I learned a little spanish growing up, mainly because I went to a school that was fifty percent minority. When I joined the army and went to Korea there was two or three mexicanos from the San antonia and Corpus Christi area in my Company . I would speak with them sometimes in spanish, trying to learn a little more of their language and when we were off they woukd come to my platoon and hang out. One day the Company Commandedr sent for me. I thoujght I was in some kind of trouble. He said he had been ordered to send one corporal and one junior officer to a Porta Rician unit that had recently been sent to Korea. What will I do there, I ask. You'll be an interrupter, he replied. But, Sir, don't know Spanish. Yes, you do, I've heard you talking to some Mexicans in Spanish in the trenches. You can teach the officer Spanish while you're over there. A new lieutenant. I played my ace card, Sir, I'm not a corporal. I'm a PFC. As of now private, you are a brand new Corporal. I spent six weeks with the Porta Ricans and only saw my lieutenant twice during the six weeks, So I don't know how he fared. They assigned a Porta Rician Corporal to me who spoke excellent English and I learned to speak Spanish faster (Porta Ricans speak fast) and I couldn't understand a word they said. Sometime later, I was sent to a Turkish Bragade to run patrols with them, show them how we did things and teach them about some of our weapons. They'd run patrol all night, sit around sharpening their knives and bayonets all day, seem to sleep very little. on patrols they made no attempt at quietness. You could have heard their patrol for a half mile.They didn't care, they were itching for a fight. One day in a chow line two or three Turks made fun of a Turkish soldier because he was eating with a fork instead of a knife. Most of them ate with their knives. A fight broke out. One of the Turks who had made fun of the young soldier was stabbed in the face with the fork, almost got his eye. I was glad to get out of their unit. I just knew they were going to be ambushed one night. But it never happened. What I have learned about another language, if you don 't use it, you lose it.