A German dialect form used as slang by black GI's

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated Mon, 2 Aug 2004 17:34:45 -0400,   Wilson Gray
<hwgray at EARTHLINK.NET> writes

>  For your six-degrees-of-separation collection: Dave Pugh, the son of
>  the commanding general of Elvis's old armored division -can't remember
>  its designation; 2nd? 3rd? - went to the Army Language School with me
>  and was a barracks-mate of mine in Germany. Very handsome guy, like his
>  father, who was the very picture of a modern major-general.

Pugh pere eventually got his third star and retired at the Assistant Vice
Chief of Staff of the Army.  When I was first stationed in the Pentagon, he was
in my chain of command, although I don't believe I ever met him.

One day General Westmoreland and a galaxy of assistants came down to our shop
for a briefing.  One onlooker was awed: "There were twelve stars at the
briefing!"
My boss was not impressed.  "That's nothing," he said.  "I once crashed a
helicopter with thirteen stars on board."

      - James A. Landau