Ft Leavenworth, KS - Yes sir, no sir... (KS)

Earlier we came across a turnoff to Ft Riley, KS, and the Army Cavalry Museum but my hands were glued to the steering wheel as my mind slowly debated stopping, and we drove on as no decision was reached. Not wanting to suffer this again, I turned off instantly when presented with an opportunity to travel 11 miles to the Frontier Army Museum at Ft Leavenworth, KS.

This was a very slow 11 miles as the afternoon rush-hour was building. On one missed turn we saw the Ft Leavenworth prison, which reminded me of my Army friend Bob Manos, a very moral and honest guy but a little naïve; McPherson suckered Manos into ripping out the barracks plumbing, and I knew it was happening. When the MPs came McPherson, of course, was no longer around and Manos was nabbed and I was questioned as a potential witness. Although threatened with 20 years of hard labor I held fast with my claim of ignorance, and Manos—truthfully a fine person, with just a small character flaw—was sent off to Leavenworth. He came back months latter a broken man. As for me, I was never awarded the nearly automatic Good Conduct Metal, either because of my intransigence, or maybe just because the bureaucracy fails now and then. I hope the former.

So returning to the present, we pulled into Ft Leavenworth with trailer in tow, and were brought to a halt and boarded by at least three guards. Marcia and I had to show IDs and purpose, and most unfairly, the truck and trailer had to submit to full body-cavity searches. When it was over, a woman guard came to me and with a smirk said, “You have a nice trailer there, sir.”

We then proceeded to the museum without even a stick-on day pass and toured until closing, 20 minutes later. It was an okay museum, not great.