Таинственная история Билли Миллигана

           WithinaweekAllenwasonhiswaytotheNavalTrainingCenteratGreatLakes,Illinois,andwasassignedtoCompany109,Battalion21,tobeginhisbasictraining.

           BecauseMilliganhadbeenintheCivilAirPatrolwhenhewasinhighschool,hewasappointedRPOC(RecruitPettyOfficerinCharge)of160youngrecruits.Hewasastrictdisciplinarian.

           WhenAllenlearnedthatthecompanymostproficientinthesixteen-countmanualwouldbemadethehonorcompany,heandTommysettoworktofindwheretheycouldwhittleminutesoffthemorningschedule.

           "Cutoutshowers,"Tommysuggested.

           "Regulations,"Allensaid."They’vegottogointotheshowerseveniftheydon’tusesoap."

           Tommysatdownandfiguredoutanassembly-linemethodofshowering.

           ThenexteveningAlleninstructedthemen:"Yourollupyourtowelandputitintoyourlefthand.Youputyourbarofsoapintoyourright.There’ssixteenshowersthisway,twelveacrossandsixteenthisway.Now,they’reallevenwatertemperature,soyouwon’tgetscaldedorfrozeout.Whatyoudoiswalkthroughandkeepwalkingasyouwashtheleftsideofyourbody.Whenyougettothecomer,flipthesoapovertoyourotherhandandkeepmoving,goingbackwardsasyouwashtheothersideofyourbodyandyourhair.Bythetimeyougettotheendshoweryou’verinsedoffreadytodry.