DMZ to take command of the 9th Marine Regiment, at least one of whose battalions was a.k.a. "The Walking Dead."

Instead, the bottom of my certfiicate reads "C.R. Burroughs Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps."

Thirty-six years later I was reading some rock 'em sock 'em soldier-of-fantasy story by an otherwise hightly talented literary lady ding-a-ling, in which one Colonel Burroughs loses it an goes all bipolar with a locked and loaded .45 issue Colt, in headquarters, no less.

Humm.. so maybe that's how he go to be our C.O.!

Anyway, I only had one encounter in the field with him up close and personal, and as I recall he was a typical Old Corps hardcase, most likely with beacoups combat command experience himself going back to WW II.

Strictly no nonsense, a Marine's Marine....