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Page 32 June 2015 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
our neighborhood veterans Courtesy Photo
to be in a beautiful, sunny place. He
was sent to Fort Hood in Texas and,
boy, was it hot down there. When
he got there, he got settled and was
by Jim Houck, Jr. given his assignment. He was put in
Company A. Bruce enjoyed it and
said that infantry wasn’t as bad as he
Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Wayne Rice thought it would be.
At that time, he didn’t see his
u.S. Army Retired family very often. Bruce was married
to his second wife, and he had a
step-son, Scott Rice. They lived on
post when his second wife became
Born to Mary and Garnett Rice wasn’t sure if he would be able to pregnant; their second son was born
on April 26, 1951, at home in handle rigorous basic training at that at Darnell Hospital at Fort Hood in
Mountaindale, Maryland, was a boy age. When he arrived there, he said Texas, named Charles (Chuck) Rice.
they named Bruce Wayne. Bruce was to himself, “I really don’t think this Bruce and his family lived on base
given the name of the super hero, is what I want to do.” But he was for three-and-a-half years. While
Batman, and later in life, even though already there, and there really wasn’t there, Bruce became acting corporal.
he wasn’t Batman, he was a super anything he could do about it. Many He came up through the ranks as Bruce Wayne Rice
hero in another way. Joseph Rice times he thought, “I really have to private, and then private 1st class; his
was Bruce’s younger brother, and his get out of here.” But he hung in there sergeant liked what he was doing and getting ready to come up, and he had
middle brother was Dwight Rice. In and, before he knew it, he started to wanted Bruce to be a squad leader, so a four-year enlistment at the time.
1982, while Bruce was in the Army, like it. All the young boys there— he made him acting corporal. Bruce They asked him to reenlist. Bruce
Dwight was killed in an automobile around eighteen and nineteen years was made squad leader and was put told them he would reenlist under
accident at the age of twenty-five. of age—started to call Bruce “Pops.” in charge of six soldiers. The team one condition: they would send him
Bruce has another brother, Daniel It made him feel good, because he worked as toe gunners; they worked to Military Police School to become
Rice, and a half-brother, Bernie took the nickname as meaning that well together and took care of each an MP. They came back and told him
Kefauffer. he was going to take care of them other. If 1st Sergeant said there was they couldn’t do it. So, Bruce told
Bruce went to Yellow Springs and look after them. And he did going to be an inspection to check them he was going to get out—that
Elementary School in Yellow Springs, take care of them by talking to them vehicles and weapons, Bruce would was six months prior to his ETS date.
Maryland. He then went to West when they started to say “I can’t do put the team to work. He told them About three months before his ETS
Frederick Middle Junior High this”; he would say to them, “Hey, if if they went off he would stand up date, they called him up and said that
School. In 1967, Governor Thomas I can do this, I know you can, too.” for them. They would leave and they wanted him to reenlist. Bruce
Johnson High School opened and It got to the point that even the drill the 1st Sergeant would come in for restated his original condition. They
Bruce went there for tenth, eleventh, sergeants were calling him Pops, inspection and ask where his people sent him to MP school, but said they
and twelfth grades. Bruce graduated because they didn’t think Bruce could were. Bruce would tell him that he couldn’t get him in because there
from Governor Thomas Johnson take it. Bruce took his basic training gave them off, and the 1st Sergeant were no slots open for an E-5. About
High School in 1969, where he took at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in would say he better be straight. a month later, they called Bruce and
general courses. He played baseball July 1975; he said that it was so hot Bruce would tell him he was ready said they found a slot for him for
on the varsity team and was active there, and going through all that for inspection on the tools and MP school and asked if he wanted
in the high school band, where he training, he just didn’t know if he equipment, and, after the inspection, it. Bruce told them he would take
played trumpet. could take it. But he hung in there. Bruce’s team would come out first it, and he reenlisted for three more
Bruce was on a work study Bruce made it through his basic every time. Bruce said he took care of years. He finally got his orders to
program in the twelfth grade, so he training, and while everyone was his boys and they took care of him. report to MP training at Fort Rucker,
attended school in the morning for out on the parade field, they were After a while, Bruce got promoted Alabama, where he completed MP
half day and the other half school informed that some of them would to corporal. As soon as he was training. Following his training,
day he worked for Price Electric Co., get to go home for a thirty-day leave. promoted, his Company commander they sent him to Fort Benning,
located on the corner of Church and Bruce was sure he would be one of and his 1st Sergeant wanted to make Georgia. Bruce was then assigned to
2nd Street in Frederick, Maryland. them. They were told that if their him an acting sergeant, so they the 192nd infantry brigade, which
He worked there as a tool dye maker name was called, they wouldn’t be made him an acting sergeant E-5; was an MP Unit. Their jobs were
machinist from 1968 until after he going home. Sure enough, they called he never got to wear his corporal to go in the field and direct tanks
graduated. Bruce lived on 2nd Street Bruce’s name. Bruce didn’t get a stripes, so they pinned on acting E-5 and anti-personnel carriers through
with his first wife and they had two break, because he left Fort Jackson, stripes—he was still doing the same the mountains; when they got back,
children: Melissa Rice and Bruce Jr. South Carolina, for Fort Polk in work he was doing as corporal. As they did military police work on the
Bruce worked at Price Electric for a Louisiana, where it was even hotter. time went on, they wanted someone roads. After sixteen months, they
while and then he got a job selling Snakes were hanging from trees, to take over handling the weapons, sent him to Stuttgart, Germany,
life insurance for Home Mutual Life and they called it “Little Vietnam”; so they sent Bruce to school to to Detachment A 42nd Military
Insurance Company. He didn’t like it was rough, but he put in his time be an armorer. He came out with Police; the main headquarters was in
selling insurance, because he wasn’t there for the following two months. flying colors as an armorer, and he Frankfurt, which did customs work.
making a lot of money at it, plus Bruce wanted to go in as Military took over being the armorer for the They checked household goods or
there was a lot of travel involved. Police (MP), but they didn’t have any company. Bruce maintained and baggage that people were leaving
Bruce went back to work for Price slots for MPs, so they placed him in repaired weapons until he left the Germany with and going back to
Electric again until he got a job the infantry. He was informed that Company. While Bruce was at Fort the states. Bruce remembers it being
with the Frederick County Sheriff’s later on down the road if he wanted Hood, he did spend a six-month a very interesting job, because you
Department as a corrections officer. to become an MP, they would see rotation in Europe as a standby unit didn’t have a whole lot to do and you
He stayed there for six months or so what they could do for him. They in Wildflecken, Germany. It was like would go in and get your assignments
when he decided he wanted to join a told Bruce where he was going for being deserted up on a hill; they did for the day, checking three or four
branch of the United States military. basic, but they didn’t know where he a lot of good training in the snow. pack outs that people were leaving to
In 1975, Bruce enlisted in the U.S. was going for infantry training. All He was then rotated back to Fort go back to the states with, and then
Army at the age of twenty-four. He they told him was that he was going Hood, Texas. Bruce’s enlistment was you would go to a warehouse where
our neighborhood veterans Courtesy Photo
to be in a beautiful, sunny place. He
was sent to Fort Hood in Texas and,
boy, was it hot down there. When
he got there, he got settled and was
by Jim Houck, Jr. given his assignment. He was put in
Company A. Bruce enjoyed it and
said that infantry wasn’t as bad as he
Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Wayne Rice thought it would be.
At that time, he didn’t see his
u.S. Army Retired family very often. Bruce was married
to his second wife, and he had a
step-son, Scott Rice. They lived on
post when his second wife became
Born to Mary and Garnett Rice wasn’t sure if he would be able to pregnant; their second son was born
on April 26, 1951, at home in handle rigorous basic training at that at Darnell Hospital at Fort Hood in
Mountaindale, Maryland, was a boy age. When he arrived there, he said Texas, named Charles (Chuck) Rice.
they named Bruce Wayne. Bruce was to himself, “I really don’t think this Bruce and his family lived on base
given the name of the super hero, is what I want to do.” But he was for three-and-a-half years. While
Batman, and later in life, even though already there, and there really wasn’t there, Bruce became acting corporal.
he wasn’t Batman, he was a super anything he could do about it. Many He came up through the ranks as Bruce Wayne Rice
hero in another way. Joseph Rice times he thought, “I really have to private, and then private 1st class; his
was Bruce’s younger brother, and his get out of here.” But he hung in there sergeant liked what he was doing and getting ready to come up, and he had
middle brother was Dwight Rice. In and, before he knew it, he started to wanted Bruce to be a squad leader, so a four-year enlistment at the time.
1982, while Bruce was in the Army, like it. All the young boys there— he made him acting corporal. Bruce They asked him to reenlist. Bruce
Dwight was killed in an automobile around eighteen and nineteen years was made squad leader and was put told them he would reenlist under
accident at the age of twenty-five. of age—started to call Bruce “Pops.” in charge of six soldiers. The team one condition: they would send him
Bruce has another brother, Daniel It made him feel good, because he worked as toe gunners; they worked to Military Police School to become
Rice, and a half-brother, Bernie took the nickname as meaning that well together and took care of each an MP. They came back and told him
Kefauffer. he was going to take care of them other. If 1st Sergeant said there was they couldn’t do it. So, Bruce told
Bruce went to Yellow Springs and look after them. And he did going to be an inspection to check them he was going to get out—that
Elementary School in Yellow Springs, take care of them by talking to them vehicles and weapons, Bruce would was six months prior to his ETS date.
Maryland. He then went to West when they started to say “I can’t do put the team to work. He told them About three months before his ETS
Frederick Middle Junior High this”; he would say to them, “Hey, if if they went off he would stand up date, they called him up and said that
School. In 1967, Governor Thomas I can do this, I know you can, too.” for them. They would leave and they wanted him to reenlist. Bruce
Johnson High School opened and It got to the point that even the drill the 1st Sergeant would come in for restated his original condition. They
Bruce went there for tenth, eleventh, sergeants were calling him Pops, inspection and ask where his people sent him to MP school, but said they
and twelfth grades. Bruce graduated because they didn’t think Bruce could were. Bruce would tell him that he couldn’t get him in because there
from Governor Thomas Johnson take it. Bruce took his basic training gave them off, and the 1st Sergeant were no slots open for an E-5. About
High School in 1969, where he took at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in would say he better be straight. a month later, they called Bruce and
general courses. He played baseball July 1975; he said that it was so hot Bruce would tell him he was ready said they found a slot for him for
on the varsity team and was active there, and going through all that for inspection on the tools and MP school and asked if he wanted
in the high school band, where he training, he just didn’t know if he equipment, and, after the inspection, it. Bruce told them he would take
played trumpet. could take it. But he hung in there. Bruce’s team would come out first it, and he reenlisted for three more
Bruce was on a work study Bruce made it through his basic every time. Bruce said he took care of years. He finally got his orders to
program in the twelfth grade, so he training, and while everyone was his boys and they took care of him. report to MP training at Fort Rucker,
attended school in the morning for out on the parade field, they were After a while, Bruce got promoted Alabama, where he completed MP
half day and the other half school informed that some of them would to corporal. As soon as he was training. Following his training,
day he worked for Price Electric Co., get to go home for a thirty-day leave. promoted, his Company commander they sent him to Fort Benning,
located on the corner of Church and Bruce was sure he would be one of and his 1st Sergeant wanted to make Georgia. Bruce was then assigned to
2nd Street in Frederick, Maryland. them. They were told that if their him an acting sergeant, so they the 192nd infantry brigade, which
He worked there as a tool dye maker name was called, they wouldn’t be made him an acting sergeant E-5; was an MP Unit. Their jobs were
machinist from 1968 until after he going home. Sure enough, they called he never got to wear his corporal to go in the field and direct tanks
graduated. Bruce lived on 2nd Street Bruce’s name. Bruce didn’t get a stripes, so they pinned on acting E-5 and anti-personnel carriers through
with his first wife and they had two break, because he left Fort Jackson, stripes—he was still doing the same the mountains; when they got back,
children: Melissa Rice and Bruce Jr. South Carolina, for Fort Polk in work he was doing as corporal. As they did military police work on the
Bruce worked at Price Electric for a Louisiana, where it was even hotter. time went on, they wanted someone roads. After sixteen months, they
while and then he got a job selling Snakes were hanging from trees, to take over handling the weapons, sent him to Stuttgart, Germany,
life insurance for Home Mutual Life and they called it “Little Vietnam”; so they sent Bruce to school to to Detachment A 42nd Military
Insurance Company. He didn’t like it was rough, but he put in his time be an armorer. He came out with Police; the main headquarters was in
selling insurance, because he wasn’t there for the following two months. flying colors as an armorer, and he Frankfurt, which did customs work.
making a lot of money at it, plus Bruce wanted to go in as Military took over being the armorer for the They checked household goods or
there was a lot of travel involved. Police (MP), but they didn’t have any company. Bruce maintained and baggage that people were leaving
Bruce went back to work for Price slots for MPs, so they placed him in repaired weapons until he left the Germany with and going back to
Electric again until he got a job the infantry. He was informed that Company. While Bruce was at Fort the states. Bruce remembers it being
with the Frederick County Sheriff’s later on down the road if he wanted Hood, he did spend a six-month a very interesting job, because you
Department as a corrections officer. to become an MP, they would see rotation in Europe as a standby unit didn’t have a whole lot to do and you
He stayed there for six months or so what they could do for him. They in Wildflecken, Germany. It was like would go in and get your assignments
when he decided he wanted to join a told Bruce where he was going for being deserted up on a hill; they did for the day, checking three or four
branch of the United States military. basic, but they didn’t know where he a lot of good training in the snow. pack outs that people were leaving to
In 1975, Bruce enlisted in the U.S. was going for infantry training. All He was then rotated back to Fort go back to the states with, and then
Army at the age of twenty-four. He they told him was that he was going Hood, Texas. Bruce’s enlistment was you would go to a warehouse where
