The Last of the Short MPs

It is 1961 and there is reason for hope. The United States is being led by its youngest president. Korea seems nearly forgotten. Only a few people have heard about Vietnam, which, for America, is still officially some years away. There is peace in the air. It is a great time to join the Army. Or is it? The Last of the Short MPs is the story of an eighteen-year-old immigrant from Canada who joins the U.S. Army to be in the military police and to become a man. At five-foot-seven, Ray Holland enlists three days before the MP height requirement is raised to five-foot-nine, thus earning him the title of the book. He meets up with Military Police Staff Sergeant Richard King, or King Richard as he is known by the troops. King is a large, angry and unforgiving man who believes that size commands respect. His reasons for wanting to get rid of Holland go beyond height and add fuel to the fires burning within the sergeant and his new recruit. Each is determined to succeed. Something has to give. Take a humorous and raw look inside the Military Police Corps as seen by a short MP.