Luthor. A Vietnam War Story. (standard:adventure, 1730 words)
Author: Oscar A Rat	Added: Jun 27 2020	Views/Reads: 1410/1021	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The experience of an old hill person in the US Army in the sixties. He never did leave Basic Training. Instead, he was assigned to care for stoves and furnaces at his old unit. Back then, in an era of coal stoves, it was a dirty, laborious job,

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Indiana.  Bein' the preacher's son in'a very religious town, he was 
popular an looked up ta by the other kids.  When he was drafted, he 
done told me, he could have got out of the military.  I ferget why 
right now.   He didn't wanna go but his father talked him in'ta it by 
remindin' him of all'a souls he could save, or somethin' like that.  So 
Luthor went. 

He soon found at it was tough goin' from bein' a big frog in a little
pond ta a very small frog in a ocean.  When he started his preachin' 
crap, most people ignored him.  Others laughed at the funny-lookin' 
little guy spoutin' such big piles a bullshit. 

Luthor was also worried about all a women an children our troops was
killin' in Viet-Nam.  Those were a only things he talked about.  He was 
rejected by ever'body he met.  I couldn't disallow him 'cause he was a 
good worker.  Whenever he got too bad with all the bullshit I just 
found an excuse ta leave. 

Things worked out better after I finally got rid'a at one guy an got me
a new one.  Luthor even settled down some on his mission ta convert me. 
That is, until somethin' happened in a barracks. 

It seems that durin' one'a the many marches a recruits had ta do, one of
them found a dead buzzard.  He had him a bright idea an brung it back 
ta the barracks.  Someone else found, somewhere's, a pair a ladies pink 
lacy underdrawers.  Three of them dressed that dead bird in'a panties 
an put it in'ta Luthor's bed while he was at work.  They left a note 
that this was a only girl he was ever goin' ta get. 

Well, Luthor got off work the next mornin', just when the others was
about ta get up.  It was still dark that time a year.  He undressed an 
hopped in'ta his bunk like always.  Then Luthor felt that dead bird an 
jumped up yellin'.  The recruits what was in on'a joke turned on'a 
lights an started laughin' at him.  Others woke up an got'ta runnin' 
‘round scared.  They didn't know what was goin' on.  A couple even 
jumped off a second floor porch.  One of those broke his left leg when 
he landed. 

They caught the three recruits what dun'it an kicked two of 'um out'a
the army fer it. 

Poor Luthor got quieter than ever then an hardly ever talked, even ta
me.  He was even more unpop'ler after that.  I guess some of the others 
kind'a blamed him. 

Well, seems we had us a old wooden cabinet behind one of the barracks
furnaces.  I don't know what it was supposed ta be used fer, but it 
just gathered coal dust back then.  I noticed a couple'a bottles of 
somethin' in it one day.  It was dark back there an I wasn't all that 
interested. 

I asked Luthor an he told me it was expensive medicine he needed.  He
was afraid ta keep it in his locker in the barracks.  Someone might 
steal or mess with it, he said. 

The way he was treated, I believed him.  I pretty much fergot ‘bout it
except ‘at I noticed that there seemed ta be more medicine each time I 
looked. 

We firemen sometimes had food delivered fer us at night from downtown. 
One night Luthor bought two large pizzas fer just us.  He never ate 
very much, so me an the other guy done ate them both up. 

When I got off work in a mornin' I was tired an, after takin' a shower,
got ready fer bed.  Bein' permanent party, I had my own little room in 
one'a the barracks. 

I no sooner laid my ass down than I heard a hell'a a noise outside.  A
bunch'a  screamin' an  hollerin' was goin' on.  I looked out a winda' 
an  saw a lot of stuff happenin' over by the mess hall. 

Gettin' dressed again, I ran over.  Just as I got there, I heard sirens
an a whole string a ambulances almost runs me down.  I finally got ta 
the mess hall an ran up the back steps ta see what was goin' on. 

Stoppin' at'a door, I could see, through the glass, people rollin'
'round on the floor like at some'a those churches, ya know?  Others 
seemed passed out, sprawled on an beside tables.  Most a the others was 
pukin' up their breakfasts.  There must have been a whole damned 
company in there, officers too. I saw Luthor sittin' at a back table.  
As I opened the door, he saw me. 

Luthor gave me a funny lookin' grin an went back ta eatin' his own
breakfast.  I remembered the bottles he kept in that old cupboard an 
shuddered.  I just turned around an left the company area, goin' ta the 
PX until at fracas was all over an done with.  Even on a empty stomach, 
I had ta throw up some as I left. 

Later, I heard Luthor was as sick as a others.  That he wanted ta kill
his'self along with ever'one else. They done took him away, still a 
grinnin' an pukin'. 

Turns out that Luthor done put that there medicine in the food while he
stoked those cook-stoves the night before.  They used wood-burning ones 
like ours at home. 

Well, a few of the guys died, but most got better.  Cause'a some kind'a
nerve damage, most din't recover very much.  Later, the MPs found a 
letter Luthor had writ' home.  He told his father at he was sorry.  He 
couldn't save any a the recruit's souls since they was already taken by 
the devil.  He told his father that he could still save the souls of 
many women an children in Viet-Nam. 

Lookin' back at it now, I guess he did. 

The End.


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