“I wouldn’t know, sir,” answers the Private. “The Sergeant assigned a guard duty for it, and today is my shift.”
So the Colonel goes and finds the Sergeant, and asks him, “Sergeant, why do you have a private guarding the park bench?”
“Captain’s orders, sir,” answers the Sergeant. “I have been ordered to assign a guard detail around that bench, so each day a different private stands guard.”
Intrigued, the Colonel visits the company HQ and asks for the Captain. “Captain, why did you assign a guard duty to the park bench?”
“Sir,” answers the Captain, “this has been a standing order by your retired predecessor, ever since he took command of this unit six years ago. All I know is that on his very first day, he walked past that bench, briefly rested on it, and then, as soon as he reached HQ, his first order was to ensure that bench remains unused. We had armed guards posted to it ever since.
Shall the guard be removed, sir?”
“No,” answers the Colonel, “keep the guard until we find the reason for it, it could be important.”
After two months on the job, the Colonel took some leave, and travelled to the retirement home where his predecessor, now an old, crusty retired General, spends his days.
“General,” asks the Colonel, “do you remember why there is an armed guard assigned to the park bench where you sat six years ago, on the first day of your assignment to the unit I’m now in command of?”
The General stands dumbfounded for a moment, then asks, “YOU MEAN THE PAINT STILL HASN’T DRIED?”
