Excerpt: Army Reunion

I had a window seat on the plane to Ft. Lauderdale and the stewardess was beautiful. She asked me if I was going to the army and I asked her how she knew. She told me that I was looking out the window like I was saying goodbye to my home forever. I told her that it wasn't forever and that I'd be right back in Detroit just as soon as my four years were done. She smiled and wished me luck, but her eyes were filling with tears. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that her beau was in Vietnam. I didn't tell her that I wasn't going to the war because I thought she would think me less of a man. I told her she needed a drink and she told me that if I came back to the end of the cabin with her, we could share a whisky.