Last century when I was a NYC college student and playing music on the side, I also worked as a security guard on a night shift. This was a great time to read and write papers. I also did my PT (push-ups and sit-ups and went up and down the stairs) because I was also a US Army Reservist and needed to stay fit.
One night, the HVAC maintenance fellow came upon me when I doing my PUs. An elderly fellow with a nice face and slight paunch, he said: "Not bad, son," checking out my form and crew-cut hair. (Yeah, this drummer had to cut his Flock of Seagulls tresses for Uncle Sam).
I gets up off the floor, knock the dust off and says "thanks" as I catch my breath.
"You want a hear an interesting story?" 'JR' asks me.
Being that it's the night shift and he's a good guy, I am all ears and not disinclined for company, so I heartily agree.
'JR' then proceeds to relate this story to me, as follows:
"Back in 1962, I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. One morning during a company formation, the commander put us all at ease and said some NCOs had an announcement for us.
I peered around the soldiers in front of me and saw three NCOs with shiny EIBs or CIBs, and jump wings and Ranger tabs, and wearing funny colored berets.
"Good morning! We are looking for volunteers. Special volunteers. If you speak another language, or are scuba-diver qualified, or practice a martial art, we have a challenging assignment for you!"
Heads turned left and right and whispers and mumbling of curiosity went through the company.
A hand here or there cautiously went up.
Then I thought, I just earned my Black Belt in Shotokan Karate, and that's what these NCOs in the strange-looking berets are looking for.
So, I put up my hand too.
After the formation, the handful of us who volunteered were then interviewed by these commandos.
Within a few days, I was one of the first Green Berets in the US Army."
"It's just astounding how many ballots voted for her."
Gosh. It almost sounds like you like to suppress those votes.