Searching old script files to scan, I found a draft written better than half-a-century ago (1948) for my school newspaper, Greenbriers. After refusing to attend Woodberry Forest school (I didn't like J. Carter Walker), I was condemned to Greenbrier Military School for the last two years of high school. J. Wilmer Benjamin was my mentor there in journalism, one of the dozen teachers for whom I ever had any respect.

GMS was a Moore family enterprise, heavily doctrinated in Christian standards, with Chapel every morning and churching twice on Sundays. The cadet corps of a hundred or so boys were marched across Lewisburg, WV to the Old Stone Church for lectures and singing.

My unedited hand-written composition follows, with the notation: "If Mom Could See Me Now."

"We came out of church, everyone very glad that the sermon was over. After some confusion, we finally located the Band's area, a block away from the church. Lightning flashed back over the hills to the west, and you could catch brief glimpses of the threatening sky. Gonano managed to eventually get the battalion formed, and we prepared to move out.

It was only three blocks to school. Three short blocks. We marched with a quick step, and a lengthy one. There was even some trouble in the rear of the Band with some boys not keeping up, and A company was some thirty paces behind.

I turned to Lovell, and with a low voice bet him we wouldn't make it back. He just grinned at me. Another flash of lightning, and just on the other side of town I saw the rain coming.

Gonano yelled for double time. We took off and hadn't gone thirty feet when it hit, and it really came down, a regular cloud burst. There was a general shout, and everyone broke ranks in a wild scramble to seek cover under the trees. Raincoats were hastily pulled on, but they didn't do much good. Inside of a minute the gutters were running full. Lovell had my raincoat, and he suffered quite a bit, because my raincoat is just a little too small. All I did was wrap his around me.

Gonano and McKeever were loudly ordering everyone to fall in. All the fellows milled around for a while, and we were finally organized. However for some unknown reason we stood in the downpour for five minutes before finally moving out.

Doubtless you will remember the rest of it."

(Gonano was the cadet commander; McKeever his adjutant. Lovell was my room mate.)