Back-breaking labor helped these four-star generals on their way

NEW YORK (Reuters) – You have to be pretty tough to make it as a four-star general in the U.S. military. So it makes sense that some top military commanders would get their starts working in rigorous first jobs.

For the latest in Reuters&rsquo- &ldquo-First Jobs&rdquo- series, we talked to a few retired generals about the life lessons they learned early on.

Martin Dempsey

Four-star general, Army- former chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

First job: Busboy

When I turned 16 back in 1968, I worked in a little diner in Greenwood Lake, New York. My parents were both blue-collar workers – my dad was a warehouseman, my mother was a cabinetmaker – and they wanted to instill that work ethic in me, so I started looking around and got a job as a busboy.

This was in the days before high-powered dishwashers, so the dishwasher was me and a sink. It was messy and hot work, and there was no AC (air conditioning) in the summer, so you can imagine what the kitchen environment was like.

I think minimum wage was around $2 an hour. My mom and dad paid for tuition at a Catholic high school, but anything other than that was beyond their means. So if I wanted to buy lunch in the cafeteria, or save for Christmas gifts, or take out my new girlfriend – who later became my wife – that was all on me.

Colin Powell

Four-star general, Army- former secretary of state, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and national security adviser

First job: Furniture store

I grew up in the Bronx in an area called Fort Apache, which I guess was a pretty bad neighborhood, but I didn&rsquo-t know any better.

When I was around 14, my mom sent me to the post office, and I was walking along Westchester Avenue. There was a gentleman out front with long white hair, and he said in his thick Yiddish accent, &ldquo-Hey kid, do you want some work?&rdquo- I said, &ldquo-Sure.&rdquo- And I helped him unload a truck full of kids&rsquo- furniture like cribs and baby carriages. It was heavy work, but I was a pretty strong kid.

I ended up working there for years: Scrubbing floors, putting toys and furniture together. I was what in Yiddish they called a &ldquo-schlepper.&rdquo- In fact I picked up quite a bit of Yiddish from my boss, Mr. Sickser.

I made 50 cents an hour, and my first big purchase was a phonograph machine, with a little lid that opened and played 78- and 45-rpm records. I bought a lot of calypso and Johnny Mathis, whatever was popular in the fifties. My father was pretty unhappy with that purchase, because he was a hardworking immigrant and thought I should have saved it.

One evening, Mr. Sickser came up to me and said, &ldquo-Collie, you&rsquo-re a good worker, but I want you to understand, you can do more with your life. Finish your schooling, and find what&rsquo-s right for you.&rdquo- It touched me so much, that he cared enough to say that. I never forgot it.

Janet Wolfenbarger

Four-star general, Air Force- former commander, Air Force Materiel Command

First job: Cutting apricots

I grew up in the small town of Hollister, California, surrounded by orchards and produce fields. When my dad served in Vietnam, back when I was 11 or 12, my sister and I decided we wanted to earn some money. We got jobs cutting apricots – using a paring knife, slicing around the pit, dividing the fruit in two, and laying it on pallets to dry in the sun.

Most of our fellow workers were Hispanic, who didn&rsquo-t speak any English, but they were so skilled at it. These women had been doing it for years. I learned a couple of important lessons from them: first, a strong work ethic. These women didn&rsquo-t take breaks, and worked in the hot sun all day, and that money was so important to their families. Second, the power of teamwork. I remember one day, after I had been working on my single pallet for hours, a woman came over without saying a word and helped me finish, just so I could get paid for the day.

After five weeks, I made a grand total of $32 that summer. It was the first and hardest-earned wages of my life. I treasured that money, and put it in the bank. To me, it was a very big deal.

Charles Jacoby Jr.

Four-star general, Army- former commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Northern Command

First job: Salt mines

My dad was a mining engineer who worked at a Detroit-area salt mine. When I got to high school, he said &ldquo-OK, now is the time to really learn how to work.&rdquo- So I ended up working on a drill rig for two summers as a roughneck in Watkins Glen, New York.

It was unbelievably hard work. We fixed broken wells, or fished tools out of holes, or capped old wells – 12 hours a day, seven days a week. It was pretty demanding stuff, but I knew I couldn&rsquo-t let my dad down.

By the end of the day, you were a mess. But learning how to get through a blue-collar day like that made you very proud, and very respectful of other men who are able to do that. It was a fundamental experience for me. Slinging pipe around, working with heavy equipment: It was very much like a day in the U.S. Army, minus somebody shooting at you.

It was also a pretty dangerous place, with chains falling out of derricks and pipes breaking loose. It was the first time I saw people really get hurt. It made me realize safety is not just a buzzword. Just like in the Army: Getting your guys out safely is part of the mission.