53 Cent Checks

After boot camp in ’84 I was sent to communications school in 29 Palms. Upon graduation a buddy of mine and I were assigned to HQ Btry. 5/11. At the time it was located on the other side of the base there and a mere walking distance from the school. Everyone from the class was sent to FMF units all over the globe and issued a check for transportation fee which made since for Marines relocating to the East coast or to Okinawa, but for my buddy and myself relocating three miles down the road from school our check was factored out to 53 cents. We laughed about it since it probably cost the government more to print that check than what it was worth. I ended up putting my check in a log book and forgot about it while my buddy actually put his into a frame. About eight months later a Lieutenant from the base finance came by or work shop looking for us and wanted to know why our checks had not been cashed. He pulled out a ledger with our name and check numbers in it. Can you believe he loaded us up into a jeep, drove us to the base PX and watched us cash the checks? Then again I wished I had that Marine officer in charge of my current bank accounts.

Semper Fi!
Steve Parker 2531 USMC
1984-1988