When Jimi Hendrix Got Kicked out of the Army for Masturbating on Duty
Updated: May 8
In 1961, Jimi Hendrix faced a big decision following a legal entanglement related to his involvement with stolen vehicles: either two years of incarceration or enlistment in the Army. He opted for military service and was subsequently assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in May of that year. Thus began his tenure in the Army, a period often overshadowed by his subsequent rise to fame but nevertheless significant in understanding the man behind the music.
Despite the demands of military service, Hendrix's musical aspirations remained undimmed. During his downtime, he continued to hone his craft, strumming his guitar in the barracks and local clubs whenever opportunities arose. It was during this time that the seeds of his future greatness were sown, as he experimented with new sounds and techniques, laying the groundwork for the revolutionary style that would later define his iconic sound.
After completing eight weeks of basic training at Fort Ord, California, arrived at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 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 ... you get hell. They work you to death, fussing and fighting."
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."
His father obliged and sent the red Silvertone Danelectro on which Hendrix had hand-painted the words "Betty Jean" to Fort Campbell. 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.
In November 1961, fellow serviceman Billy Cox walked past an army club and heard Hendrix playing. Impressed by Hendrix's technique, which Cox described as a combination of "John Lee Hooker and Beethoven", Cox borrowed a bass guitar and the two jammed. Within weeks, they began performing at base clubs on the weekends with other musicians in a loosely organized band, the Casuals.
Hendrix completed his paratrooper training and, on January 11, 1962, Major General Charles W. G. Rich awarded him the prestigious Screaming Eagles patch. By February, his personal conduct had begun to draw criticism from his superiors. They labelled him an unqualified marksman and often caught him napping while on duty and failing to report for bed checks.
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 ... 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."
On June 29, 1962, Hendrix was granted a general discharge under honourable conditions. 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, but no Army records have been produced that indicate that he received or was discharged for any injuries
However, in the document below, you can make out the reasons for his discharge.
“Behaviour problems, required excessive supervision while on duty, little regard for regulations, apprehended masturbating in platoon area while supposed to be on detail."
