Platoon 15, Echo Company: Felix Lim

This picture was taken when we were all in Junior Term, Officer Cadet School (OCS), Pasir Labar Camp. Behind us was the motto of our intake – 1/81 – and it read “To Lead We Dare, To Excel We Will. Follow Me!”.

I do suppose all of us here in this picture will clearly remember the 1st day we arrived there from the various BMT camps around the island. Just shortly after we threw down our duffle bags, we were told to report in our “vest & slacks” – ie the very tacky dark green T shirt, our #4 slacks, and boots – as our Platoon Commander, CPT ERIC KHOO, wanted to take us all on an orientation run.

As we lined up outside our barrack lines, a moustachioed and portly man appeared, topless and in his slacks and combat boots. He introduced himself as our PC and looking at his physique, I remember thinking to myself – This is gonna a short orientation run

What happened over the next 90 or so minutes shocked us all.

This portly man basically ran all of us to the ground (save a few long-distance runners among us). He literally ran us through the entire camp, out to the Demolition Range and back on that hot sunny afternoon. And he talked to us the whole time – explaining each landmark as we huffed and puffed our way pass them – without sounding the least out of breath!

Respect, as the saying goes, is earned, not commanded. CPT Eric Khoo did just that in 90 mins and we all learned never to judge this particular book by its cover again

This entry first appeared on the Singapore Memory portal here. You can now share your National Service memories at NS45.sg today!