November 11, 1974

by Carrol 

written for the Tea Room Remembrance Day Challenge

1974

 “Why you are not in the mess hall.” Came the question from the door.

“Not hungry.” Sandy told him.

“And why not?” His Sargentt asked as he came across the make shift barrack.

“They’re sending me home.” Sandy said in a soft voice.

“Why?” The strong arm patted the leg.

“My younger brother was killed in car accident and I’m the only son mom has now to ‘carry on the name.’ I don’t want to go.” Sandy said with tears in his eyes.

“Your mom needs you.” The voice told him.

“But I need you.” Sandy told him.

“I’ll be home soon. When do you leave?”

“In a week and a day.” Sandy told him handing him the letter.

Yes most men would love to be able to go home after serving years in a endless war, they see their friends killed by hidden guns, by their own men’s guns when direction gets mixed up, bombs exploding. Sandy once found one of the mechanics dead with a single gunshot to his head; it took him a while to be able to go back into the shop.  He worked on the jeeps and cars outside until a trap was found under a car. 

Sandy and Thomas met while they were in high school. Thomas was a few years ahead of Sandy, and  was drafted into the Army right after he turned eighteen. Sandy knew he would get drafted but he never dreamed of being sent to the same unit Thomas was in, what surprised him the most was Thomas had become a Sargent.  Sandy thought it was funny to say, “Yes Sir, Sargentt.”. No one knew their secret they kept for those years in High School and no one knew it now, in the Army.

“Then we need to make the most of it while we can.” Thomas told him.

Thomas was able to pull a few strings to get Sandy a few days R and R. He also was able to get away a day later.  They met up and stayed at one of the out of the way little motels.. The day Sandy had to return to go home, Thomas went back to his job, to save and protect the civilians, and his one true love, to keep the men and woman back home free.

Sandy got home a day later, his mom and sister met him at the airport it was all hugs and kisses then they went home. Sandy kept busy at the family garage, the names he was called hit hard but he let them slide, only a few times did he let it anger him to where he fought back. 

“San, you have mail from one of your Army buddies.” His mom told him when he came into the house, greasy hands and all he grabbed the letter and headed up to his room, belly flopping down on the bed; he tore open the letter with his teeth.  “Not sure when you will get this,” was written on the back of the letter. “SWAK,” was written in small letters. 

November 2Oth 1974 was the date on the letter but Sandy got it on December 5^th 1974

My Dearest Sandy,

I miss you so much, it not the same to not have my grease monkey around, getting slug and grease everywhere. We got new troops in the damn green horns no nothing, Pvt. Taylor is now a Lt. and has taken over where you left off, but he doesn’t have your knack with the jeeps, General Smith’s private car has broken down several times since you left, as well as several jeeps and trucks, good thing he don’t work on the tanks.. (Laughing)

Two of our WAC’s have been sent home due to being pregnant, not sure who the fathers are but we think we know, wink, wink.

Things are getting bad now we bugged out two days after you left so if you wrote I will get it when ever. I am going into Seoul, so I will mail out the letter so it won’t go through the red tape.  I sent a few pictures of me and some of the guys.

Sandy stopped and shook the envelope and two pictures fell on the bed spread, he picked them up to see Thomas standing with Steve and Erick, two of the other mechanics, he got up and put them on the mirror. He looked at them, they were smiling and giving the peace sign Erick held two fingers up behind Thomas’ head, he laughed hard.

“It’s so nice to hear you laugh again.” His youngest sister told him.

“Look at these” He said pointing to the photos, she came in and looked at them.  He told her who they were and explained to her who each man was and what they did.

“Isn’t that your friend   from school?” She asked pointing to Thomas, “You use to call him Tom-ass when you were mad at him.” She told him. 

“Yeah, you remember him you were like what ten.” She only smiled.

“I may have been ten but not blind, I saw you two kissing in the grease pit when dad was not around.” She told him. “Oh, don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone yet have I.” She said when he looked at her both of them knew their dad was totally against hippy, draft dodgers and gays,”

“If any of my son’s end up being a fucking hippy or fag I’ll shoot them myself, and he better not even tell me ‘make love not war’, I’ll kick his ass with my loving boot.” He would always say when he saw or heard anything about those three things.

That night Sandy woke up in  sweat his dad was standing at the door yelling his name to wake up,  He sat up and saw his dad standing there he went to grab what would be his gun, as if he had one.

“At ease soldier it’s only me.” His dad’s commanding voice brought him through his night daze.

“Sorry Dad,” He said when he finally woke up and realized it was his dad.

“Ernie is he ok,” His mom asked from behind his dad.

“Yes dear just back flash,” His dad told his mom, “Not sure how a mechanic can have back flashes but he does.”

Only a mechanic, Sandy thought who the hell does he think he is calling me a just a mechanic. Sandy thought as he lay back done, he raised four children just being a mechanic.

 As time went on, Sandy’s back flashing started happing during the day, when a tire popped while they changed old one for a new one, or a back fire from a passing vehicle.  Sandy would listen to the horror stories on the news on what was happening overseas, his dad would say brave me to fight for us, like that. Sandy’s sister and him would just look at each other and roll their eyes.

 Once day it happen Sandy could no longer take it, he looked at a bottle of pills he had gotten from his doctor.  He’d been home a little over six months, he had not gotten any more letters from Thomas…he’d not heard anything about his ex-unit.  He was doing a tune up on a car when he overheard his dad talking to his friend.

“Sandy was in the Army right.” The man asked.

“Yeah but he was just a mechanic” His dad said.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Sandy yelled at his dad.

“I’m your dad that’s who I am, and you will respect me for that.” His dad told him.

“You may be my dad but remember you are just a mechanic just as I am, who the hell do you think kept those fucking jeeps and trucks running for those who fought the for our freedom? Who do you think was able to go out in the middle of a fucking front line and change a flat tire, so they can continue to keep your ass free here at the home front? Who do you think was able to keep those piece of junks the United States sent over for those brave me to use, who do..” Sandy stopped. “I quite, fix these damn things on your own.” He said and tossed his rag down at his dad’s feet and walked off.  The next day he moved out of his parent’s house.

Two days later Sandy walked into a shop across town.  He asked for a job and explained he was a mechanic for the Army for  three years before he was sent home because of his little brother’s death, also he worked for his dad during his summers and after school during his High school years until he was drafted into the Army. “And I am willing to start at the pumps sir.” He said with a smile.

“I’m proud to give one of our brave men a job son, welcome to Harrison automotive,” The owner told him.

He’d been working at the new shop for a little while, moved up from pump boy to a service person and to manager…but he was still just a mechanic and he’d probably never be anything else.  But his new boss let him run the shop, so it was like his own. He said see you soon to several of the young men that worked there as they too went to serve their country. He had gotten letters from a few and pictures of the young men in their uniforms he framed each one and wrote their names on the wood, and the date they left and they date they he found out they died.

It been a year now since he had left home.  Every day he would ask his sister if he got any mail and the answer was always the same, not sure ask mom or dad.

It was unheard of for a shop to be open on a Sunday, most of the workers were at church or at home with their loved ones, since Sandy lived by himself he told his boss he would do Sundays so the business was open seven days a week with full service six days and  had service on Sundays. 

November 1975

It’s over, the war is over, our men and woman will be home for Christmas.

Sandy kept hearing this over and over, he himself had seen several men in their town come home, several came home whole, some in wheel chairs and some missing an arm or leg or both. He also saw many wives play around while their husbands were across the sea, but yet he stayed faithful in hopes he would see his lover again.  Yeah it may be over but where the hell is my man. Sandy thought once again when he saw  several young men still in uniform come into the station for gas.

Tom’s family has not heard anything from him.  Hell he probably found someone else over there, someone who is there for him and not thousands of miles away.

February 1976

Sandy was in the middle of an engine when he heard the small door to the shop open and closed, he didn’t think anything of it, because usually his boss would come by to see how things were going.

“I’m home.” Was all Sandy heard.  He  closed his eyes, his heart thumped hard in his chest. Was he dreaming?  He looked towards the door.

 “How’s my grease monkey?” Thomas asked.  He stood tall in his uniform,

Sandy looked at him, something looked different but he could not put a finger on it. “Permission to hug you Sgt. Sir” Sandy asked.

“Permission granted.” Thomas told him.

Sandy ran to him, and flung his arms around his lover, he kissed him hard.  He didn’t care who knew, fuck the world.  But something was wrong, he  only felt one arm around him. He pulled back and looked. “What happen?” He asked as he stared at his lover’s right side.

“A road side bomb, it happened just before the war was over, or I’d been home way before now.” Thomas told him, he let out a sigh “I was one of the lucky ones.” He said. “Does it bother you?”

Sandy stared at him.  “No, I fell in love with what’s in here.”  Sandy told him touching his finger to his lover chest, but he still stared at the missing half limb.

“Good now give your Sgt. a hug and that’s an order.” Thomas ordered.  Sandy smiled. “And if you think my missing limb will change things little man, I’ll put you over my knee, bare your ass and show you it didn’t.” Thomas told him.

“Sir, that will not be necessary,” Sandy told him.

“Good now where do you live because we have a lot of making out to do.” Thomas told him.

“You mean catching up to do.” Sandy told him.

“No, I mean making out, because little man I am going to have my way with you until morning and then some.”  Thomas told him Sandy only smiled as he felt something he has not felt since the night in the hotel years ago. 

“I live upstairs” Sandy said, and turned the sign from open to closed and locked the door.