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":853,"date":"2017-01-18T18:55:22","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T00:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=853"},"modified":"2017-01-18T18:55:22","modified_gmt":"2017-01-19T00:55:22","slug":"okinawa-part-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=853","title":{"rendered":"Okinawa – Part Four"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

January-July 1966<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Love Begins to Fade <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

When I left Reno for my eighteen-month assignment at Naha Air Base on Okinawa, I left the bulk of the travel money I\u2019d been issued with Sharon.\u00a0 My thinking was that she would need the money more than I would as she was tending to the boys and would probably incur more expenses than I would.\u00a0 And when I received and sent her the nine-hundred-dollar overpayment, putting my career and well-being in jeopardy, I did so thinking that the windfall would enable us to use it as a buffer when the Air Force authorized her and the boys to join me on Okinawa the following year.\u00a0 What I didn\u2019t count on was that once I left the CONUS (Continental U.S.), her thoughts and feelings were no longer centered on me nor on my welfare.<\/p>\n

The pressures and tensions that our marriage had suffered since its ill-conceived inception a few years earlier had predictably taken a toll on its tenuous bonds and the cracks were beginning to show.\u00a0 After my trip to the post office to question why I hadn\u2019t received any letters from Sharon, and the Military Postal Command\u2019s subsequent response that had all but said, \u2018Because she hasn\u2019t written you back, that\u2019s why\u2026\u2019<\/em>, my feelings for Sharon began to evolve\u2014and not in a good way.<\/p>\n

Although I continued to hold out some hope that she would eventually give in and send me at least one money order, each day that passed without a letter only served to increase my growing resentment with her.\u00a0 Every trip to the post office that found my mail slot empty added to my belief that she didn\u2019t care one iota about what was happening to me.\u00a0 I kept telling myself that she had to know that I was completely out of money by now, and that I had no way of providing for myself.\u00a0 Had I not been assigned to a base in a foreign country I would\u2019ve, by now, sought employment off base.\u00a0 But not only was that impossible in Okinawa, it was prohibited by military regulations.<\/p>\n

In late January, I made one more effort to contact her, and seeing that I had one last first-class stamp left, I sat down and wrote her a long letter.\u00a0 This time, again telling her that I had not received a money order, I explained how I was trying to live without any money.\u00a0 I described washing my own clothes, getting free haircuts, and trying to make do with what was left of my personal hygiene items.\u00a0 Because I was using one razor blade every day for a week, I came down with a severe rash, large red welts blossoming on my face, and I had to go on sick call.\u00a0 The doctor correctly diagnosed my condition as being caused by shaving with old and\/or dull blades, and asked me why.\u00a0 I simply told him that I was trying to save money.\u00a0 He prescribed a soothing ointment and gave me a medical excuse exempting me from shaving every day for a couple of weeks.\u00a0 He also insisted that I use a fresh blade every day after I resumed shaving, and to find some other way to be thrifty.\u00a0 Although I thought about adding this little detail to my letter to Sharon, I resisted the urge.\u00a0 As with all my other letters, I never received a response to this one either.<\/p>\n

Because I could not shave for a couple of weeks, a rather skimpy and wispy (scraggly) beard began to appear on my face.\u00a0 As the facial hair grew out it began to cover the splotches and discolorations that had appeared on my face, and my appearance gave many officers and non-commissioned officers the impression that I was not shaving because I was lazy, or worse yet, trying to be rebellious.\u00a0 After a particularly nasty confrontation with a young first lieutenant on the sidewalk as I was leaving work at the Air Defense Center, I took to carrying my medical excuse with me wherever I went.\u00a0 I admit it was fun to see the expression on some of the officers\u2019 faces as I passed them on my way to and from work or the chow hall; me, popping a very sharp salute as I approached, and them, trying to figure out what I had on my face.\u00a0 Most of the older officers returned a half-hearted salute while busily focusing on my face, and only the very young and gung-ho officers ordered me to stop and explain my appearance.\u00a0 I would then pull the medical excuse from my breast pocket and watch them try to figure out if it was legitimate.\u00a0 A couple of them asked me to point out the now almost invisible welts to them before they were satisfied.\u00a0 They would then pop to attention, return my salute, and recommend that I should begin shaving again as soon as my medical excuse expired.<\/p>\n

By the end of February, I was convinced that I was never going to hear from Sharon again.\u00a0 My disgust for her apparent lack of any kind of compassion for my situation grew exponentially as the days wore on, but for my own peace of mind I decided to carry on as best I could without wasting too much time thinking about her.\u00a0 I began to accept that our marriage was all but over, and I expected that the next time I got any word from her it would be in the form of a set of divorce papers.\u00a0 My sorrow and regret for all things past had all but disappeared, and my feelings for Sharon began to mutate into a dark and deep-seated loathing.<\/p>\n

It was about then that a very peculiar, and soon to be recurring, event occurred.<\/p>\n

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

One afternoon on the first day of March, as I returned to my room after work, I noticed a small white plastic bag sitting in the center of Nat\u2019s and my writing table.\u00a0 Nat was working the evening shift so I assumed that he\u2019d left the bag there after making a trip to the Base Exchange.\u00a0 After taking a short nap, I washed my face and changed out of my uniform and into a not-too-grimy set of jeans and a short-sleeve shirt for my trip to the chow hall and the evening meal.<\/p>\n

I returned to my room and began gathering up a couple of uniforms and some underwear to take down to the deep sink to launder when I noticed that there were now two plastic bags on the table.\u00a0 It struck me as odd because the walk from the Air Defense Center to our barracks took about fifteen minutes, so I knew that Nat would not have had time to return to the room to leave the second bag.\u00a0 And why would he anyway?<\/p>\n

I left my room and made the short trek to the deep sink closet, first checking to make sure the custodians had left the building for the day.\u00a0 I spent the next thirty-minutes hand-washing and rinsing my clothes, and after wringing them out the best I could, putting them into a large black plastic bag that I\u2019d liberated from the box of trash bags that I\u2019d found in the broom closet at the Air Defense Center.<\/p>\n

Returning to my room, I hung my underwear to dry on the makeshift laundry line I\u2019d hung between the top of my clothes locker and the opposite wall.\u00a0 I held my shorts and T-shirts in place on the line by using large black binder clips which had been used to hold together air defense reports sent up to the division headquarters at the center.\u00a0 All the while I kept eyeing the two bags on the table.<\/p>\n

Finally, as I was beginning to iron a damp set of fatigue pants, curiosity got the better of me.\u00a0 I walked over to the table and opened one of the bags.\u00a0 Just inside, I saw what\u2014at first\u2014looked to be a cash register receipt.\u00a0 Instead, it turned out to be a small hand written note addressed to me:<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Frank, we know you must be running short so here\u2019s some stuff to keep you pretty and smelling good.\u00a0 AND SHAVE THAT SHIT OFF YOUR FACE!!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Surprised, I looked inside of the bag and pulled out five packs of razor blades, a small can of aerosol deodorant, two bars of Ivory soap, and a can of shaving cream.\u00a0 I looked inside of the second bag, and although it did not contain a note, I found a medium tube of toothpaste, a bottle of shampoo, and a small can of Aqua Net hairspray.<\/p>\n

Luckily the chair that was usually under the table was just off to the side, because I all but collapsed into it.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t believe what I was seeing.\u00a0 Obviously, my friends had gone to the Base Exchange and bought this stuff for me while I was at work.\u00a0 I thought for a bit, then realized that this had been the day that the Air Force and Army got paid.<\/p>\n

As I removed the items from the bags I noticed something folded up at the bottom of the one containing the toothpaste.\u00a0 I pulled it out\u2014and what I saw took me by complete surprise.\u00a0 Folded into a neat little square were five five-dollar bills<\/p>\n

Emotionally overwhelmed and not knowing what to think, I sat on my chair in my semi-dark room and began to cry.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Since Nat\u2019s shift ended at midnight and mine started at six o\u2019clock in the morning, he was fast asleep when I left for work next morning.\u00a0 But before leaving, I wrote \u2018Thank you, guys!\u2019 onto the back of the note that had been left for me.\u00a0 That afternoon I ran into Smokey at the chow hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Smokey, what\u2019s going on?\u201d\u00a0 I asked, setting my tray down on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot much.\u00a0 What\u2019s up with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, for one thing\u2014I shaved this morning for the first time in almost a month.\u00a0 See?\u00a0 Ta-da!\u201d\u00a0 I stroked my chin as I pulled a chair out.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout fucking time.\u201d\u00a0 He said, gnawing on a pork chop.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, if it hadn\u2019t been for you guys I\u2019d still be all shaggy.\u00a0 Anyway, my medical excuse ran out a couple of days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked up from his chop.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know.\u00a0 The stuff you guys left in my room yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t leave any stuff.\u00a0 What the fuck you talking about?\u201d\u00a0 Holding the chop in front of his nose he squinted his enormous looking eyes, the gesture pulling his upper lip up and exposing his yellowing nicotine-stained teeth.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re mental.\u201d\u00a0 He sucked some grease off his thumb.<\/p>\n

I dug into my pork chop and scooped up a fork full\u00a0of mashed potatoes.\u00a0 \u201cWell anyway.\u00a0 Thanks.\u00a0 You guys are the greatest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smokey put the chop down.\u00a0 \u201cHey, I know I\u2019m pretty cool and all that, but I have no fucking idea what you\u2019re raving about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe stuff!\u00a0 You know, the stuff you and the guys left in my room from the Base Exchange.\u201d<\/p>\n

He balanced some green peas on his butter knife and rolled them into his mouth like marbles.\u00a0 \u201cOK, if someone left some weird shit in your room it wasn\u2019t me\u2014nor was it anyone I know about.\u00a0 Maybe you should fucking lock your room in the future.\u201d\u00a0 He chewed his peas and sort of cocked his head and peeled his enormous eyes at me, looking very much like an interested, but very skinny, dog.<\/p>\n

I was about to say something when Peewee and Ramie arrived.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d\u00a0 Smokey said to them.\u00a0 \u201cThis fucker\u2019s complaining because someone left some shit in his room last night.\u00a0 Did Nat say anything today?\u201d\u00a0 He directed the question at Ramie.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope!\u201d\u00a0 It was odd to see Ramie dressed in his green Army fatigues.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kinda shit, vato?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, look.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what game you guys are playing, but I do appreciate the stuff you left.\u00a0 But really, you didn\u2019t have to leave money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMoney?\u201d\u00a0 Peewee exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone left you some money?\u00a0 Holy shit, I\u2019m gettin\u2019 out of the Army and enlisting in the fucking Air Force.\u00a0 People there leave you money.\u00a0 Jesus!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo shit!\u201d\u00a0 Ramie said softly, playing with his mashed potatoes.\u00a0 \u201cWhen did this happen?\u00a0 Maybe it was the tooth fairy.\u00a0 Open up, Pancho!\u00a0 Let\u2019s see if you\u2019re missing a couple of teeth!\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone but me started laughing.\u00a0 \u201cHey,\u201d I protested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m just saying that I\u2019m grateful!\u00a0 And you guys absolutely know<\/u> what the fuck I\u2019m talking about!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what he\u2019s talking about?\u201d Smokey asked Ramie, who looked over at Peewee.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a fucking clue.\u201d\u00a0 Peewee said.\u00a0 \u201cHey, we gonna eat, or talk about tooth fairies.\u00a0 If we\u2019re gonna talk about anything I wanna talk about that new naisan down at the \u2018Vegas Club!\u2019\u00a0 Jesus!\u00a0 She is so fucking fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that was it.\u00a0 The conversation immediately turned to who wanted to do what to whom, down in Naminoue.\u00a0 In a few minutes the meal was over and we left the chow hall heading to our barracks.\u00a0 As we were walking, Ramie asked, \u201cHey Pancho, why don\u2019t you pull your guitar out and let\u2019s make some music back in your room.\u00a0 You and Peewee can do a really fine \u2018Michael Row, the Boat Ashore\u2019 duet, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, but I think Nat might be coming back to the room pretty soon.\u00a0 I think he\u2019s got a night shift tonight and he may want to sleep.\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, fuck Nat!\u201d Smokey said, punctuating it with a vicious middle finger salute.\u00a0 \u201cWhen we get going ain\u2019t nothing stopping us from putting on a damn fine hootenanny!\u201d<\/p>\n

And so, once we got back to my room I pulled my guitar out, and we indeed had ourselves a real damn fine hootenanny.<\/p>\n

For the next five months, on the first day of each month, two plastic bags full of toiletries\u2014and twenty-five dollars\u2014mysteriously appeared on my table.\u00a0 No one ever confessed, but in my heart, I knew where they were coming from.<\/p>\n

A Letter\u2014finally<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The letter was dated, \u201cJuly 7, 1966\u201d; and, it was around 3:30pm, on Friday, July 15^{th, <\/sup>when I pulled the envelope from the mail slot in the squadron\u2019s mail room.<\/p>\n}

Earlier, I had been relieved from my position at the Air Defense Center at 3:00pm, and because we\u2019d been very busy that day tracking B-52 training flights I had passed on lunch.\u00a0 Now I was starving.\u00a0 Walking out into the hot afternoon sun, I had no intention of stopping by the mail room, but because the chow hall didn\u2019t open until 4pm for the evening meal, I decided to burn off a little bit of time by checking my mail instead of waiting in line for the chow hall doors to open.<\/p>\n

When I first saw the envelope sitting diagonally in the slot, I groaned internally because I naturally assumed it was from my mother.\u00a0 I had already received two letters from her that week, so when I saw the envelope I thought that now I would have three letters to answer before the weekend was done.<\/p>\n

Gripping the envelope, I immediately noticed that it had a different feel to it.\u00a0 My mother wrote her letters on 8 \u00bd by 10-inch loose-leaf paper, and before stuffing the multi-folded sheets into a standard 5 \u00be inch envelope.\u00a0 In short, her letters all seemed fat, the envelopes almost bursting at the seams.\u00a0 This letter, however, felt different as my fingers grasped and pulled it out.\u00a0 It was lighter and thinner, and the envelope had a slight pink tint.<\/p>\n

I looked at it, and immediately recognized Sharon\u2019s lofty script.\u00a0 She left off her name on the upper left return address area of the envelope\u2014penning only her house address and city.\u00a0 Several stamps of different denominations had been glued willy-nilly onto the upper right corner, and the military postal authorities at Travis Air Force Base had made sure they canceled every one of them by repeatedly slamming a hand stamp over each stamp, almost obliterating their face value.<\/p>\n

The letter felt light and thin and I momentarily wondered if in fact there was anything in it at all.<\/p>\n

I quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking at me because I seemed to have lost track of time and wondered just how long I\u2019d been standing there.\u00a0 The mail room was empty and the hands on the clock on the wall had barely moved.<\/p>\n

I thought about sitting down before I opened the envelope, but that would\u2019ve required me to walk over to a small desk that was ten or twelve feet away from me.\u00a0 I told myself that maybe I should just stand.<\/p>\n

Realizing that the door was still open to the now empty mail slot, I pushed the glass and brass-framed door until the hasp clicked, then I spun the small combination lock several times to make sure it was locked.<\/p>\n

I reached into my pocket and found the small nail clipper that I carried on a link chain with my room keys and exposed the tiny notched blade normally used to trim down the quick on my nails.\u00a0 Running the blade along the top fold of the pinkish envelope, I exposed a single sheet of folded-over stationery.\u00a0 Unfolding the sheet, I forced my eyes to slowly read every word and number written on the letter.<\/p>\n

July 7, 1966<\/em><\/p>\n

Frank,<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve asked my mother, my sisters, and my lawyer\u2014and they have all said the same thing.\u00a0 You need to know, and no amount of waiting will make it better.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how else to say it, so here goes:<\/em><\/p>\n

I am seven months pregnant.<\/em><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know who the father is, nor do I know how this happened.\u00a0 But, it is for real.<\/em><\/p>\n

I guess I could tell you that I\u2019m sorry, but I doubt that you would believe me since I haven\u2019t written to you since you left Nevada for Okinawa and you are probably angry as hell.\u00a0 But, I am truly sorry.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure how you are going to take this, but everyone tells me, and I agree, that what I\u2019ve done is terrible, and not fair to you or the boys.\u00a0 But, what\u2019s done is done.<\/em><\/p>\n

Let me know what you want to do about this.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sharon<\/em><\/p>\n

I read the letter a second time just to make sure that what I\u2019d read was what had been written.\u00a0 It was.<\/p>\n

I recall taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out.\u00a0 Then, without thinking, and completely unexpectedly, I said aloud to no one in particular, \u201cWay to go, Sharon.\u00a0 Way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mail slots were in a small building which also housed the office of the squadron\u2019s First Sergeant.\u00a0 So again, without giving my actions much thought I walked through a small vestibule and up to a door that was marked, \u201c1^{st<\/sup> Sergeant\u201d.\u00a0 The door led to a small ante room where an Air Force orderly was seated.\u00a0 He looked up from his typewriter.<\/p>\n}

\u201cCan I help you?\u201d he asked, quizzically.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I said, again not thinking about what I was doing.\u00a0 \u201cI have something here that I\u2019d like to show the first sergeant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA letter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA letter from who?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s it say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather discuss that with the first sergeant.\u00a0 Can I see him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have an appointment, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I just got this letter.\u201d<\/p>\n

A door behind the orderly suddenly opened and a large gray-haired sergeant emerged.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the problem out here?\u201d\u00a0 He said, sounding slightly annoyed.\u00a0 I\u2019d never seen him before, but he immediately reminded me of a red-faced English bulldog.<\/p>\n

The orderly got up rapidly from his chair and turned to face the sergeant.\u00a0 \u201cThis airman says he wants to see you because he wants to show you a letter from his wife.\u00a0 I told him he needs an appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sergeant looked over the top of the orderly.\u00a0 \u201cYou want to see me?\u00a0 Now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir!\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, you want to show me a letter from your wife?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWhat\u2019s it say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather you read it in private, sir.\u201d\u00a0 The sergeant\u2019s brow went all wrinkly and his eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do, huh? OK, come on in\u201d he said suddenly.\u00a0 Then he added, \u201cThis better be important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it is,\u201d I said, walking past the orderly and following the sergeant into his office.<\/p>\n

Before he sat back down at his desk, he pointed to a small leather chair near the corner of his desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the letter?\u201d\u00a0 He asked, as he scanned his desk for his reading glasses.<\/p>\n

I handed him the letter and sat down.\u00a0 It took him just a few seconds to do a first read on Sharon\u2019s short letter, and as he finished he looked over the letter at me.<\/p>\n

He cleared his throat loudly, and his eyes went back to the letter.<\/p>\n

After a second reading, he put the letter down and took his glasses off.\u00a0 \u201cAre you OK?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d I said, as I crossed my legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe says here she\u2019s never written you.\u00a0\u00a0 Is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cHow long have you been here?\u00a0 On Okinawa, I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before I could answer, he spoke again suddenly.\u00a0 \u201cSee, that\u2019s why an appointment is necessary.\u00a0 I like to check the files before I speak to anyone.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, but I know you work for Sergeant Resor, and that\u2019s about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s OK.\u00a0 I arrived at Naha in late October last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, you\u2019ve never heard from your wife until now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you written her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, several times.\u00a0 But when she never answered, I stopped writing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm.\u00a0 So\u2026so, what is it that you want me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I thought that maybe you\u2019d have some ideas.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes Resor know about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 No one knows.\u00a0 I just got the letter.\u00a0 A few of my friends know she hasn\u2019t written. But no, no one knows about this.\u201d\u00a0 He got up from his desk and handed me the letter.\u00a0 I folded it and put it back in the envelope.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure what to do at this point, but for sure I\u2019ll have to brief the squadron commander.\u00a0 Do you want to go home on leave and try to straighten this out with her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, I haven\u2019t had time to think about it, but I would say no right now.\u00a0 What am I gonna do there?\u00a0 I don\u2019t even know who she is anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, maybe try to work things out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing to work out.\u00a0 She\u2019s pregnant and doesn\u2019t know who the father is.\u00a0 What else is there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue.\u00a0 OK, you sure you\u2019re OK?\u00a0 Right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir, I\u2019m fine.\u00a0 Actually, I feel better now that I\u2019ve heard from her.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t know what I\u2019m supposed to do.\u00a0 I need a little help there, I guess.\u00a0 I\u2019m worried about my boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, if you\u2019re sure you\u2019re OK I\u2019m gonna let you go back to your barracks.\u00a0 Do you think you may need some duty time off?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cOK, as long as you think you can still do your duty.\u00a0 So, let me discuss this with the commander and I\u2019ll get back to you as soon as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, sir.\u201d\u00a0 I stood up, snapped to attention, and walked out of his office.<\/p>\n

As I exited the building I suddenly remembered how hungry I was.\u00a0 I stuffed the letter into my pocket and headed for the chow hall.<\/p>\n

I looked for a table where no one else was sitting and found one in a far corner of the massive dining room and sat down hoping that no one would see me.\u00a0 As I ate, I noticed that I was incredibly at ease and I felt as though a large weight had been lifted off my shoulders; I wondered why I felt this way.\u00a0 I had just received a letter from my wife, after not hearing from her for over nine months; and in it she had delivered what most men would perceive as horribly devastating news.\u00a0 Yet, I felt a strange and overwhelming calm.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t happiness, but it was as close to relief as I\u2019d felt in a long time.<\/p>\n

Things Turn Around<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t tell my friends about the letter; in fact, I didn\u2019t even mention that I\u2019d heard from Sharon at all, but they noticed a definite change in my overall demeanor.\u00a0 In fact, during my bi-weekly hair appointment with Roomie he mentioned the change and asked me if I\u2019d heard from the payroll department.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I told him, \u201cBut I should start getting my regular pay in a couple of months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCool, because you owe me so much money your first five paychecks will be coming to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was almost sure he was kidding, but before I could say anything he chuckled and said, \u201cHa!\u00a0 Had your ass going for a little bit, didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cYou dumb shit!\u00a0 You don\u2019t owe me anything.\u00a0 I\u2019ve made so much money off the other guys when they saw how beautiful you ended up looking that I\u2019m booked up for weeks now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGlad to hear it.\u00a0 You are a great barb\u2026um\u2026hair stylist.\u201d<\/p>\n

A week after I\u2019d spoken to the First Sergeant I was notified that he wanted to see me again.\u00a0 I was granted official time off one of my duty days to meet with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, so I\u2019ve spoken to the squadron commander and here\u2019s what we\u2019re willing to offer.\u00a0 We can grant you ten days of emergency leave and get you booked on a military flight to and from Reno for you to see your wife.\u00a0 The snag is that we are unable to get this approved right away.\u00a0 So, if you want to leave, say\u2026within a week or two, you can, but you\u2019ll have to pay your own way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to go now.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have any money to buy an airline ticket anyway.\u201d\u00a0 I responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight, that\u2019s what I thought.\u00a0 For the Air Force to fund your travel you\u2019ll probably have to wait until sometime around September.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have the exact timeframe, but I\u2019ve been assured that September is a viable date.\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought for a few seconds and thought that maybe by then my pay would have resumed.\u00a0 \u201cOK, that may work out for me, but I won\u2019t know for sure until we get closer in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, let me know as time goes on.\u00a0 Secondly, what we can do right away is set you up for a MARS call to your wife\u2019s home in Reno.\u201d\u00a0 (The\u00a0Military Auxiliary Radio System<\/strong>\u00a0(MARS) was a\u00a0Department of Defense\u00a0sponsored program, established as a separately managed and operated program by the\u00a0U.S. Army, and the\u00a0U.S Air Force.)\u00a0 \u201cThat way, you can at least talk to her and both of you can start to figure out what you may want to do about this problem.\u00a0 The call will be limited to about ten minutes, but at least you can get started on a solution.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t want to talk to her on the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cMay I ask why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would I say to her?\u00a0 What would I ask her?\u00a0 She\u2019s already said she doesn\u2019t know who the father is, which I think is a lie, and she would only continue to deny it.\u00a0 No, I\u2019d rather just face her and settle this in person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, you know that based on the information she gave you, she\u2019s probably due to have that baby in September.\u00a0 You know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, now that you mention it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if she gives birth before you arrive?\u00a0 What then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I guess we\u2019ll find out in September.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right.\u00a0 So you want me to tell the commander that you\u2019re willing to wait until September to take your ten days of emergency leave, and at this time you don\u2019t want to use MARS to call her?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cDo you plan to write her back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I will\u2026but not right away.\u00a0 I\u2019ll write her back sometime before I leave on my emergency leave.\u201d\u00a0 Hearing this, the first sergeant\u2019s brow went all wrinkly again.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure?\u00a0 I know you\u2019re probably pissed and maybe hurt, but are you sure you want to keep her waiting for an answer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, why not?\u00a0 She kept me waiting for nine months.\u201d<\/p>\n

He dismissed me and authorized my not returning back to work for the rest of the day.\u00a0 I almost refused, but then I thought I\u2019d just go back to my room and catch a quick nap before the evening meal.<\/p>\n

And if things weren\u2019t weird enough already\u2026<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

At work, it was announced that our squadron was now in competition with other squadrons on the base for the highest percentage of participation in the annual United Fund Campaign.\u00a0 On the morning of the campaign\u2019s kickoff, and before we were allowed to relieve the midnight shift, the Air Force base commander, some general whom I\u2019d never seen before, gave us a \u201crousing\u201d (or so he thought) speech on why this charity drive was so important.\u00a0 He informed us that the squadron who ended up with the highest participation (\u201cit\u2019s not how much you give, it\u2019s how many of us give\u201d) would win a really nifty plaque which would then be mounted on a wall in the hallway right outside of our control room.\u00a0 And as a special treat, the chow hall pastry chef would be commissioned to bake a distinctive cake decorated with the winning squadron\u2019s logo carved into the yummy icing\u2014from which we should all get a very nice little slice.<\/p>\n

As with all the other rah-rah speeches preceding the various and sundry charity drives, this one was received by our group with the usual high level of disinterest: large hyena-like yawns and huge amounts of genital pulling and scratching.\u00a0 Contrary to our normal behavior, we couldn\u2019t wait for the speech to end so we could get to work.<\/p>\n

At the end of the presentation we all got our very own personalized donation envelope and, even though it was completely voluntary, we were urged to reach down \u201creally deep\u201d into our pockets and give until it hurt.<\/p>\n

I stuffed the envelope into my back pocket and headed for the control room.\u00a0 A few hours later, the shift officer, a newly arrived master sergeant, approached me at my position on the da\u00efs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey airman.\u00a0 I\u2019m picking up the United Fund envelopes if you\u2019ve already made your donation.\u00a0 If not, then I\u2019ll be by tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, here\u2019s mine.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I don\u2019t have any money to donate.\u201d\u00a0 I handed him the empty envelope. \u00a0He looked at it and focused primarily on my name printed on the front.<\/p>\n

\u201cAirman DeLe\u00f3n, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cAnd, you are refusing to give to the United Fund.\u201d\u00a0 He generated his best unhappy scowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sir.\u00a0 I would love to contribute, but I just don\u2019t have any money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell then, take this back and bring it in tomorrow after you\u2019ve put your contribution in tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell sir, as I said, I don\u2019t have any money.\u00a0 Neither in my pocket now nor in my room later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do understand that the amount of the contribution is not the point.\u00a0 It\u2019s the level of participation that\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir, I understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, dig into your pocket and put a dime into the envelope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a dime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA nickel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a nickel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA fucking penny, then!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry sir, I don\u2019t even have a penny.\u201d\u00a0 The look on his face had changed from a disapproving scowl to simmering rage.<\/p>\n

\u201cAirman!\u00a0 You are on the verge of insubordination!\u00a0 Do you understand that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir.\u00a0 It is not my intention to be insubordinate.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t have any money.\u00a0 Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you fucking spend every cent you get in your paycheck on what?\u00a0 Whores and booze?\u00a0 Is that what you\u2019re telling me?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sir! Not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what is it you do with your money?\u201d\u00a0 By now, the main point of interest in the control room had shifted from the air traffic displayed on the electronic board, to the growing verbal exchange between me and the very disturbed sergeant.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, I don\u2019t get a paycheck.\u00a0 Haven\u2019t seen one since late last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK!\u00a0 That\u2019s enough!\u00a0 Come with me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, I can\u2019t leave my position without proper relief.\u00a0 Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAIRMAN!\u00a0 I AM ORDERING YOU TO FOLLOW ME\u2026NOW!!\u201d\u00a0 Since the entire control room was witness to my being ordered to leave my position by a superior officer I decided to comply.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 Where would you like for me to go.\u201d\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe the sergeant was in complete control of his actions as he turned abruptly, nearly upending the airman with whom I was working next to.<\/p>\n

I followed him as he led me out through the main doors of the control room and asked me to wait in the hallway.\u00a0 He stomped away in the direction of the Air Defense Center\u2019s commanding officer\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

A few minutes later, a female airman walked up to me.\u00a0 \u201cAirman DeLe\u00f3n?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cPlease follow me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere to?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe colonel would like to speak to you.\u00a0 Please come with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK.\u201d\u00a0 I followed her down the hallway and in though a large glass door marked, \u201cCommander\u201d.\u00a0 She ushered me through another set of wooden doors and into a spacious office where a highly decorated bird colonel was sitting.\u00a0 The master sergeant, now somewhat calmed down, was standing next to the colonel\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n

I popped to attention.\u00a0 \u201cAirman DeLe\u00f3n, reporting sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt ease, airman.\u201d The colonel said.\u00a0 He was holding my wrinkled and very empty United Fund donation envelope.\u00a0 \u201cThe good sergeant here tells me you were a bit insubordinate with him regarding your refusal to give to the United Fund.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir\u2026permission to speak plainly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u00a0 Please do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, it was not my intention to be insubordinate.\u00a0 I tried to explain to the sergeant that I just don\u2019t have any money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, I understand that.\u00a0 Since you\u2019ll get paid next week can I ask you to set aside a few cents for a contribution?\u00a0 The drive will not end for another two weeks, or so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, as much as I\u2019d like to contribute I will also be unable to do so next week.\u00a0 See, I don\u2019t get a paycheck.\u201d\u00a0 The colonel\u2019s look went from kind and understanding, to confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean, you don\u2019t get a paycheck?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t received a paycheck since November of last year.\u201d\u00a0 He looked a bit confused but seemed to be really trying to understand what I was saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it, sir.\u00a0 No pay for almost nine months.\u201d\u00a0 He didn\u2019t say a word for what seemed to be a full minute.\u00a0 He just stared at me while turning the empty envelope over and over in hands.<\/p>\n

Finally, he said slowly, \u201cYou know\u2026all I have to do is pick up the phone to verify that what you\u2019ve told me is a lie.\u00a0 You know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, with all due respect, you can call anyone you want.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t gotten a paycheck for a long time.\u201d\u00a0 The colonel pushed his large leather chair back and stood up.<\/p>\n

\u201cAirman, please take a chair outside.\u00a0 I\u2019ll call you back in after I make some calls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir!\u201d\u00a0 I popped to attention and snapped a very sharp salute, then I walked out into the outer room.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have long to wait.<\/p>\n

\u201cAirman DeLe\u00f3n!\u201d\u00a0 The master sergeant, now wearing a very different expression on his face called me.\u00a0 \u201cWould you please join us?\u201d\u00a0 I walked back into the colonel\u2019s office.\u00a0 I noticed my empty donation envelope had been placed on the edge of the desk, and the colonel had a yellow legal pad in front of him.\u00a0 The top page was filled with a lot of scribbling.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt ease, airman,\u201d the colonel said softly.\u00a0 \u201cHave you told anyone about your non-pay status?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell sir, Sergeant Resor, my immediate supervisor, should know.\u00a0 He and my past commanding officer worked out this arrangement after my overpayment was discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know all about that now.\u00a0 What did you do with the money?<\/p>\n

\u201cI sent it to my wife with instructions to send me a little money every month for me to live on, but she never did.\u00a0 She kept the all the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let me ask you\u2014what have you been living on for the last nine months?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell sir, I\u2019d rather not say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m afraid I\u2019m going to have to insist, airman.\u201d\u00a0 He said, a bit sternly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI..uh\u2026my friends have been supporting me.\u00a0 They\u2019ve been buying me stuff at the Base Exchange, like soap and such, and have been donating twenty-five dollars a month to me since I stopped getting paid.\u00a0 Also, I wash my own clothes, and one of the Army guys in my barracks gives me haircuts.\u00a0 They also take me downtown and buy me dinner and drinks every once in a while.\u00a0 That\u2019s how.\u201d<\/p>\n

The colonel shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cUnbelievable\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWho made the decision to completely cut your pay to zero?\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWell, I\u2019m going to find out, that\u2019s for sure.\u00a0 But for now, I\u2019ve ordered the Finance Office to disperse a hundred dollars in cash to you immediately.\u00a0 When we\u2019re done here, you are dismissed from duty for the rest of the day, and you are go to the Finance Office directly.\u00a0 When you arrive, show your ID card and mention my name.\u00a0 If they refuse to give you the funds, I want you to call me immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everything was happening so fast I didn\u2019t know what to say\u2026so I just said, \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

I left the colonel\u2019s office and reported to the control room.\u00a0 I advised the shift officer that I\u2019d been excused from duty, but he already seemed to know.\u00a0 Then I walked the eight blocks to the Finance Office, identified myself, and immediately received ten crisp ten-dollar bills.\u00a0 I walked back out and hailed a base taxi to chauffer me back to my barracks.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

A few days later, I found out through the grapevine that a civilian employee working at the Finance Office had been terminated, Sergeant Resor and a couple of past and present line officers had all received Letters of Reprimand in their files.\u00a0 Also procedures, which apparently existed but had not been implemented in my case, were to be immediately reviewed by all supervisory personnel regarding overpayments to enlisted airmen.<\/p>\n

These procedures stipulated that when an overpayment had been made and was not immediately recoverable, the recipient would be required to pay back the overpayment in equal monthly amounts.\u00a0 However, in no case would the recipient be required to live without a stipend being paid to him by the U.S. Air Force.\u00a0 That stipend, ten dollars, would come out of a general fund and be dispersed to the recipient on a monthly basis until the deficit was settled.\u00a0 At that time, repayment of the monthly ten-dollar stipend would commence until the total amount was satisfied.<\/p>\n

Obviously, and in my case, someone either missed or completely ignored, that little procedure.<\/p>\n

The Ice Breaks<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The afternoon after I\u2019d received my hundred-dollar stipend, Nat came into our room wearing a very concerned expression and asked if I was OK.\u00a0 I told him I was fine but wondered why he was asking.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, word spread like wildfire after that dickhead reamed your ass out over not being able to contribute to the United Fund Drive.\u00a0 After he dragged your ass out, we all figured you were going to get demoted or something.\u00a0 Everything turn out OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes and no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck man, which is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMostly OK, I\u2019d say\u2014but I\u2019d like to get everyone together tonight, or whenever we can, because I need to share some news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, I know Smokey\u2019s off work but I\u2019m not sure about Ramie, Peewee, or Roomie.\u00a0 You want me to check?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCould you?\u00a0 While you do that I gotta run over to the snack bar and get a Coke.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you see if you can get the guys together and then let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill do.\u201d\u00a0 Nat left the room on his way over to the Army side of our barracks, and I headed down to the snack bar.<\/p>\n

Because it was still early in the afternoon, the cute and petite, but always angry, Okinawan girl was still working at the snack bar.\u00a0 As usual, she was not behind the counter where she belonged, but instead was sitting at a small table that was supposed to be for paying customers.\u00a0 She was reading a small gray book and writing notes into a ringed memo pad.\u00a0 I walked up to the counter and waited for her to get up and wait on me.<\/p>\n

As was her habit, she completely ignored me and continued to read and write on the pad.\u00a0 After a few minutes, I decided to approach her.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, could I get a Coke to go?\u201d\u00a0 She appeared to take greater interest in what she was doing and continued to ignore me.\u00a0 \u201cExcuse me!\u201d\u00a0 Again, no response.\u00a0 She took the short pencil and used the lead end to satisfy an itch that had suddenly come up in her scalp.\u00a0 I noticed that she was wearing her hair in two short pony-tails\u2014each tied off with a rubber-band tie-up, decorated with little plastic daisies. \u00a0They reminded me of Roomie\u2019s flip-flops.\u00a0 Then I thought I\u2019d try something novel.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuminasen? Tetsudatte itadakemasu ka?\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>(Excuse me, can you help me?)<\/p>\n

Her head jerked up and she dropped her pencil.\u00a0 \u201cNani?!\u201d <\/em>(What?!)\u00a0 She asked, eyes wide.\u00a0 \u201cNihongo o wakarimasu ka?<\/em>\u201d (Do you know Japanese?)<\/p>\n

\u201cSukoshi\u2026\u201d <\/em>I said, making the \u201clittle\u201d gesture with my thumb and forefinger.<\/p>\n

\u201cAhh, sodesu ka.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0(Oh, is that so?)<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019ve learned just a little bit since I\u2019ve been here on Okinawa.\u00a0 I see you\u2019re studying English. \u00a0How\u2019re you coming along with that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMmm, sore wa hijo ni muzukashi, ne?\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>(Um, it\u2019s very hard, isn\u2019t it?)<\/p>\n

That one threw me.\u00a0 \u201cOh sorry, I\u2019m not that good.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t get that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u2026vedy haawwd.\u201d\u00a0 She said slowly.\u00a0 I looked at her closely, and for the first time I saw how pretty she really was.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hard!\u00a0 Yes, English is very hard.\u00a0 I also speak Spanish, and sometimes I wonder how people who are learning English do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEh?\u201d\u00a0 She asked, cocking her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, nothing.\u00a0 Yes, English is hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHai\u2026\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>(Yes\u2026)<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyway, can I have a Coke to go, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHai!\u201d\u00a0 And she quickly got up from the table and stepped behind the counter.\u00a0 She handed me a can and I gave her a dollar.\u00a0 For the first time since I\u2019d been in the barracks she didn\u2019t throw the change back at me.\u00a0 \u201cDomo arigato.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u201d\u00a0 She said in return.<\/p>\n

When I got back to my room Nat was still gone, so I sat on my bed and pulled Sharon\u2019s letter out again.\u00a0 No matter how many times I read it I had the same thought.\u00a0 The news should\u2019ve devastated me but for some odd reason I felt nothing.\u00a0 Maybe, I thought, I\u2019m still in a bit of shock given all that\u2019s occurred in the past few days.<\/p>\n

The door suddenly flew open and the guys came pouring in.\u00a0 Smokey seemed in a particularly jovial mood and immediately jumped on me, putting me in a head lock.\u00a0 Although my ears were partially blocked by his skinny forearms and his bony ribcage, I could still hear Roomie screaming like a girl for Smokey to let me go because he was messing up my hair, and Jesus Christ, he\u2019d just have to fix it up all over again.\u00a0 Smokey finally released me\u2014but not before giving me a good noogie.\u00a0 Handshakes and hugs all around and we finally settled down.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK guys, I have some news!\u201d\u00a0 I announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 Wait, lemme guess!\u201d\u00a0 Ramie said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re gonna go after that little gook bitch in the snack bar, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 I asked, surprised.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I saw you sweet-talking her in the snack bar a while ago.\u00a0 She was actually smiling after you left, you sly fucker.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

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