buck private
noun
plural buck privates
US, informal
: a private in the U.S. Army or Marines
—used to stress that a private has the lowest rank in the military
Born in 1921, [author James] Jones turned to writing after an unhappy childhood and a checkered career in World War II, during which he was twice decorated for bravery but also twice demoted to buck private.—Mark P. Parillo
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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