SFC Donovan, S-3 Shop 4/12 Inf (M) 1989

During 1989 my travels briefly overlapped with those of SFC Donovan, who also served in the Operations Shop there in Baumholder. When he arrived the S-3 was still Major Rodolfo R. Diaz-Pons [links aren't working but here's the URL -- http://1-39inf.blogspot.com/2006/02/s-3-shop-paddys-gang-1988-1989.html]

One busy morning when we were all scrambling around and distracted and not necessarily thinking too clearly, with lots of "do this" and "don't do that" and "get me" whizzing around the TOC, SFC Donovan announced to the world in general (and the S-3 in particular) that he was "not a &^%$#@ coffee boy!" And that was the truth.

In FM 22-100 that sort of frankness is characterized as "moral courage". It doesn't sound like a big deal but it was a lesson just the same.

Some further news, courtesy of SFC Ito:

After [SFC Donovan] left the S3 he came down to C Co and took a platoon. He was my PSG before he left for Ft Drum . . . we also served in the same company at Ft Drum.

Warriors!