Faggots and Lesbians ((a chapter story)(1969, Fort Bragg))

Faggots and Lesbians

At the beer hall the next night (48-hours before we’d depart Fort Bragg for good, and go on to our advance training assignments), Smiley (Judson Small), Allen and Bruce, were there with me all getting inebriated. I told them the story of Bernadette, how Sergeant Mike Rogers, the bartender at the EM Club tried to rape Bernadette, while at some belated college New Year’s party outside of Fayetteville on some wooded hill top, and I broke a bottle of beer over his head sent him to the hospital. Bernadette’s mother had called me, told me how grateful she was, that if the devil sergeant tried to press charges, they’d get him for rape (that was the last I’d ever hear of it).
“We should shoot the bastard,” said Allen, he was a tall, broad, a stocky man, with glasses from Boston. “Then go get those faggots and Lesbians.”
“Want to hear some more on the rape?” I asked Allen.
“You don’t have any more,” said Smiley, “from what you told me anyhow.”
He was right I just wanted to cool Allen down, he had been angry all night long.
“Oh Allen,” said Bruce, “You think all college kids are faggots and lesbians because they didn’t get drafted like us.”
“You got that straight, you bum.” He remarked.
From underneath his fatigue coat, he pulled out a bottle of red wine. Smiley and I slung our jackets over our shoulders; we were hot, in the New Year’s, night’s coolness.
“This is hillbilly country, right Smiley; we should try and find some moonshine.” I said, looking at both Smiley and Bruce, both southern boys.
“I hate these college faggots,” said Allen, “we’re here and they’re in college, can’t get drafted, the US Government feels we’re disposal, and aren’t we.” It was unfair I knew, but what could you do about it.
“Where’s our barracks?” asked Allen cock-eyed.
“Just follow this road along the middle here, and it will appear just like magic, to the right.” I said. Then pointed out to Allen whereabouts it was.
“It’s a hell of a walk,” said Allen to us three.
“No, not really, you’re just a hell of a drunk,” I said, and all four of us laughed.
“Listen,” said Allen, “I’ve got it figured out, Kennedy and Johnson were both faggots, and Westmorland, he was one to, all lovers, and they all started this little war in Vietnam you see, they got all together in this little cabin, pretending to do business, and figured this war would bring them back for more talks, but it was lover talk they wanted to do.”
“I don’t think so,” said Bruce, “Kennedy liked Monroe, they were doing it in the closet in the White House, that’s why someone killed her.”
“No, that was just a last minute cover up; she was a clandestine lesbian, everybody knows that,” said Allen.
“Kennedy freed the niggers, and ever since they’ve been complaining, right Bruce?”
“Yaw, that nigger woman on the bus started all that trouble. Down in your country, Smiley, Alabama.”
“She was a lesbian too, you should know that guys,” said Allen.
“Why you so bitter tonight Allen,” I asked.
“Yeah, I suppose I am. I’m going to Nam, you know, got my orders yesterday, I’ll be going to Fort Hood Texas, for infantry training, and then to Vietnam; kill some of those gooks, you know those fish. Don’t even know what a gook looks like. And I’m going over there to kill them, what a pity.”
“Say,” said Smiley, “I’ll be keeping you company, my orders read the same as yours.”
“Good,” said Allen, “bad news likes more company.”
“How about me finishing off the wine, Allen, you’re really pie-eyed?”

When I got back to the barracks, I quickly put my Hemingway book under my pillow, in case someone saw it, it was titled, “Men Without Women,” I was afraid Allen would see it, and then god forbid, I’d never hear the end of it, and I liked the short stories (which had noting to do with Faggots and Lesbians), I was at the end of a short story called: “Hills like White Elephants,” where some guy was saying something like: stop talking, talking, talking, so some girl… something like that. Anyhow, Allen would simply never understand.


Written 3-27-2009 for the book “A Midwinter Soldier” Chapter Nine