Editing Jimi Hendrix (section)

== Military service ==
[[File:Hendrix in Army.jpg|right|thumb|upright|alt=A black and white photograph of five men wearing Army uniforms and standing together as a group|Hendrix in the US Army, 1961]]

Before Hendrix was 19 years old, law authorities had twice caught him [[Joyride (crime)|riding in stolen cars]]. Given a choice between prison or joining the [[United States Army|Army]], he chose the latter and enlisted on May 31, 1961.<ref>{{harvnb|Hendrix|Mitchell|2012|p=95}}: Hendrix choosing the Army over jail; {{harvnb|Cross|2005|p=84}}: Hendrix's enlistment date; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|p=35}}: Hendrix was twice caught in stolen cars.</ref> After completing eight weeks of [[Recruit training|basic training]] at [[Fort Ord]], California, he was assigned to the [[101st Airborne Division]] and stationed at [[Fort Campbell]], Kentucky.<ref>{{harvnb|Roby|Schreiber|2010|pp=13–14}}: Hendrix completed eight weeks of basic training at Fort Ord, California; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|pp=37–38}}: the Army stationed Hendrix at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.</ref> He arrived on November 8, and soon afterward he wrote to his father: "There's nothing but physical training and harassment here for two weeks, then when you go to jump school&nbsp;... you get hell. They work you to death, fussing and fighting."{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=14}} In his next letter home, Hendrix, who had left his guitar in Seattle at the home of his girlfriend Betty Jean Morgan, asked his father to send it to him as soon as possible, stating: "I really need it now."{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=14}} His father obliged and sent the red Silvertone Danelectro on which Hendrix had hand-painted the words "Betty Jean" to Fort Campbell.<ref>{{harvnb|Heatley|2009|p=26}}; {{harvnb|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=14}}.</ref> His apparent obsession with the instrument contributed to his neglect of his duties, which led to taunting and physical abuse from his peers, who at least once hid the guitar from him until he had begged for its return.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|pp=15–16}} In November 1961, fellow serviceman [[Billy Cox]] walked past an army club and heard Hendrix playing.{{sfn| Shapiro|Glebbeek|1995|p=51}} Impressed by Hendrix's technique, which Cox described as a combination of "[[John Lee Hooker]] and [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]", Cox borrowed a bass guitar and the two [[Jam session|jammed]].{{sfn|Cross|2005|pp=90–91}} Within weeks, they began performing at base clubs on the weekends with other musicians in a loosely organized band, the Casuals.{{sfn|Cross|2005|p=92}}

Hendrix completed his [[paratrooper]] training and, on January 11, 1962, Major General [[Charles W. G. Rich]] awarded him the prestigious [[101st Airborne Division|Screaming Eagles]] patch.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=14}} By February, his personal conduct had begun to draw criticism from his superiors. They labeled him an unqualified marksman and often caught him napping while on duty and failing to report for bed checks.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|pp=18–25}} On May 24, Hendrix's platoon sergeant, James C. Spears, filed a report in which he stated: "He has no interest whatsoever in the Army&nbsp;... It is my opinion that Private Hendrix will never come up to the standards required of a soldier. I feel that the military service will benefit if he is discharged as soon as possible."{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|pp=24–25}} On June 29, 1962, Hendrix was granted a [[Military discharge#General discharge|general discharge under honorable conditions]].<ref>{{citation 
|title=Official Military Personnel File for James M. Hendrix
|section=Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell - Special Orders Number 167 – Extract - 29 June 1962
|url=https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/57288864/content/st-louis/military/rg-319/299741/300_Hendrix_James.pdf
|publisher=U.S. National Archives Catalog|access-date=July 3, 2019|page=56
|quote=Hendrix{{nbsp}}... 'Type disch: Under Honorable Conditions' and 'Rsn (disch): Unsuitability'.
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630204643/https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/57288864/content/st-louis/military/rg-319/299741/300_Hendrix_James.pdf|archive-date=June 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Hendrix later spoke of his dislike of the army and that he had received a medical discharge after breaking his ankle during his 26th parachute jump,<ref>{{harvnb|Cross|2005|p=94}}: Hendrix claimed he had received a medical discharge; {{harvnb|Roby|2002|p=15}}: Hendrix's dislike of the Army.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|According to authors Steven Roby and Brad Schreiber: "It has been erroneously reported that Captain John Halbert, a medical officer, recommended that Jimi be discharged primarily for admitting to having homosexual desires for an unnamed soldier."{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=25}} However, in the National Personnel Records Center, which contains 98 pages documenting Hendrix's army service, including his numerous infractions, the word "homosexual" is not mentioned.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=25}}}} but no Army records have been produced that indicate that he received or was discharged for any injuries.{{sfn|Gelfand|Piccoli|2009|p=32}}