Mel in the Military . . .

By Rick Farris

Mel Epstein served in the U.S. Calvary.
He said they would patrol along the US-Mexican border on horses.
I don't know who or what they were looking for, but Mel said they would ride along the banks of the Rio Grande.

"I had this horse that was no good." Epstein said shaking his head.
"Sometimes we'd nap as the horses road along the bank in single file, following the horse in front of them."
Mel's face soured, "But that nag of mine would wait until I dozed off, and the bastid would walk under a low tree branch and try to brush me out of the saddle."
"He would also step too close to the river bank, and sometimes the river would undermine the bank, which meant that I'd wake and find myslf falling into the river with the horse."

"When I finally was discharged, I went up to the horse and fed him an apple. Then I punched the S.O.B. right in the nose!"