Luthor. A Vietnam War Story. (standard:adventure, 1730 words)
Author: Oscar A Rat	Added: Jun 27 2020	Views/Reads: 1207/875	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The experience of an old hill person in the US Army in the sixties. He never did leave Basic Training. Instead, he was assigned to care for stoves and furnaces at his old unit. Back then, in an era of coal stoves, it was a dirty, laborious job,

Tha's right kids, yer old grandpa was in the army once't.  A war was
goin' on in a place called Viet-Nam, but I didn't hav'ta go.  I never 
left basic trainin'.  After I done took it myself, I was assigned ta a 
basic trainin' company as “Permanent Party.”  Called a “fireman”, I 
just took care of coal stoves an  furnaces.  I still made sergeant just 
a doin' that. 

Every two, three, months we got us in a whole new bunch'a  recruits.  We
gave them hell an then they'd finish an leave.  Then we got some more 
an did the same damned thing.  Actually, we gave most of them hell.  
Out'a about two-hundred or so of them a few would have it easy. 

If they was good at sports, they pretty much got a free pass, gettin'
out'a a lot'a trainin'.  Also, a few'd always be needed fer other jobs 
in the company or battalion.  If we needed a carpenter or a barber at 
the time, we could usually find one in the bunch what would work for 
free. 

I always got two of them myself in cold weather ta help me out.  I could
even flunk them out of the army if they didn't work right fer me.  The 
problem was I always got the ones what would have flunked out on their 
own, anyways.  They was usually fat or weak or somethin', an the 
company didn't want them nohow, so I got them. 

It was funny watchin' a new bunch'a recruits come in.  They looked
pretty much the same, with new uniforms an short haircuts.  At first, 
they'd mill 'round like a herd a cows.  After a while, they'd start ta 
form little groups as they done found others with the same interests or 
looks.  Fer instance, the black ones an the Mexicans would come 
together in their own little bunches.  Maybe someone would start a 
poker or dice game an all the gamblers would go over there ta sit.  
Some would wander from one bunch ta another.  After a while, things 
would sort of settle down an the whole room would be sorted out, pretty 
much the way they'd stay all through basic trainin'. 

There would always be a few that still sat by themselves.  Those were
the ones that din't fit in with any others.  Them, they'd mostly drift 
tagether in'ta twos or threes.  But you'd always find a couple that 
would still be alone.  Sure as shit, those was the ones I'd get. I'd 
watch them durin' the first day and would usually know the ones I'd get 
later.  The ones nobody else wanted. 

What I wanna tell you 'bout  is one particular recruit.  He was 'bout 
five-foot-six an must'a weighed in at well over two-hun'ered-twenty 
pounds.  He also had him a very long nose.  I took one look at him when 
he arrived an knew, right then an there, that he'd be mine. 

At first, he sort'a crept int'a the big barracks room.  The kid had
heart 'cause he kept goin' from one bunch ta another all day, but never 
stayed very long.  This one couldn't seem ta match up with even one 
other recruit an had ta finally sit on'a bunk by himself.  I shook my 
head an went back ta my room ta read some new comic books I done 
bought. 

Sure enough, he was one of a two I got the next day.  His name was
Luthor Jackson, Johnson, Jenkins or something like that.  Luthor din't 
talk very much at first.  He was a hard worker, though. 

At guy was much better than the cry-baby I got long with him.  I ferget
the other one's name but I knew right then that he wouldn't finish 
basic, even workin' with me he wouldn't.  He was just a mama's boy an a 
lousy worker.  I asked the captain fer another one durin' 'bout  the 
third week. 

Anyway, mostly caus'a his looks, Luthor was picked on constantly by a
other recruits.  He was called “Preacher” an “Penguin” by the others.  
They finally settled on Penguin.  He was constantly a butt of jokes an 
josh'n.  I guess, since I was the only one what used his given name, I 
was his only friend. 

Luthor softened up after a week or so with me.  During the long nights
we worked together shovelin' coal an cleaning stoves he finally up an 
told me his life story. 

He grew up as a preacher's son in a little town in, if I recalls right,


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