Veneral Commerce

Henry   ---   I think your Dad says he has no memory of this incident.  If so, I am reminded of some of Mitt Romney’s episodes of selective forgetfulness.  It has to do with the time that WW II came to a close and those of us that the Army was sending through Medical School as privates in the Army were considered excess baggage and loaded onto a train and sent from Memphis to the wilds of lower Mississippi to Camp Shelby to be demobilized.  Part of the process was being given an STS (serologic test for syphilis).  As we were about to leave to return to Memphis, lined up for the train, the Sergeant in charge said “Selby, fall out”.  He was escorted to the medical tent while the rest of us were put on the train and sent on our way back to Memphis.  Poor John was left behind to face the fact that his STS had come back positive.  Now Innocent John was the last person one would have thought to fail the test.

                  As it turned out, it was all a mistake, and the test had been fouled up, following the ancient military tradition – there’s a right way and then there’s the Army way.