The story behind my name

I went to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina for Basic Training in 1989 (Army). There were people from just about everywhere in the country but for some reason there was a majority from New York. Something like 15 out of 60 guys. Anyway, they tended to dominate all of the conversations like most east-coasters try to do. I thought they were a pretty funny bunch of guys so I usually gravitated toward them when we were in the barracks. Since I was the only white guy that (I would like to think) they liked, they started calling me Vanilla. "Hey Vanilla, do yall still have problems with Indians running around out there?" etc. <--I swear one guy asked me this question and I will believe to my dying day that he was SERIOUS. One day the guy in the group with the biggest mouth notices how hairy I am (sorry ladies). He then proceded to run all around the squad bay telling everyone I was not Vanilla anymore. I was now the Vanilla Gorilla. The nickname survives.

Just in case you were wondering.