Poem 11, June 11

Chester Johnson, Poem Three  

I told the CO that day at Stearns,
“I don’t want to be in the National Guard.”  
I said, “my father served in the Navy and
I want to join the Navy, too.”  

I did not want to go
for training at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
CO gave me a letter and told me
to take it to a Navy  recruiter.  

They sent me from Stearns to Somerset, Kentucky.
From there, I made my way home.
A Navy recruiter came to Albany
and signed me up.