Funny Story

[steve25805 126,156]

I want to share a very funny prank that my step-dad and I played on my sister's boyfriend, John.

First of all I need to set the scene. It was the autumn of 1990, and Saddam Hussein's Iraq had invaded Kuwait that August. America and the West were threatening military action if he didn't get out, whilst rapidly building up their military forces in the area. Our military reserves were being called up, and the coming of the Gulf War was obvious, with no one knowing beforehand how readily the Iraqi forces would collapse. There was much talk of serious fighting being necessary.

Anyway, my step-dad and I were winding John up with talk about how this was the toughest war we faced since Hitler and that calling people up to fight was almost inevitable. Renowned in our family for his gullibility, he believed this totally. Now my step-dad happened to be a civil servant for the Ministry of Defence, so had access to official MoD headed paper. Using a sheet of this, he typed out a letter purporting to be from a General Ebindon, calling him up for military service, and instructing him to purchase an army combat jacket (then widely available at army surplus stores) and some steel toe-capped boots and report for duty at the local barracks at a specific date and time. He did indeed go and buy this stuff. And the steel toe-capped boots aren't even army issue at all but the sort of thing building labourers wear, haha.

On the appointed day and time, we drove a very nervous John to the barracks and watched, pissing ourselves laughing as he approached the sentry with his combat jacket and boots in hand to "report for duty". The sentry could see us laughing over John's shoulder and - as John unfolded his tale about being called up - was soon struggling to keep a straight face himself. This finally gave the game away as John, turning around, saw us laughing too.

He was relieved and pissed off at the same time, but it was very funny, and he himself soon saw the funny side.