u/EricUllerich

Associated Procedures

by Eric Ullerich

Wurtsmith AFB,11APR1976;1655hrs

Major Hemming asked Airman Werner to stay and mimeo AF 69 jet-fuel usage reports.

Her coworkers left at 1700 hours. Major Hemming emerged from his office with a lit cigarette in his mouth. 

“Smoke?”

“No,” she fibbed.

“You smell terrific,” he whispered.

“I’m married.”

After a monumental impact to her temple, she remembered nothing more of the incident.

Troy,Michigan,January 3,1975;8:18p.m.

She knew her husband and son were gone because Patty’s grandmother’s house didn’t smell like dirty diapers. She sat cross-legged on her great-grandmother’s blue and pink, braided Pennsylvania Dutch rug with a cup of Sanka. A Virginia Slim burnt itself out in an abalone shell.

Her husband called the next day, telling her they were in California. When her son was grown, she would tell him she had a plan but really it was Gary Puckett, singing on AM radio, that she was much too young. She took note when the strains of This Girl is a Woman Now interrupted All in the Family, and then the lady in the commercial flipped her bouffant revealing her blue Air Force uniform and a black man cleaning a dish next to her.

Hi, this is Gary Puckett. Most girls’ idea of a really great job would include some travel, new faces, a good life and most of all a job that’s important to someone besides herself; an impossible dream? Any woman in the Air Force can tell you how to find yourself in that ideal job.

Stationed at Wurtsmith A.F.B., she worked in Major Hemming’s office. Everything matched: the metal desks, the metal filing cabinets, the sturdy mimeograph machine. At night, she took college courses but never missed calling her son.

“I’m going to school too, Sweetie.”

“When do you see me, Mama?”

“Soon, Sweetie.”

“It takes a long time.”

“I know. Can I talk to Daddy?”

“Story first.”

“After I talk to Daddy.”

“What Patricia?”

“I’ve put in for TDY to the West Coast.”

“English.”

“Temporary duty, I'm trying to get transferred.”

“And?”

“I mean, I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

He hung up.

When she called back the line was busy.

Wurtsmith AFB,12APR1976;1308hrs

She woke to the smell of fresh paint. Only one eye opened.

“Hey, Slugger, what’s the other guy look like?” a male voice.

“Mmmm.”

“They gave you Demerol.” It was Captain McKee.

“The major asked me to check on you.” A pack of cigarettes crumpled. “This isn’t worth making a federal case.”

A nurse looked at Patty’s chart. Her black skin contrasted her off-white uniform.

“Step outside the room if ya’ll want to smoke so I can exam the airman, Sir.”

Wurtsmith AFB,14APR1976;1814hrs

“Where’s my uniform?”

“Your major got that laundered. It ought to be waiting for you back at your billet,” the nurse said.

In the bathroom, Patty removed the gown and pulled on the scrubs.

“I’m sorry ma’am, I never asked your name,” said Patty, setting herself down.

“Don’t trouble yourself with all that.”

Wurtsmith AFB,16APR1976;0400hrs

Patty was sick of the yoghurt and Jell-O delivered to her dormitory. She donned fatigues, twisted her hair into a knot and covered the bird-nest with an OD cap.

The mess was decorated with bunnies and eggs for Easter. She had pancakes and bacon, barely making it to the bathroom to vomit it all up. She remembered that nausea.

The next day, she made an appointment to see Colonel Farina, Major Hemming’s superior officer.

Colonel Farina listened to her account, nodding.

She described her jaw pain and constant headache, barely refraining about the discomfort in her uterus and bowels.

“I was in the very first class at the academy, Airman.”

“I didn’t know that, Sir.”

“The first thing they did was shave our heads. When it was my turn that sumbitch asked if I wanted to keep my sideburns. You know what I said?”

“No, sir.”

“I said, ‘yes, Sir.’ Sumbitch shaved ‘em right off, put them in an envelope and handed ‘em to me then told me not to call him ‘sir’ because he worked for a living. You know why he did that?”

“He was trying to be funny, Sir?”

“You girls are new to this man’s Air Force so I’m not going to discipline you but we have a chain of command.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is there anything further you’d like to add?”

“No, sir.”

“Dismissed.”

Wurtsmith A.F.B.,23APR1976;0700 hours

After a week of icing her sore spots she ironed her blouse: collar, cuff, cuff, button-side front, pocket-side front, yoke, back, sleeve, sleeve and marched across the courtyard, entering the three-story building. A Second Lieutenant Rain stopped her.

“You’ve been transferred.”

“Sir, may I see my orders?”

She ripped off the last carbon copy of a tri-folded set of papers and followed him across the courtyard. Her new CO was Major Taylor.

Wurtsmith A.F.B.,30APR1976,0801 hours

“I’d like to file a report, Sir,” she said to Major Taylor. With a new CO, she wasn’t bucking chain of command. His Mr. Magoo look snapped to owl-like attention.

“Close the door, Airman.”

She did so but stood behind the two chairs that fronted his desk.

“I appreciate your predicament but you know if this doesn’t hold up, you can be reduced in rank.”

“I’m positive, Sir.”

“You’ll be charged with adultery.”

“I’m separated,” she fibbed.

“Major Hemming is a married man with three children. I’ll order your defense but he’ll do you no favors.”

 

COMPLAINT/FINAL RECORD                                                                  CASE/REF

(FORM AFFECTED BY 1974 PRIVACY ACT)                                                     EO-005-10

1.LAST NAME–FIRST NAME–MIDDLE INITIAL                                    2.GRADE

Werner, Patricia M.                             Amn

3.NATURE OF GRIEVANCE (Use additional 8x10 1/2” sheets, if necessary.)                    

(Sexual Harassment)

15 MAR 1976

Parties present: Airman Werner (“Complainant” herein); Complainant’s CO, Maj Taylor; NCO liaison, 2nd Lt Kindall; witness, SSgt Nurse Johnson. Respondent, Maj Hemming excused.

Orders:

1.Maj Hemming: thirty day leave with pay – time tbd.

2.Complainant transferred to Luke A.F.B. Phoenix, Arizona; promotion to Airman First Class, moving expenses, housing allowance.

3.Medical: surgical procedures associated with incident including elective obstetrics.

4.AUTHORIZED

PHILLIP TAYLOR, Major

HOWARD ANDREWS, Brig General

 

Associated Procedures

by Eric Ullerich

Wurtsmith AFB,11APR1976;1655hrs

Major Hemming asked Airman Werner to stay and mimeo AF 69 jet-fuel usage reports.

Her coworkers left at 1700 hours. Major Hemming emerged from his office with a lit cigarette in his mouth. 

“Smoke?”

“No,” she fibbed.

“You smell terrific,” he whispered.

“I’m married.”

After a monumental impact to her temple, she remembered nothing more of the incident.

Troy,Michigan,January 3,1975;8:18p.m.

She knew her husband and son were gone because Patty’s grandmother’s house didn’t smell like dirty diapers. She sat cross-legged on her great-grandmother’s blue and pink, braided Pennsylvania Dutch rug with a cup of Sanka. A Virginia Slim burnt itself out in an abalone shell.

Her husband called the next day, telling her they were in California. When her son was grown, she would tell him she had a plan but really it was Gary Puckett, singing on AM radio, that she was much too young. She took note when the strains of This Girl is a Woman Now interrupted All in the Family, and then the lady in the commercial flipped her bouffant revealing her blue Air Force uniform and a black man cleaning a dish next to her.

Hi, this is Gary Puckett. Most girls’ idea of a really great job would include some travel, new faces, a good life and most of all a job that’s important to someone besides herself; an impossible dream? Any woman in the Air Force can tell you how to find yourself in that ideal job.

Stationed at Wurtsmith A.F.B., she worked in Major Hemming’s office. Everything matched: the metal desks, the metal filing cabinets, the sturdy mimeograph machine. At night, she took college courses but never missed calling her son.

“I’m going to school too, Sweetie.”

“When do you see me, Mama?”

“Soon, Sweetie.”

“It takes a long time.”

“I know. Can I talk to Daddy?”

“Story first.”

“After I talk to Daddy.”

“What Patricia?”

“I’ve put in for TDY to the West Coast.”

“English.”

“Temporary duty, I'm trying to get transferred.”

“And?”

“I mean, I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

He hung up.

When she called back the line was busy.

Wurtsmith AFB,12APR1976;1308hrs

She woke to the smell of fresh paint. Only one eye opened.

“Hey, Slugger, what’s the other guy look like?” a male voice.

“Mmmm.”

“They gave you Demerol.” It was Captain McKee.

“The major asked me to check on you.” A pack of cigarettes crumpled. “This isn’t worth making a federal case.”

A nurse looked at Patty’s chart. Her black skin contrasted her off-white uniform.

“Step outside the room if ya’ll want to smoke so I can exam the airman, Sir.”

Wurtsmith AFB,14APR1976;1814hrs

“Where’s my uniform?”

“Your major got that laundered. It ought to be waiting for you back at your billet,” the nurse said.

In the bathroom, Patty removed the gown and pulled on the scrubs.

“I’m sorry ma’am, I never asked your name,” said Patty, setting herself down.

“Don’t trouble yourself with all that.”

Wurtsmith AFB,16APR1976;0400hrs

Patty was sick of the yoghurt and Jell-O delivered to her dormitory. She donned fatigues, twisted her hair into a knot and covered the bird-nest with an OD cap.

The mess was decorated with bunnies and eggs for Easter. She had pancakes and bacon, barely making it to the bathroom to vomit it all up. She remembered that nausea.

The next day, she made an appointment to see Colonel Farina, Major Hemming’s superior officer.

Colonel Farina listened to her account, nodding.

She described her jaw pain and constant headache, barely refraining about the discomfort in her uterus and bowels.

“I was in the very first class at the academy, Airman.”

“I didn’t know that, Sir.”

“The first thing they did was shave our heads. When it was my turn that sumbitch asked if I wanted to keep my sideburns. You know what I said?”

“No, sir.”

“I said, ‘yes, Sir.’ Sumbitch shaved ‘em right off, put them in an envelope and handed ‘em to me then told me not to call him ‘sir’ because he worked for a living. You know why he did that?”

“He was trying to be funny, Sir?”

“You girls are new to this man’s Air Force so I’m not going to discipline you but we have a chain of command.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is there anything further you’d like to add?”

“No, sir.”

“Dismissed.”

Wurtsmith A.F.B.,23APR1976;0700 hours

After a week of icing her sore spots she ironed her blouse: collar, cuff, cuff, button-side front, pocket-side front, yoke, back, sleeve, sleeve and marched across the courtyard, entering the three-story building. A Second Lieutenant Rain stopped her.

“You’ve been transferred.”

“Sir, may I see my orders?”

She ripped off the last carbon copy of a tri-folded set of papers and followed him across the courtyard. Her new CO was Major Taylor.

Wurtsmith A.F.B.,30APR1976,0801 hours

“I’d like to file a report, Sir,” she said to Major Taylor. With a new CO, she wasn’t bucking chain of command. His Mr. Magoo look snapped to owl-like attention.

“Close the door, Airman.”

She did so but stood behind the two chairs that fronted his desk.

“I appreciate your predicament but you know if this doesn’t hold up, you can be reduced in rank.”

“I’m positive, Sir.”

“You’ll be charged with adultery.”

“I’m separated,” she fibbed.

“Major Hemming is a married man with three children. I’ll order your defense but he’ll do you no favors.”

 

COMPLAINT/FINAL RECORD                                                                  CASE/REF

(FORM AFFECTED BY 1974 PRIVACY ACT)                                                     EO-005-10

1.LAST NAME–FIRST NAME–MIDDLE INITIAL                                    2.GRADE

Werner, Patricia M.                             Amn

3.NATURE OF GRIEVANCE (Use additional 8x10 1/2” sheets, if necessary.)                    

(Sexual Harassment)

15 MAR 1976

Parties present: Airman Werner (“Complainant” herein); Complainant’s CO, Maj Taylor; NCO liaison, 2nd Lt Kindall; witness, SSgt Nurse Johnson. Respondent, Maj Hemming excused.

Orders:

1.Maj Hemming: thirty day leave with pay – time tbd.

2.Complainant transferred to Luke A.F.B. Phoenix, Arizona; promotion to Airman First Class, moving expenses, housing allowance.

3.Medical: surgical procedures associated with incident including elective obstetrics.

4.AUTHORIZED

PHILLIP TAYLOR, Major

HOWARD ANDREWS, Brig General