Vietnam Warriors and Beyond

Chapter 2: Crash and Burn

Mark threw the sliding door to the balcony of his apartment back for a breath of sea breeze and take in the spectacular view of the ocean Thursday afternoon. The crashing waves intensified Mark’s sense of adventure and excitement yet provoked a feeling of emptiness. The looming question that afternoon, should Mark grab his board and indulge his physical being in some surfing, or take a nap in preparation for the evening dinner date with his closest friend from high school days. Naptime won out. 

Mark’s spirits had been elevated seeing that his best bud made it back to the world alive, so the dinner date took precedence over surfing. Mark walked over and stood in front of his cherished stereo system looking down at the stack of LPs on the spindle ready to play. Questions Mark pondered as he studied the stereo, did his oldfriend still have any queer sexual desire or had he given all that up since he’d become a hard-core paratrooper?  What might lay ahead for him and his buddy?

With the machine on and tonearm in place on the vinyl Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet Ride began to play. Mark pulled off his boxer shorts, kicking them across the room. As the music played Mark’s vivid memories of the past began to flood his head. He surveyed the room taking notice that clothing littered the floor of the apartment and dishes had not been washed in a few days. 

Mark decided to clean up the apartment on the off-chance sex might be in the offing later-on. Bare-ass-naked Mark began picking up his clothes, putting the items in the hamper. Once he completed that task on to the kitchen to wash and dry the dishes and then stack them in the cupboard. Marked enjoyed the freedom of nudity as he vacuumed the floor before he shuffled into his bedroom where he flopped across the queen size bed. On the bed he gazed down on his impressive manhood. He began stroking it as Sookie Sookie began to play. Mark flicked and twisted his hard nipples thinking about Boomer and those marvelous secretive years of their youth together. 

Boomer discovered early-on in their friendship that Mark’s nipples were his Achilles’ heel, and Boomer’s attribute that most attracted Mark, his breathtaking cockhead. Boomer enjoyed playing with Mark’s nipples and Mark dug the shit out of his buddy touching, sucking and biting on them among other stimulating sexual behavior that turned him on. 

Boomer could stimulate Mark’s nipples, making him cum without touching his penis. The first thing that caught Mark’s attention during their initial meeting in the pool house: Boomer’s striking cockhead. From then on Mark could never get enough of it. The two enjoyed playing with each other’s cocks and giving each other blowjobs until they went separate ways before basic training. 

Mark continued to fondle his hard cock with one hand while tweaking his nipple with the other fantasizing about Boomer’s warm wet mouth engulfing his pink cockhead. His mind ran wild thinking, what might happen later that night. Like so many men Mark’s cock and nipples connected like electric circuits: sensitive to touch they sparked sexual response like high-voltage electric current when titillated. Touch one and the other sprung to attention with the snap of drill team precision. 

The Pusher started playing as Mark’s mind recalled the X-rated weekend that he and Boomer shared before they shipped out for basic training. However, Mark’s major thoughts that afternoon: how lucky he’d been compared to his best friend and their very different assignments and experiences while in Vietnam. The music reminded Mark of that special friend and how they used to listen to music. Now lost to the explosive ravages of war. His eyes began to tear up as he attempted to push the harsh memory of his hooch-mate and one-time lover out of his head while he continued to ponder the present.  

While in Vietnam Mark attempted to keep track of Boomer best he could by way of the parental grapevine. Although erratic Mark’s mom tried to keep her son informed as to Boomer’s whereabouts and what he was doing. 

For almost two years Boomer served in the deadliest MOS in the Army: an infantryman in Vietnam. His first assignment, the 173rd Airborne Brigade in 1967 for almost a year before being wounded in action. Two months later after release from the hospital in Japan the Army flew him back to the 507th Replacement Company in Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam for a replacement assignment to another airborne division in need of seasoned leadership. 

Between the two units the veteran paratrooper participated in a combat jump as well as some of the bloodiest fighting of the Vietnam War before he returned to the world. Mark on the other hand managed to secure a safe assignment as a Stock Control and Accounting Specialist in a logistical depot in Vietnam.

Although a demanding job that entailed long hours. Mark established stature as a go to person who could be counted on during crunch time to deliver. Because of his establish value to the unit Specialist Fifth Class Hunter enjoyed certain benefits, creature comforts and privileges that accompanied his rank and position within his new unit. The more rank and stature the greater chances for better living conditions.  

Unlike forward combat bases Mark's support unit provided personnel with the comfort of hooches and beds; also available hot chow, showers and other civilized amenities not afforded more forward soldiers. He had his mom and dad send certain personal items to make living conditions better. He also bought a stereo system at the big Post Exchange in Long Binh, so he might enjoy his favorite tunes when off duty. Listening to his music kept Mark sane during the bedlam called the Vietnam War. In the meantime, Boomer faced the unfortunate experience of exposure to miseries and misfortunes of grunt warfare in Vietnam. 

Boomer found himself in the thick of all the foulness of warfare where he watched his friends die unimaginable deaths around him each day. The bullet riddle bodies and bodies blown to bits littered the landscape after firefights. When on forward operating basses and firebases Boomer and other GIs shared bunkers, many times, with rats the size of domestic cats. Mark heard many direct and indirect war stories from others about the squalid living conditions and destruction that faced forward operating combat personnel in Vietnam. 

Although Mark felt a sense of dismay for those wretched forward operating warriors. He’d been blessed with a safe assignment during his months in Vietnam. He never experienced anything more dangerous than the occasional Viet Cong rocket attack. Eventually, he found love in the mayhem of Vietnam.

After Mark’s reassignment back to the world he found an even better job at his new permanent change of station: Sacramento Army Depot. A logistical depot in Sacramento, California, where he finished out his last months on active Army duty before receiving an early out for school. 

Compared to others Army life for the most part had been good to Mark with job enjoyment and security; decent pay, medical care and more than normal amount of vacation time for a person his age. Thirty-days paid vacation, unheard of in civilian life for a 20-year-old. Mark had almost been tempted to reenlist; however, because of certain protocol Army life was not his cup of tea. Army protocol regarding same sex sexual relations with Army personnel hindered his lifestyle. A culture he’d discovered early in life and something to which he’d become addicted. 

Born To Be Wild played as Mark lay on his back on the bed staring at the ceiling while he tweaked his hard nipple with finger and thumb. He had to be careful, because stimulating his nipples could lead to ejaculation. The finger on his other hand teased his sensitive asshole. The combination of playing with his asshole and nipples only further enhanced the chances for ejaculation. Mark’s memory flashed back to the first time his ass had been tantalized by another man’s finger before he tookhim anally.

Back in high school days and during that X-rated weekend before basic Boomer attempted to finger fuck Mark and wanted to engage in anal sex, but Mark feared the pain of taking a cock up his ass. The closest Boomer and Mark got to anal intercourse, frotting, by way of what they called weenie in the bun. That’s where the bottom acts as the bun and the top is the weenie. The top moves his cock back and forth in a lubricated bun. A lieutenant, a couple years older than Mark, seduced Mark romantically one night and then made love.

Even though one an enlisted man and the other an officer the two immediately hit it off finding they had much in common. Both were natives of New Jersey, neither smoked nor drank alcohol to excess. They enjoyed each other’s company during off duty hours and relished the New Jersey Doo-wop sound of music as well as sharing the same taste in literature. They shared books, records and other treasures received in care packages from home. Before long they were sharing each other’s letters and family photos from home and then when a vacancy became available Mark moved into the lieutenant’s hooch. A smaller and more secluded hooch off the beaten path.

Neither of the two indulged in illegal substance as some soldiers did; however, they would attend USO shows or club shows after working hours, before they headed back to the living area. 

After a few weeks living together they became bosom buddies. They’d discussed visiting the other’s family when they got back to the world. Lieutenant Charming’s family knew about his queer lifestyle, but Mark’s family in the dark about his chosen life style.

Out of the blue one night while listening to Frankie Valli sing, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Lieutenant Charming kissed Mark. One of those deep seductive kisses. The romantic kiss took Mark by surprise, because he’d never been kissed romantically by another man; however, Mark submitted to his seducer and reciprocated.

After that kiss the two became inseparable and more intimate eventually becoming involved as discreet lovers, if one could have a lover in Vietnam at that time in our history. The song, Can’t TakeMy Eyes Off You and I Love You Baby, became their songs. They played them over and over when they engaged in sex with each other.  The two began to fall in love with each other.

Mark braced for the worst. He feared two things; getting caught together and because the lieutenant and his team went outside the wire on missions—Injury or death. He asked God to watch over the lieutenant every time he left the security of the compound. Mark and the lieutenant shared all their secret and private thoughts while they listened to their special music well into the night. Of course, they had to be judicious with their illicit behavior fearing their sexual trysts might be discovered and if so that meant the end to both men’s careers in the military as well as treasured benefits. 

The lieutenant would be hit with the harshest punishment; however, both would receive dishonorable discharges for those few minutes of carnal pleasure. The night that LieutenantCharming took Mark’s anal virginity he did so with special attention to details.

With their special songs playing in the background the lieutenant, no stranger to anal intercourse, lavished his lover with significant foreplay, exercising great care before penetration. Lieutenant Charming procured a tube of K-Y jelly from a medic friend. He practiced caution before he allowed his well-lubricated cock to enter his lovers equally lubricate asshole. Before Lieutenant Charming inserted his cock into Mark’s tight asshole he whispered into his ear for him to go with the flow rather than fight it.

Mark freaked out but in a good way that night after his partner achieved full penetration; it was as if Fourth of July fireworks celebration exploded inside his head and body. He’d never experienced such exhilarating passion as he felt that night. Once the pain of initial entry subsided Mark began to enjoy the rapture as his lover’s cock slid in and out of his ass. 

With his lover’s cock inside him the rhythmic motion and sounds of sex along with music filled Mark with exuberance. The rubbing of the lieutenant’s cockhead against his prostate blew his mind. Lieutenant Charming experienced in anal sex knew how long to stroke in and out and when to slack off to keep him and his lover from climax. The two sensed sexual chemistry between them and Mark knew from that first time he wanted the lieutenant penis inside him forever and vice versus.