Two weeks ago I shared the story about my battle buddy going in front of a promotion board and being asked a strange question. According to Army tradition, at least how it's been passed to me, there's some significance not just to what the truck is, but what's inside it. I've never actually seen what's inside, mind you. And there's a reason for that, which we'll get to later.
Let's see if you can name what three things can be found inside the truck, and why...
Well, if you said a razor blade, a match, and a bullet you would be right! Here's the story, as I have heard it, as to why these three things can be found inside of a truck.
Razor Blade: Army posts, at one time, had only one flag pole in center of them. If the base were ever to be overrun, it was the post commander's duty to lower the pole, break open the truck, take the razor out of the ball, and cut the stars and stripes out of the flag.
Match: Once the flag was was disassembled, he was to light the pieces on fire using a match.
Bullet: Once the flag was in ashes he had permission to use his one bullet. The round was to be the last stand of defiance toward the enemy. Under the flag pole, inside it's base, was a 9mm handgun, for the which the commander was to use to kill himself.
Now, are there really those three things inside a truck? I have no idea, because I've never seen an Army post get overrun. But it is a neat piece of Army trivia/urban legend.
So, "What's inside an Army truck?"
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