According to something I saw, Rather was discharged 4 months after he entered service. What took 4 months?
1. Discharge dates: a medical discharge can take some time in the military. I believe a medical hearing board has to review and recommend.
2. Why? Basic Training is physically and emotionally demanding. Everyone does not make it through (enlistee's anyway).
Then there is further training depending on your job speciality. Everyone does not make it through that either. When I was in technical training (a years worth) after Basic, you could only fail an exam once. After that, you were subject to being re-assigned 'at the Dept. Secy's pleasure.' During the Vietnam War, that could mean just about anything. And no, once they have invested some time and money in you, you don't just quit because you are dis-satisfied. I was required to sign a 6 year committment, of which 3 would be active duty.
Also, our tech school's ran 24/7 to pump out us through the system. Had my first difficult 8 week module midnight to 8am. Talk about sweating it out.
Having said all that, the Army went to great lengths to point out that you were basically a 'soldier' which meant that you could be pulled at any time to hump a rifle. Also while in Nam, our unit pulled guard duty on our compound, nearby patrols, and facility protection(destruction in the event of an over-run.) I also did things such as drive a 2 1/2 ton truck between various camps in-country.
Took him that long to aquire 3 PH's, a Bronze and a Silver.
Hi Appy,
When I joined the Navy in 1965 my company hung out washing windows and swabbing decks in the recruit barracks in San Diego for weeks before several companies were filled with the requirered 80 newby swabbies per company. We hung out I believe for 21-days before beginning training, then about half way through what seemed like an endless boot camp our training was accelerated when Lyndon Johnson announced the troop buildup in Viet Nam.
After weeks and weeks of training for the graduation parade thing, one day they lined us up on the grinder and told us we were sailors now, gave us our orders and kicked us out the gate. If I recall, (not easily done these days) my boot camp was over 3-months.
If Rather was being mustered out, he may have spent some time picking up butts while waiting for his, “UNSUITABLE” discharge papers.
I vote for the Bed-Wetter theory.