Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the twentyfifteen domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /chroot/home/a6f7779a/9d7429a5d9.nxcli.io/html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6170 {"id":844,"date":"2017-01-12T19:46:21","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T01:46:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=844"},"modified":"2017-01-12T19:46:39","modified_gmt":"2017-01-13T01:46:39","slug":"okinawa-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=844","title":{"rendered":"Okinawa – Part Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

Okinawa<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Part Three<\/strong><\/p>\n

November 1965-January 1966<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Waiting Game<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

With the letter and the money order for nine-hundred dollars sent off, I concluded that the only thing that was left for me to do was to wait.\u00a0 I knew that eventually the Finance Office would discover their error and come looking for me\u2014but I also knew what I would tell them, having run through it repeatedly in my head for the past few days.<\/p>\n

So, for the next few days I stuck with my newly emerging routine: going to work and getting better at my official duties, coming home to the barracks and hanging out with Nat and the guys, and finally, trying to get familiar with the Okinawan people, the local customs, and the language.<\/p>\n

Even though I\u2019d been somewhat disappointed by the island when I first arrived, after a few weeks the place began to grow on me.\u00a0 I found myself taking interest in the geography of the island, and wondered how it must\u2019ve been for the World War Two soldiers who had to fight their way from one end of the island to the other.<\/p>\n

I learned that we hadn\u2019t been fighting the Okinawan people, but rather the Japanese Army who had taken over the island and brainwashed the locals into believing that the Americans were merciless monsters who would indiscriminately murder the men, viciously dismember children, and rape the women.\u00a0 I discovered that most of the Okinawans were a gentle, hardworking, and gracious people.\u00a0 Even the seemingly hard-nosed bar girls, once removed from their nighttime dog-eat-dog nightclub environment, were incredibly normal and exceedingly polite when out in public.<\/p>\n

Most of the people I had contact with during my first few weeks were lower-income: shop keepers, taxi drivers, waiters and waitresses, and of course our crew of custodians who took care of our huge barracks building.\u00a0 I found that at first, they tended to be shy\u2014probably because of their limited use and understanding of English\u2014but as soon as they sensed that I wanted to learn to communicate with them in their language their shyness faded away.<\/p>\n

The only notable exception was the petite, pale-skinned girl who worked in the snack bar in our barracks.\u00a0 No matter what approach I used: nice, rude or non-committal, her demeanor never changed.\u00a0 She was consistently ill-mannered, and always gave me and all her other customers the impression that she was angry, short-tempered, and not in any mood to be trifled with. \u00a0I often wondered how she kept her job.<\/p>\n

After several trips over the next few weeks to Naha\u2019s bar district\u2014Naminoue\u2014I found myself getting quickly bored with the same old routine.\u00a0 It was a constant battle fighting off the bar girls who insisted that because they chose to sit next to me I should buy them their drinks.\u00a0 Three or four drinks later one would find himself without funds; after which even the most insistent bargirl quickly lost interest.<\/p>\n

Most of the guys outside of my little group, particularly the new arrivals, seemed to believe that if they spent enough money on a bargirl, or two, it automatically entitled them a night of sexual enjoyment.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to say it never worked, but they would\u2019ve done much better and spent a whole lot less money by just going to one of the \u201chotels\u201d on the outskirts of the bar district and asking the proprietor for a \u201cnaisan short-time\u201d.\u00a0 The going rate ran about two dollars for a \u201cshort-time\u201d, or twenty bucks for an \u201caround the world\u201d.\u00a0 An \u201call-nighter\u201d was almost unheard of, and was probably well beyond most of our salaries.\u00a0 Although most of the girls who worked the hotels were usually not as attractive as the bargirls were, satisfaction was almost always guaranteed.<\/p>\n

Soon tiring of the bar scene, on my off days I began to make trips into the city of Naha by myself, usually just walking and not taking taxis.\u00a0 I avoided the bars, and instead spent time checking out the small stores and shops where the locals did their daily shopping.<\/p>\n

I discovered some very fine, if not infinitesimally small, eateries where the dishes were not only delicious, but also inexpensively priced, and I found myself visiting them several times a week.\u00a0 At first the proprietors, usually an older married couple, tried to \u201cbum-rush\u201d me out\u2014thinking that perhaps I had mistakenly entered their establishment thinking it was a bar.\u00a0 But, after several explanatory gestures and a couple of Japanese phrases that I\u2019d learned, I would usually convince them that I was there to eat, after which I was warmly welcomed.\u00a0 And once they saw how handy I was with ohashi (chopsticks) all precautions seemed to disappear.<\/p>\n

Most pleasing of all, I realized one day that except for those times when I found myself stepping over an open one, I had become mostly immune to the unsettling odors emanating from the benjos paralleling almost every street.<\/p>\n

So before I knew it, November turned into December and I realized that I had yet to receive a money order from Sharon.\u00a0 Actually, I hadn\u2019t heard from Sharon at all.\u00a0 And worse, I found that I was just a few dollars short of being dead broke.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I quickly penned another letter to Sharon, as I had been doing just about every day, but this time I stressed that if I didn\u2019t receive the twenty-five-dollar money order in the next few days I would be completely out of funds.\u00a0 Since I had not heard from her at all I assumed that the post office, either in Reno or at the military postal center on Okinawa, had somehow messed up the deliveries.<\/p>\n

As I finished writing this latest letter I decided that instead of just dropping it in a mail receptacle the next day, I would hand-carry it directly to the military postal center on the base.\u00a0 That way I would ask and maybe be able to find out where the snag in my mail delivery was.<\/p>\n

The following day, I left work and walked the ten blocks to the postal center.\u00a0 I waited in line for about fifteen minutes and finally walked up to the window where an Army private greeted me.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, what can I do for you?\u201d He asked cheerfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, well first I\u2019d like to post this letter to my wife if I could.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sure!\u201d He said, reaching for the letter.\u00a0 \u201cReno?\u00a0 OK, she should get this in about five days.\u00a0 Anything else?\u201d\u00a0 He asked as he slid the envelope into a slot labeled, \u2018Stateside\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes.\u00a0 Listen, I haven\u2019t received a letter from home and I was wondering if there\u2019s some kind of problem with mail delivery to my barracks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me check.\u00a0 What\u2019s your barracks number?\u201d<\/p>\n

I gave him the number and he excused himself as he stepped away from the counter.\u00a0 \u201cDeLe\u00f3n, Right?\u201d\u00a0 He asked, looking over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yes.\u00a0 Airman Second Class.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, hold on.\u201d And he disappeared behind through a door marked \u201cAuthorized Personnel Only!\u201d<\/p>\n

I expected to see him return with a handful of letters in his hand, but about five minutes later he reappeared empty-handed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, airman.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t find anything with your name on it.\u00a0 Are you sure she\u2019s writing?\u00a0 Did she tell you when her letters were sent?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, to tell you the truth, I\u2019ve yet to receive a letter from her.\u00a0 Not one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm.\u00a0 How long since you\u2019ve been here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got here in late October\u2026and I\u2019ve written her just about every day.\u00a0 But\u2026I\u2019ve not received any response.\u00a0 You know?\u201d<\/p>\n

He kind of looked at me sadly.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I see.\u00a0 OK look, I\u2019ll send a query back up through Anchorage, then stateside to see if somehow your mail is getting hung up.\u00a0 I\u2019ll expedite it since you haven\u2019t received any mail at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well that\u2019s not entirely true.\u00a0 I\u2019ve received several letters from my mom, but nothing from my wife.\u00a0 So\u2026you know\u2026I was\u2026I was thinking that maybe the Reno post office is screwed up somehow because I\u2019m getting mail from Houston.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He said softly.\u00a0 \u201cOK, look.\u00a0 I\u2019m still gonna send the query, but are you sure your wife has written?\u00a0 I mean\u2026it\u2019s none of my business, but did you guys part on good terms?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood terms?\u00a0 Well\u2026sure.\u00a0 I mean, we weren\u2019t mad at each other\u2014or anything like that.\u00a0 No, nothing like that.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that I sent her some money and I want to make sure she got it OK.\u00a0 But\u2026I haven\u2019t heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do the best I can, but in the meantime, you need to contact someone who lives close to your wife to see if everything is alright.\u00a0 You know what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, yes\u2014that\u2019s a good idea.\u00a0 I\u2019ll do just that.\u201d\u00a0 I said, knowing that there was no one in Reno that I could contact.\u00a0 \u201cThanks for your help.\u201d\u00a0 I said, turning sharply as I walked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u00a0 If I find something I\u2019ll get in touch with you, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure\u2026thanks.\u201d\u00a0 I said dejectedly over my shoulder.\u00a0 I walked slowly out into the bright Okinawan sunshine and started the long walk back to my barracks\u2026the small lump in my throat that had suddenly appeared stubbornly refused to go away.<\/p>\n

A couple of days later I spent the last of my money at the base exchange on a bar of soap and a five-pack of razor blades.\u00a0 I was now officially broke, with no hope of being paid for another ten months.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The days dragged by one by one, and I became just a little more depressed every time I checked the mail slot and found nothing from Sharon.\u00a0 Mom\u2019s letters, arriving just about every other day, failed to cheer me up and I finally stopped reading them altogether.\u00a0 Seeing the growing pile of colorfully stamped envelopes\u2014my name and rank written in my mother\u2019s familiar child-like scrawl\u2014brought a bitter feeling of despair instead of the joy that was intended.<\/p>\n

Two weeks after completely running out of money, I walked into the mailroom and saw an envelope that didn\u2019t look at all like something my mother would send.\u00a0 My heart skipped a beat and I spun the little combination lock hurriedly, anxious to yank the glass door open and pull Sharon\u2019s letter out.<\/p>\n

It was addressed to me\u2014but the sender\u2019s name and address was not what I expected: \u201cMilitary Postal Command, Travis Air Force Base, CA\u201d.<\/p>\n

My heart sank.<\/p>\n

I ripped open the envelope and read the short message.\u00a0 It explained that in response to the query sent by the Main Military Postal Center at Naha Air Base, Naha, Okinawa, no letters addressed to A2C Frank DeLe\u00f3n, originating from Sharon L. DeLe\u00f3n, had been found in the \u201cdead letter\u201d department nor anywhere else.\u00a0 It advised that I should contact the Reno Post Office and request further information about missing letters.\u00a0 Blah, blah, blah\u2026<\/p>\n

For a long time, I sat on the edge of my bunk in my darkening room thinking about my future.\u00a0 I thought that maybe I should just go to the Finance Office, confess my larcenous intentions, and beg for mercy.\u00a0 At least if I was thrown into jail I would have my most basic needs met.\u00a0 But my shame paralyzed and overwhelmed me, so I just sat there in the dark for the next few hours.\u00a0 As it turned out, I didn\u2019t have long to wait.<\/p>\n

The next day, while on my lunch break at work, I was summoned to meet with Sergeant Resor.\u00a0 He met me in his small office next to the control room.<\/p>\n

\u201cSit down, Frank.\u201d\u00a0 He said, after I reported in.\u00a0 He was holding a sheet of paper that appeared to have only a couple of sentences written on it.\u00a0 \u201cI received this message this morning from our squadron commander, and he in turn received it from the commander of finance on the base.\u00a0 Could you read this and explain to me what it means, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

I took the sheet from him and began to read what I already knew it said.\u00a0 My heart was pumping wildly and suddenly all the things I had planned to say completely disappeared from my memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yeah…\u201d\u00a0 I stuttered, handing the sheet back to him, \u201cit says I was paid nine-hundred dollars in error on my last pay check.\u00a0 It should\u2019ve been ninety dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that true?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were given a check for nine hundred dollars instead of ninety dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I was.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked up from the sheet of paper and looked directly into my eyes.\u00a0 \u201cFrank.\u00a0 Do you still have that check?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

I squirmed in my chair and a queasy feeling began to rise from my gut into my chest.\u00a0 I took a deep breath trying to push the feeling back down.\u00a0 \u201cWell\u2026I went to the credit union, opened an account, and cashed it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

A look of relief washed over his face.\u00a0 \u201cOh, thank God!\u00a0 Then you still have the money?\u00a0 So, you cashed the check and deposited it into your new account, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d\u00a0 I stammered, \u201cwell, not exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo?\u00a0 Well, what exactly did you do with the money then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026ah\u2026bought a money order and sent the money to my wife back home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2026what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 But see here\u2019s what I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t seem interested to hear what I had to say, but instead blurted out sternly.\u00a0 \u201cYou know you can be court-martialed for this, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

My bowels almost let loose.\u00a0 \u201cOh\u2026I never thought\u2026about\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s painfully obvious that you didn\u2019t think!\u00a0 My God!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you get the money back from her?\u00a0 She didn\u2019t spend it all, did she?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean, you don\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, see\u2026she hasn\u2019t written me back yet\u2026so I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK!\u00a0 You did this\u2026why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I knew it was a gross overpayment, you know.\u00a0 But I thought that if I played dumb and sent the money to my wife\u2026then\u2026uh\u2026she could, you know, like send me a little bit back each month\u2026well, we could save a lot of it.\u00a0 I was thinking that maybe when I was able to bring her and my boys to Okinawa, we\u2019d have most of that money put away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat just doesn\u2019t make any good sense, Frank!\u00a0 You gambled your Air Force career on no one finding out about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNO!\u201d\u00a0 I almost yelled out.\u00a0 \u201cI knew that eventually someone would discover the overpayment\u2014and when they did, I wouldn\u2019t get paid anymore until it was made up.\u00a0 So, I asked my wife to send me twenty-five dollars a month, since I was probably not going to be getting paid anymore for a long time.\u00a0 See, I figured that twenty-five dollars was all I would need after they found out\u2014because, well, I get my food and lodging\u2014and all I need over that is a little money for personal expenses.\u00a0 See?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared at me for what seem to be several very long and hard minutes.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what to say, Frank.\u00a0 That has to be the stupidest thing I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah\u2026I know.\u00a0 I shouldn\u2019t have done it\u2014I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you haven\u2019t received any money from her yet?\u00a0 It\u2019s been almost two months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, well\u2026no\u2026not yet.\u00a0 But, I know I should be getting something from her soon.\u00a0 You know, it takes the letters to and from Reno a long time to go back and forth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have any money now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u00a0 Money?\u00a0 Oh, sure!\u00a0 I\u2019m good.\u00a0 See\u2026still have some of my travel money, and I\u2019m using that.\u00a0 Yeah, I\u2019m OK.\u201d\u00a0 I thought that sounded better than telling him I was dead broke.<\/p>\n

He looked back at the paper and sighed deeply.\u00a0 After a minute or so, he said, \u201cLook, the commander left this for me to sort out.\u00a0 So, I\u2019ll just explain to him that you thought the nine hundred dollars was for travel and you sent the money home to your wife.\u00a0 I will also tell him that you agree not to receive any monthly payments until that amount of overpayment has been paid back; since you will be receiving the money back from your wife on a monthly basis.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if I can convince him not to refer you to the Adjutant General (military district attorney) for what you did, but I truly believe you didn\u2019t do this with any malice aforethought.\u00a0 I promise I\u2019ll do my best.\u00a0 From what I\u2019ve seen, you\u2019re a good kid and I don\u2019t think you had any bad intentions.\u00a0 You just made a really stupid decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, Sergeant Resor\u2026thank you.\u00a0 And, I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well forget about that for now and let me work with the colonel on this.\u00a0 But I just want to make sure that you will not end up having no money at all.\u00a0 Please tell me that your wife has agreed to this arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes!\u00a0 I mean, I\u2019m sure she has.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that I haven\u2019t heard back from her yet.\u00a0 But when I do I\u2019ll for sure have the first twenty-five bucks.\u00a0 But see, I told her there was no real hurry since I\u2019m still good.\u00a0 So, it may be a few more days before I hear from her.\u201d\u00a0 My lie was so convincing that I almost believed it myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right.\u00a0 Let me work this out with the boss.\u00a0 I\u2019m confident the issue will stay in our squadron since he doesn\u2019t want a black mark on his career either.\u00a0 Court martials tend to be messy and have been known to cause a lot of collateral damage\u2014particularly to general officers\u2019 careers.\u00a0 OK, you\u2019re dismissed.\u201d\u00a0 He got up and quickly left the room.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember getting up from the table or walking out of the room, but I know that I spent a good amount of time in the men\u2019s room.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure whether I needed to sit on the pot or kneel in front of it.<\/p>\n

Roomie Creates a Style<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

In a matter of days, the issue had been resolved.\u00a0 Sergeant Resor asked me to sign a document that said that was agreeing to the fact that I had received ten month\u2019s pay in advance in one lump sum, and that I understood that the Finance Office would make no further payments until the nine hundred dollar deficit had been satisfied.\u00a0 In short, for the next ten months I would not receive any pay.\u00a0 If I agreed to those terms, then the military would take no further action against me.<\/p>\n

Still believing that the monthly twenty-five-dollar stipend would soon be arriving from Sharon, and assured that a court-martial was no longer in play, I happily signed the document.<\/p>\n

My upbeat mood was short-lived considering that I was now completely out of money, so as I returned to my room, I sat down and began to do some long-range budget planning.<\/p>\n

For starters, my trips to Naha would have to stop.\u00a0 With no money for taxis to transport me from and to the base, and I could no longer afford the luxury of eating or drinking out.\u00a0 Since I could no longer afford to send my uniforms out for laundry and dry cleaning, I scouted out some makeshift laundry facilities in my barracks and found that the small room with a deep sink that the janitorial crew used to rinse out their mops and wash rags should do nicely.\u00a0 Surely, they would not even miss the small amount of detergent that I would be using to wash my uniforms and underwear about once a week.\u00a0 In addition, my roommate, Nat, had an iron that I was sure he would be more than happy to lend me should I need to use it.<\/p>\n

What seemed to be a bigger problem was that of my personal hygiene; i.e. blades for shaving, deodorant, bath soap and shampoo, and those pesky little haircuts that the military required us to get once every couple of weeks.\u00a0 After checking my supply of toiletries, I found that I had a few blades left in a cartridge, one bar of soap that should last me about a month, one can of aerosol deodorant that was almost new, and about half a bottle of shampoo.\u00a0 So if I didn\u2019t hear from Sharon soon it looked like I would be OK for the next few weeks\u2014except for haircuts.<\/p>\n

With my tentative plan in place, I resumed a greatly altered lifestyle.\u00a0 I regularly turned down my friends\u2019 invitations to go downtown after work, excusing myself by telling them that I was too tired or wasn\u2019t in the mood.\u00a0 Instead, I became a three, and sometimes, four-meal-a-day regular at the chow hall.\u00a0 I began checking out books at the base library and devoted my after-shift hours and days off to reading and sleeping\u2014and of course, playing my guitar.<\/p>\n

On my weekends, having noted that it was when the custodians were least likely to be using the deep sink, I took to hand washing my clothing.\u00a0 Because I didn\u2019t have any, I couldn\u2019t starch my fatigues like I preferred to, but I made sure to iron a set just before my shift started so they\u2019d look fresh.<\/p>\n

One Friday evening, after turning down yet another invitation to accompany my buddies downtown, Roomie came bouncing back into my room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey gorgeous!\u00a0 What\u2019cha doing?\u201d\u00a0 He cheerfully asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh nothing,\u201d I said, rolling off my bed and marking my page in a book of Edgar Allen Poe short stories. \u201cJust catching up on some reading.\u00a0 How about you?\u00a0 Why aren\u2019t you with the guys down in Naha?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw shit, you know.\u00a0 All they want to do is barhop and flirt with the naisans hoping to get laid.\u00a0 And you know Ramie, he\u2019s just a cockhound, trying to keep his stable of bargirls in line.\u00a0 Boring!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, the real question is\u2014why are you all of a sudden doing this \u2018intellectual act\u2019?\u00a0 Reading and shit.\u00a0 What\u2019s up?\u00a0 You\u2019ve been acting like your dog died.\u00a0 Wife dump you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, nothing like that.\u00a0 You know, I just need to slow down a little bit\u2026and\u2026well, save a little money.\u00a0 Christmas is coming up and\u2026you know\u2026stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBullshit!\u00a0 Look buddy,\u201d Roomie said, pulling out the chair from under our solitary table and flopping down.\u00a0 \u201cFor the last couple of weeks you\u2019ve been avoiding all of us\u2014eating like a porker at that god-awful chow hall, and turning into a fucking monk.\u00a0 And\u2026what the hell are you doing sneaking into the gooks\u2019 mop closet at all hours?\u00a0 I thought I saw you washing clothes in there in the middle of the night!\u00a0 What the fuck is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t prepared to spill my guts right then and there, so I continued to dance around the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that!\u00a0 Well, you know how the laundry is, so I just thought I\u2019d do my own clothes.\u00a0 Hell, when I was in Alaska I used to have my own little laundry service.\u00a0 Made a pretty good chunk of change too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well this isn\u2019t fucking Alaska.\u00a0 And, you ain\u2019t doing anyone\u2019s laundry but your own.\u00a0 So what the fuck\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

I put my book down on the bed and stared at the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd further,\u201d Roomie continued. \u201cNo one else may have noticed, but I got an eye for hair\u2014and yours is getting a tad shaggy, buddy!\u00a0 What?\u00a0 You can\u2019t afford a dollar to go get your head massacred by Joe Chink and his slope-headed pals at the base barbershop?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026I didn\u2019t think\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook amigo.\u00a0 Look at me!\u00a0 This is fucking Roomie talking!\u00a0 If you\u2019ve got money problems, girl problems, or\u2026shit\u2026even dick problems, I\u2019m here to listen.\u00a0 That\u2019s what friends are for.\u00a0 Get it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook Roomie, I\u2026I\u2026don\u2019t think you can help my situation, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell fuck that!\u00a0 No\u2014I can\u2019t, if I don\u2019t know what the hell\u2019s bothering you, now can I?\u00a0 So \u2018fess up bitch!\u00a0 What\u2019s grinding your ass?\u201d<\/p>\n

It seemed that Roomie was not going to leave me alone until I spilled the beans.\u00a0 \u201cWell\u2026OK.\u00a0 But this has to stay between just you and me, OK?<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, whatever.\u00a0 What\u2019s eating you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess it started when I got overpaid a few weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2026got\u2026overpaid?\u00a0 Shit, why would that be a problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh fuck!\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell me you went down to Naminoue and blew the whole fucking wad on some gook cunt?\u00a0 Is that what happened?\u00a0 Now you have to pay the fucking money back, and you\u2019re broke?\u00a0 Is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s not really it.\u201d\u00a0 And with that, I began to tell Roomie the entire story of my overpayment, the decision to send the money to Sharon, and my fear that she\u2019d left me high and dry\u2014and thirty minutes later I was done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell fuck, buddy!\u00a0 That was a dumb fuck thing to do, wasn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you got that right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, lucky for you, I got your back\u2014at least for one of your problems.\u00a0 Tomorrow morning I want you to take your shower around nine o\u2019clock.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be here in your room at nine-thirty sharp, and we\u2019ll take care of that mop on your head.\u00a0 I need to stay sharp anyway\u2014and boy, do I have some ideas on what to do with your hair!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoomie, I don\u2019t need you to give me free haircuts.\u00a0 I can make do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what?\u00a0 You want to go all shaggy and shit?\u00a0 Na-huh, boyfriend!\u00a0 Not on my watch you\u2019re not.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to make you the most beautiful boy in this barracks by eleven tomorrow morning!\u00a0 You watch!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Roomie!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ain\u2019t in no position to refuse, OK?\u00a0 And don\u2019t go all macho on me\u2014that\u2019s just so\u2026gauche!\u00a0 So, be ready to get all prettied up tomorrow morning.\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to get my hands on that black-haired mop of yours!\u00a0 Yum!!\u00a0 Oh!\u00a0 And be sure to shampoo all that greasy shit out of your hair, and please leave it wet.\u00a0 If you need some good stripping shampoo stop by my room on your way to the shower and I\u2019ll let you use some of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, no thanks.\u201d \u00a0I wasn\u2019t sure what \u201cstripping shampoo\u201d was, but I was sure I didn\u2019t want to use it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, and wear something that you won\u2019t mind getting some hair on and getting a little wet.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have a hair cape so we\u2019ll just have to improvise!\u201d<\/p>\n

So with that, Roomie leaped off the chair, pulled me up by the shoulders and planted a big sloppy kiss on my cheek.\u00a0 Before I had a chance to complain he bounced out of my room and was merrily skipping down the hallway, singing at the top of his voice a verse from one of the songs from the movie musical, \u2018West Side Story\u2019:<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel pretty, I feel pretty, I feel pretty and witty and GAYYYYY!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

By the following morning, word had spread throughout the large barracks that Roomie was going to \u201cstyle\u201d some Air Force guy\u2019s hair.\u00a0 I was almost sure that Roomie himself had started the rumor just to make sure he had an audience and to maybe as a way to start a customer base.\u00a0 This was 1965, and aside from a select group of people in Southern California, male \u201chair styling\u201d was still in its infancy and almost unheard of.<\/p>\n

As I was finishing my shower, I overheard a couple of Army guys making remarks regarding that \u201cfag\u201d from SoCal doing some other \u201cfag\u2019s\u201d hair on the lower floor.\u00a0 They wondered aloud what the world was coming to when someone else commented that they\u2019d spied Roomie early this morning buying hair spray at the Base Exchange.<\/p>\n

I wondered if maybe agreeing to Roomie\u2019s suggestion that he cut my hair might end up being a serious life altering experience for both of us.\u00a0 However, I decided to soldier on.<\/p>\n

I was relieved to find that Roomie had not arrived at my room yet, and even more relieved when I saw that Nat was gone.\u00a0 I assumed he\u2019d decided to get some late breakfast and I hoped he\u2019d be gone for a while.\u00a0 I quickly dressed in a pair of swim shorts and a T shirt, hoping that he wouldn\u2019t ask me to change.<\/p>\n

Roomie showed up a few minutes later, sounding out the \u201cshave and a haircut\u2014two-bits\u201d rhythm rap on my door.\u00a0 To my ghastly surprise, he was standing there wearing an outfit that I had never seen him, or for that matter any other male, wear before.\u00a0 Around his head, a tuft of blond hair popping up over the top, was a flowery silk scarf\u2014tied off high on his forehead in an oversized bowknot.\u00a0 A tie-dyed T shirt, chopped off four or five inches above his navel rode high over the most garish looking skin-tight aqua-colored capri pants.\u00a0 On his feet, he wore a pair of pink flip-flops with a couple of large pastel-colored flowers attached to the toe straps.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi-ho!\u00a0 Your nine-thirty appointment has arrived, bitch!\u00a0 Get ready to be beautified!\u201d\u00a0 And he, for lack of a better word, \u201csashayed\u2019 in.<\/p>\n

He was carrying a large cloth bag that he dumped on my still unmade bed.\u00a0 It contained a can of \u2018Aqua Net\u2019 hair spray, various combs and brushes, and a couple of wired appliances\u2014one resembling an air gun.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK!\u201d he said joyfully, \u201clet\u2019s get this show on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pulled the chair from under the table and after looking around, made a pile of several of my books and put them on the seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere, now I can see what I need to do.\u00a0 Come on, upsy-daisy.\u201d\u00a0 He said, motioning for me to sit on the books.<\/p>\n

This turned out to be a haircut like I\u2019d never had before.\u00a0 Having gotten used to ones that lasted four or five minutes tops, this one took most of an hour.\u00a0 He scissored, brushed, combed, buzzed, and scissored again.\u00a0 Then he spritzed my hair with some warm water and did it all over again.\u00a0 I felt as though I was being clipped bald.<\/p>\n

Finally, he dug out the apparatus that looked like some plastic gun, plugged it in to a wall outlet, and began to blow my head with hot air.\u00a0 After a while, he switched to another gadget, which he also plugged into the wall, which resembled a short-round sabre.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, now we\u2019re going to shape your hair with this hot iron, so don\u2019t fidget or I\u2019ll burn your scalp!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to do what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, shut the fuck up!\u00a0 You\u2019re a bigger sissy than I am.\u00a0 Stop it!\u201d<\/p>\n

And he began taking sections of what hair I had left, putting it in the iron and pulling it through.\u00a0 Lastly, and to my relief, he told me to close my eyes and began to spray my head with the can of Aqua Net.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere!\u00a0 Now don\u2019t you look so pretty!\u201d\u00a0 He pulled a round mirror out of the cloth bag and held it in front of my face.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t believe what I was seeing.<\/p>\n

It seemed that every hair follicle on my head had found its rightful place, and styled straight back, Roomie had blow-dried a small pompadour across my upper forehead.\u00a0 Although I\u2019d felt as though he\u2019d clipped my hair right down to my scalp, the image that was reflected from the hand mirror showed my head with more hair than I\u2019d ever seen.\u00a0 It was immaculate.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly shit, Roomie!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes\u2014it\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n

To my complete surprise, and embarrassment at the same time, the audience\u2014that had grown from three or four guys to about a dozen\u2014broke into wild applause and loud cheering.\u00a0 To my horror, Roomie turned to the crowd, now spilling out into the hallway, and curtsied!\u00a0 And I mean a full-blown lady-to-queen-type curtsy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be taking appointments right after I get back to my room, you hairy savages.\u201d\u00a0 He lisped in full gay mode.\u00a0 \u201cBut I can\u2019t promise to make you all look as beautiful as Frankie here\u2014sometimes I need more than hair to work with.\u00a0 And looking at some of you\u2014well, it would be a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone laughed and the mood was sheer Hollywood.\u00a0 Roomie was absolutely beaming.\u00a0 I finally worked up the courage to break into his magic moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoomie!\u00a0 Hey, thank you so much–but, I do have a question.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh Frankie!\u00a0 You\u2019ll never be able to pay me!\u00a0 You owe me too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s not what I was going to ask.\u201d\u00a0 Hoping he was kidding.\u00a0 \u201cHow am I supposed to fix my hair this way every day?\u00a0 I don\u2019t have brushes, hair spray, or those tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCe n\u2019est pas un probl\u00e8me, mon ami\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He said in perfect French while waving his arms dramatically.\u00a0 \u201cI will come to your room to repair the damage before you go to work.\u201d\u00a0 This elicited a chorus of hoops and jeers from the group.\u00a0 \u201cAs time goes on you\u2019ll learn how to style it on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t have either of those things!\u201d\u00a0 I said, pointing to the hair dryer and curling iron.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can borrow my hair dryer, but you won\u2019t need the curling iron.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with that, he turned and began to pack his stuff back into the cloth bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d he said, suddenly remembering, \u201cI\u2019ll leave this can of Aqua Net with you for touch ups.\u201d<\/p>\n

The crowd around my door poured out into the hallway as Roomie exited my room.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on boys!\u00a0 It\u2019s going to be first-come, first-served at \u2018Chez Roomie\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 And he disappeared\u2014the crowd of guys eagerly following close behind.<\/p>\n

I was left alone in my room with only my roommate Nat, who was sitting on the edge of his bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what\u2019cha gonna do with your hat?\u00a0 Once you jam that baby on your hairstyle is gonna be all dicked up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked at myself in my small shaving mirror and wondered the same thing.\u00a0 \u201cHmm, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I guess I\u2019ll just have to be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess.\u00a0 Now you see why I keep my hair buzzed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friends With Hearts<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

I spent Christmas alone in my room.\u00a0 Most of the base activities had been sharply curtailed due to the holidays, and I had been granted Christmas and the following three days off.\u00a0 The guys and most of the barrack\u2019s population had all left to celebrate at the Airmen\u2019s Club, or downtown Naminoue, leaving the barracks building mostly deserted.\u00a0 Nat and Roomie had asked me repeatedly to join the group but I resisted\u2014saying that I thought I was coming down with a touch of the flu.<\/p>\n

Although I had been maintaining some hope that I would eventually receive a letter from Sharon, that hope faded with every day that went by not hearing from her.\u00a0 My plans for the first twenty-five-dollar money order that I should\u2019ve received by now had been to buy the boys a couple of toys that I\u2019d seen at the Base Exchange a few weeks earlier.\u00a0 However, without any money I couldn\u2019t even send them a Christmas card.<\/p>\n

I counted the stamps that I had left since arriving in Okinawa and found that I had written Sharon about eleven letters and my parents, six.\u00a0 In return, I had received over a dozen letters from my mother and none from Sharon.\u00a0 As the Christmas holiday wound down, I finally came to the depressing conclusion that Sharon was not going to write.\u00a0 She had taken all the money that I had sent and apparently didn\u2019t have any plans on sending anything back.<\/p>\n

As darkness descended on me that first Christmas at the end of 1965, I lay on my bed wondering what would become of me.\u00a0 Even though Roomie had graciously volunteered to cut (style) my hair whenever I needed it, I worried that eventually I would run out of stuff to maintain my personal hygiene.\u00a0 I had less than a half a bar of soap left, three blades, and my can of deodorant was now almost empty.\u00a0 On the bright side, I had an almost brand new can of Aqua Net hairspray, but I doubted that it would do me much good anywhere other than on my head.<\/p>\n

I fell into a shallow and troubled sleep\u2014a feeling of bitter sorrow just a breath away.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I went back to work a few days later and I found that my duties helped keep my mind off my immediate troubles.\u00a0 After lunch, Sergeant Resor approached me and asked how I was doing.\u00a0 I drummed up my best smile and told him I was as right as rain.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you heard from your wife yet?\u201d\u00a0 He asked, concern showing in his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah\u2014I sure did.\u201d\u00a0 I lied.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, everything\u2019s OK then?\u00a0 Your plan, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, she hasn\u2019t sent any money yet, but that\u2019s fine.\u00a0 I still have some travel money put away, so I\u2019ll be fine.\u201d\u00a0 More lies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, good.\u00a0 Well I see you got your hair all styled up.\u00a0 Sure makes you look different.\u00a0 You didn\u2019t get that on the base did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, the base barbershop only does haircuts.\u00a0 You know\u2026military cuts.\u00a0 No, I got this from one of the Army guys in our barracks.\u00a0 He used to style hair in LA before he was drafted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm, looks good.\u00a0 Completely different from the way you used to wear it.\u00a0 I like it though.\u00a0 You gonna keep it that way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks!\u00a0 Yeah, I guess I will.\u00a0 As long as the Base Exchange doesn\u2019t run out of hairspray.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well don\u2019t let that get around.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be tagged as some kind of queer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor sure.\u00a0 No, I\u2019ll be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our little chitchat went on for a while, and I began to feel as if he was somehow interrogating me.\u00a0 He asked what my plans were for New Years and I told him that I didn\u2019t have any plans but would probably go downtown with some guys for dinner and a few drinks.\u00a0 He seemed satisfied, and didn\u2019t realize what I\u2019d just told him was what I really wanted to do, and not what I would probably end up doing.<\/p>\n

I worked the early shift on New Year\u2019s Eve, 1965, and was back in the barracks by three in the afternoon.\u00a0 Evening chow didn\u2019t start until four so I decided to take a little nap and maybe head on up around five.\u00a0 Just as I was settling in and getting the first real snooze that I\u2019d had in days, the door to my room flew open and all of my friends poured in.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at this fucking slug, would you?\u201d\u00a0 Smokey screamed, his eyes bulging even bigger than ever behind his horn-rimmed Coke bottle lenses.\u00a0 \u201cWhat the fuck do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Scared half out of my wits, I rolled out of my bunk\u2014pulling the sheet up over my shoulders and almost falling on to the floor.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m trying to sleep before I go to chow!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep?\u201d\u00a0 Peewee screeched.\u00a0 No sleeping on New Year\u2019s Eve, you slack fucker.\u00a0 Get up!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ramie, elegantly dressed in his blacks, coolly strolled in.\u00a0 \u201cGet the fuck up, Pancho!\u00a0 We\u2019re headed downtown to eat, drink, woo some bitches\u2026and, of course, bring in the New Year!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d I said, now a little irritated.\u00a0 \u201cGo celebrate and leave me the fuck alone.\u00a0 OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen to this bitch!\u00a0 Un-fucking-grateful!\u201d\u00a0 Roomie chimed in, faking mock anger.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, get up!!\u00a0 I need to fluff that mop up so you\u2019ll look like a real Romeo!\u00a0 I have a reputation to maintain!\u201d\u00a0 He was carrying his brush and hair dryer.<\/p>\n

\u201cNO!\u00a0 Leave me alone!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not asking, shit-head!\u201d\u00a0 Peewee said impatiently.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re telling you to get your ass up, let Roomie fix your hair, so we can head on downtown.\u00a0 Come on, man\u2014we need to catch a sukoshi cab ASAP!\u201d<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t sure what I was hearing, and I sure didn\u2019t want to say what came rolling out of my mouth!\u00a0 But, out it came anyway.\u00a0 \u201cLook!\u00a0 You fucking guys know what my situation is.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have any fucking money to go anywhere!\u00a0 That damn ship sailed a few weeks ago.\u00a0 Now get the fuck out of my room and leave me alone!\u201d<\/p>\n

Smokey elbowed his way past Nat, Peewee, Ramie and Roomie.\u00a0 His eyes looked like they were going to bulge right out of their sockets and the veins on his skinny neck were pulsing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho the fuck said anything about money, you stupid ass?\u201d\u00a0 He looked around the group.\u00a0 \u201cHuh?\u00a0 Who the fuck said he needed money?\u00a0 Anyone?!\u201d\u00a0 Everyone looked at each other but no one said anything.<\/p>\n

A few seconds went by\u2026and I finally found my tongue.\u00a0 \u201cOK, look guys.\u00a0 Thanks for thinking about me, but I can\u2019t do this.\u00a0 You expect me to join you on New Year\u2019s Eve as you go downtown to eat and drink?\u00a0 And me with no money to my name?\u00a0 Give me a fucking break!\u00a0 I can\u2019t do that!\u00a0 I can\u2019t accept charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roomie slid by the group and sat next to me on my bunk.\u00a0 \u201cLook Frankie.\u00a0 We don\u2019t care about you not having money, and this is not charity.\u00a0 We\u2019re your friends, you understand?\u00a0 Even if you are a flyboy in the fucking Air Force!\u201d<\/p>\n

Smokey and Ramie made some nasty sounds, and Smokey said, \u201cFuck you Roomie, you ground-pounder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roomie put his arm around my shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cListen dummy.\u00a0 We love you, and we\u2019d be some kind of nasty dirtbag friends if we didn\u2019t help each other out.\u00a0 So, tonight is going to be on us.\u00a0 We\u2019ve already talked about it and we\u2019ve all agreed, so don\u2019t give us any more shit.\u00a0 You\u2019re our bud, and buds look after one another.\u00a0 Now come on, get your skinny ass up so I can work on your head.\u00a0 Time is wasting away!\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know what to say, but I started to realize that they were not going to take no for an answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, look,\u201d I said, finally resigning myself to the inevitable.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t really feel right about this, plus, I don\u2019t have anything ready to wear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh fuck!\u00a0 Put on some damn jeans and a white shirt, vato.\u201d\u00a0 Ramie said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if you need a nice jacket I got a black one you can borrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that was that.<\/p>\n

Thirty minutes later we all piled into a base taxi and were on our way towards the main gate to wave down a couple of sukoshi cabs.\u00a0 There was a group of about forty or fifty soldiers, sailors, and airmen crowded around the gate, and a line of cabs stuffing as many as each could fit for the ride to Naminoue.<\/p>\n

It was a night that I will never forget.\u00a0 We ate, we drank, we sang, we caroused, and I had the best time of my young life.\u00a0 Sometime later, in a crowded and smoky bar, surrounded by a group of equally inebriated naisan bar girls, we gleefully welcomed in 1966.\u00a0 Soon after, and over Ramie\u2019s loud objections, we shed ourselves of the girls and staggered into our favorite late night restaurant, \u201cJack\u2019s Steakhouse\u201d.\u00a0 Although crowded even at that time of the morning, we found a table and each ordered Jack’s special Kobe Beef sandwiches and Japanese beer.<\/p>\n

After wolfing down the incredibly tender beef sandwiches and washing them down with mugs of ice-cold Asahi, we headed back to the cab stand for our return ride to the base.\u00a0 As Nat and I drunkenly helped each other up the long flight of concrete stairs to our quad, behind us the golden-soft Okinawan sun quietly broke the New Year\u2019s dawn and shone brightly over the shimmering green horizon of the East China Sea.<\/p>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"