So its 1995 and because I was Ng I did my boot and AIT 9 months apart. Its one thing that the Ng Has. You can Enlist when you are 17 with parents permission and a junior in high school. So in 95 after I graduated highschool I shipped out back to good ole Ft. Benning GA. with that done now on to the story.

So I am back at reception going through most of the same thing from the summer before except I already had my uniform's and shots so most days i was doing busy work for the Drill Sergeants.

Two weeks later me and sixty other swinging privates get sent to a training battalion and shuffle back in to military life.

First day of kp (kitchen patrol) i meet Mrs Harris sweetest woman I ever had the pleasure of meeting. Mrs. Harris was 68 years young and a stick of c-4 if you got on her bad side!

Well I was assigned to her section of the Defac and we hit it off. I would do things she didn't ask for but appreciated it because I was a private that could think ahead and get it right. We also talked about our love of good home cooking.

About a month into my stay I am on Kp again. And wouldn't you know I got Mes. Harris again. She lit up like a disco ball any time she got me as her helper. She also would sneek me home cooked food when she knew I was on kp. She requested me anytime i had Kp.

So one day I was back on kp and Mrs. Harris said don't go out for lunch today. I brought my famous fried chicken and biscuits. Oh boy! I been a hoping she would bring it to work. months of talking made me drool about fried chicken.

So lunch rolls around and Im sitting in the back with Mrs Harris eating her OMG heaven fried chicken and biscuits when my Drill Sergeant walks in and asks WTF Vortish are you doing eating back here with the Defac workers?

Before I could say a word Mrs Harris lit in to the Drill Sergeant. She told him that This was a special treat for me because of all the hard work I have done for her during the cycle. And if you ever see a drill sergeant sweating bullets its funny as hell. My Drill sergeant said yes mam no mam and after Mrs. H had got done with him invited him to take a seat and served him up.

Its was casual during the meal. I got to know my drill a little better and after the meal was done. Drill said remember nothing happened right Vortish! I said yes drill sergeant.

We got back to work and that evening after work was done Mrs Harris gave me a special treat and sent be back to the company.

We kept in touch after I left Benning. She passed away about ten years ago and I still remember her and that lunch.

Small edit.

Thank you all for your comments. I appreciate you all. Mrs. H was a friend, and a mentor. She taught me a lot of life lessons. She was one special lady. She had been working in that Defac since 1988. she retired ten years after I left training. she was a widow her husband passed five years before I met her. She was a no nonsense, scolded you, no bs kind of lady. I miss our conversations. Heaven got a pure angel in Mrs Harris