WOC Graveyard
By George Miller

     In days of yore, there existed a place of great mystery near the town Texans call Mineral Wells.  Very close by The Army of the United Sates established a base called Wolters.  In the late 1950s until the early 70s, a school for helicopter pilots flourished, providing warriors for a war that raged in Asia.

     Some of these pilot hopefuls were already Officers in the Army but also came Enlisted Soldiers who first must be taught to be Warrant Officers and semi Gentlemen.  These soldiers were call Warrant Officer Candidates or WOCs and began there training every four weeks or so.  Watching over these classes were the dreaded, steely-eyed, fault finding Tactical NCOs and Officers or simply TACs.

     As each WOC class began, the TACs knew that something dreadful would happen to one of their ranks and an unsolved murder would take place.  Something was going to die and be discovered in some unsuspecting WOCs living area. It never failed as sure as a “slow motion fire drill”, there was going to be a funeral.

     These killings went on until the last Preflight class 74-7 began flight training.  Soon after their graduation, the Army closed Fort Wolters and moved all flight training to Fort Rucker in Alabama. All the grave markers were moved to Rucker and a new cemetery was established.  Through the years the face of flight training changed as well as the scenery at Fort Rucker.  New buildings replaced old and the cemetery was moved to some unknown location and all but forgotten.  Forgotten that is until Super Sleuth George (don’t call me Sherlock) Miller got on the case.

     It took until today, 14 November 1998 to track down the elusive burial ground.  It was found along a fence on what is now Guthrie Field.

Located on this sight are such notables as:
WOC Lit L. Lou, Class 65-5W; General Grundy, Class 67-17; WOC Al E. Gator, Class 63-2W; MR. Mause, Class 65-6; WOC B.A. Spider, Class 64-7W; WOC Hof, Class 67-17; WOC Beady Eyed Beatle, Class 64-6W; WOC Shrunk N. Head, Class 64-8W; WOC Russ T, Razor, Class 61-2W; WOCsYard Bird Dead and Victor Vertigo, Class 63-5W; WOC Crud E. Woc, Class 64-2W; WOC Crud E. Crab, Class 63-3W; WOC Stab N. Back, Class 65-4; WOC Sneak E. Snake, Class 62-2W; WOC Miss N. Guideon, Class 64-1W; WOCs Hinkle and Finkle, Class 63-1W; WOC D.
Merit Moth, Class 62-1W; WOC Blade Stall, Class 62-3W; WOC Kiwi Cap, class 63-4W; WOC Week End Warrior, Class 60-2; WOC Bruiser Craw Dad (I knew him well), Class 65-2W;  WOC Alfred E. Neuman, Class 65-1W; and located some distance away at the HQ of the WOCC, The Green Beret; Class 66-17.
     There are a few unmarked graves:  Class 59-2, Class 59-3, Class 67-3, Class 66-5W RW,Class 58-11 and Class 63-1.  There are also a few that have deteriorated to the point of being unreadable.
 Though clues are few, all evidence of these crimes points to the Tactical NCOs and Officers that lurked in and around the classes.  Motives for these killings are many and each Candidate will have his own opinion as to there worth.

     Fort Rucker just dedicated a park just inside the Daleville gate and rumor has it that these head stones will be moved there and maybe there final resting place.


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