A story I would like to share

I still need to work on it but here it is

Last day...in Chitose Japan 1967 12th ASA Field station

6am. Well today's the day. How long have I been here? 2 years? Damn, that is a long time but it is over. I cant believe it. I am leaving this place. I can hear the clock ticking, but I am scared to open my eyes. Maybe this is just a dream.....Then there is a tap on the door and the lights flash on. It is Buff and another guy, one of my “shepherds” to help me get to the airport. People closer than a brother, people who know a lot about me. People who know I really am, not who I pretend to be...

Blade!! Blade!!(my nick name) Get up. Todays the day. You plane leaves at 11.

Really? I almost forgot. How could you see me? I am so short I am almost invisible.

Funny. Get up you need to eat something. I am buying.....at the mess hall.

OK Why not? I need to say good bye to a couple of guys anyways.

You did not get too drunk last night. Worried?

A little, I dont know about going to Korea. Maybe I should have went back to the states.

I always wanted to ask you why you put in for Korea but it was none of my business so I have never asked. Buff asked with a grin

I thought about it a lot. I really hate this stuff. I think I might even go AWOL if I had to go back to the states and do this crap. i replied

Damn Dude!! Thats strong..
I
know. Best I just stay away till its over. Less than 1 year now... Bad topic. Lets go eat...

OK. Got your orders? Got your stuff all ready? Forgetting anything? Last time you will be in this room.

I got it. Not much to show for 2 years. A duffel bag full of Army crap and a AWOL bag. Oh and my camera

LOL Glad you got the camera out of the pawn shop..

Shut up.. I snapped ,bringing back memories of why my camera wound up in the pawn shop.

Need any money? You can mail it back to me. Buff said as he reached for his billfold.

No. I think I am ok.. I paid all my bar bills and such off last night and I still have a few bucks left. I will be ok.

Buff.. Can I tell you something? I asked

Yea sure.

Damn. I am really nervous . Too damn many “What ifs?”

Aint much you can do about it. Life goes on. he said with sage wisdom

For sure. Lets go. I need to move around. What time is it? I damn sure dont want to be late.

You have 5 hours dumb ass. Gee-zus...

I will sign out right after we eat. I need to be quick. They are really pissed about what I did during the IG inspection.

That was classic and they are pissed. But we knew we could count on you to give them a good bye present.. Buff was smiling as he remembered the incident with the IG inspection..

Lets go...times a wasting...

With that said, I closed the door and headed down the hall to the mess hall...It was going to be a long day. Another step into a hell of a adventure..
to be continued...

The next few hours were a blur of hand
shakes and smart ass comments. I think we took the buss to the catch
the plane. Soon I was standing there looking at the old prop plane
ready to take me away. I admit I was rattled , confused, filled with
a multitude of mixed emotions. I should be happy, over joyed. In
some ways I was, but there was a nagging feeling that I was leaving
part of me behind. Long nights in Smokey bars, every longer nights
in a windowless building listening to the chatter of radios and
people talking.. Yin and Yang in the strongest sense. People I
really liked and people I really hated. It was all coming to a end.
The guy with a clip board stood in the
door way of the plane. He waved us forward. With my orders in my hand I
walked to the steps and started up them. He looked at orders and
told me to find a seat. I stood in the door way and looked back at
all my friends, no, my brothers, who had helped me made the journey.
They were all waving and shouting. They were very glad for me that
I was leaving, not because they wanted me to go, but it was we all
had leave at some time..In my mind, I can still see them..
Move it!!! The Sargent barked. I
stumbled forward and found a seat. I looked out the window and my
people were still waving and yelling. Then the engines belched smoke
as they started. The props pick up speed and we were soon
rolling down the run way. I leaned back in my seat and took a deep
breath. I made it. I had damn sure made it!!. The wheels lifted
from the runway and then I knew, Chitose was no more. Soon to be
only a memory, b

A nice glimpse that brings on more questions, Hallmark. Keep writing!! Why not back to the US???

Thanks for reading. I need to work on it some. Just learning to write. Comments and criticism welcome

I thought about it a lot. I really hate this stuff. I think I might even go AWOL if I had to go back to the states and do this crap. i replied

Just write and get it out there. All the polish can come later. When the story is in your mind - fiction or a recollection of life - just write. Have fun!!

SheWrites ..Good insight.  That is just my standard reply for going to Korea..  The truth is I did not want to come home.  I enjoyed the different peoples, cultures.  You have given me another path to take. Thanks . Maybe I can be honest this time  LOL

You're writing is honest. Now get busy.

Will do. Many thanks for your input..

I'm not an expert by any means but send questions my way and I will do my best to help.

I agree with SheWrites. The best advice I ever got was from an English Professor/drinking buddy/lifelong friend... our first and semester-long assignment was to buy a 8.5"x11" journal with blank pages (no lines) and JUST WRITE every day. She didn't care what we wrote about, how we wrote, if our spelling and grammar what good, bad or otherwise. She encouraged us to also draw, scribble, be angry, happy, write poetry, do whatever the hell we wanted in those journals, but she wanted us to WRITE. That is when I found that I really could write and I no longer feared it. I no longer feared criticism from others, I no longer feared what anyone else would think about the "accuracy" of my writing, my writing style,... any of it.

I love reading your stories, HG. Keep it up. And JUST WRITE!!

Thanks Riceme

I started writing a story a few years ago.. I wrote a page or more every day for almost a week.. One person read it and encouraged me to keep writing, but she closed her site...... :-( The entire thing was on a different computer and I never saved it..

External hard drive! Flash drive! OMG...back up! Jake92, get back to writing!

Maybe I'll start a new story tomorrow or re-write the one I was working on..

Great!

Ready to read more. What's the latest Hallmark and Jake?

I've been busy for the last few weeks.. I'll start when I get my desktop out of the shop..