The Private Journals of Isaiah Watts
Volume II

By: Nicholas Hall
(© 2021-2022 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

nhall@tickiestories.us

Chapter 3
The War Years

“I’m so, sad; not only for all those who were killed and those who will be, but Gio is older, more physically fit, and they’ll take him from me to fight in this fucking war! We didn’t start the it but we’re up to our ass in it! I know this, he’ll make the fucking bastards who did, pay and pay dearly! My Gio will turn the sons-a-bitch’s inside out and thread their cocks through their assholes! I just want him to come home to me!”

(The Private Journals of Isaiah Watts) 

Conley took everything he’d learned from the meeting and began making plans of his own. One of the first things he did was to purchase a new, powerful short-wave radio. He was able to listen to clandestine broadcasters and broadcasts with the large antenna and new radio he purchased replacing the older one. He donated the older model to George Decker for the store so people in the community could stop in and listen. The main antenna, installed by Zach Watts, for his new one was mounted on a tall pole in the farm yard with additional wires strung from it, high across the yard to other tall poles or trees. It greatly enhanced the quality of the broadcasts received and increased the distance greatly of stations he could receive.

Not only did he began stocking up on non-perishable food items and other things he thought might be short supply he’d need, but made several calls to “business associates.” He was able to arrange several clandestine meetings with people at his place concerning investments and other actions he thought might be necessary during the impending war and the aftermath of it. Calls were also made to his attorney requesting changes in documents and the movement of investments and funds. A representative of his attorney made a couple of visits to the farm delivering significant amounts of cash money as a reserve. Conley just wasn’t too certain how stable the economy would be in the future. War, in any form, would offer opportunities to make some money, either legally or illegally, and he intended to do so, albeit carefully since he didn’t really relish spending the rest of his life in prison.

Once the radio and antenna were installed, he began picking up broadcasts from many places around the world and occasionally, on some obscure frequencies, military broadcasts. What he heard and synthesized, caused him great concern and did not bode well for peace in the future. The Germans and the Japanese were committing atrocities of the most severe and heinous nature, what would amount to war crimes according to any convention, including rape, murder, and civilian and military mass executions, on the countries and civilian populations.

Conley’s short-wave radio became Isaiah’s, Gio’s, and Stephen’s ears to the world, listening to it, reflecting on what Conley heard, the public radio news broadcasts each morning and evening, and what they learned in school. More importantly, according to Conley, listen to what is said and then not said. Often silence tells a tale louder than the spoken word!

German broadcasts, in German, were difficult for him to understand, so he relied on the three teens to interpret it for him. He penciled on a piece of paper broadcast frequencies and times of broadcasts when certain stations broadcast from overseas. One evening he was listening to a broadcast in a language none of the three understood. Some words seemed familiar or least similar, but not quite! When asked what the language was, he said, “Spanish!”

“How do you know Spanish?” Isaiah asked.

“Spent some time in the Philippines in the late 1890’s!”

He offered no more and they asked no more!

The war atrocities never seemed to lessen, but grew more outrageous and monstrous by the Germans in Europe and in Asia by the Japanese. As aggressors and conquerors, they seemed to bathe in the blood of others and commit unmitigated perversions of the most wicked sexual nature on young and old, male and female.

“Haven’t heard of them fucking the village dogs yet, but wouldn’t put it past them,” Conley snarled as he relayed the news 33,777 mostly Jews were slaughtered near Kiev in late September.

He made no attempt to conceal or “sugar coat” what he heard in relaying it to Gio, Isaiah, and Stephen or to censure what they listened to.

“The boys need to know how vile those assholes are,” he commented one time, “‘cause they’re going to be right in the middle of. Better the enemy you know!”

Gio, now reading and re-reading Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”, said, “I know that, the actual quote is ‘If you know your enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt.”

The tensions continued to build in the Unites States as some factions called for war while others demanded restraint and the United States staying out of the war in Europe and in Asia. Roosevelt, even though under extreme pressure not to do so, already extended aid and equipment, through “Lend-Lease” program to England and others. After a series of attacks on U.S. shipping, he ordered American forces to fire on sight at any German submarines.

Fall didn’t bring any lessening of news of the horrors of war.  October 13^th, Nazi’s murdered 11,000 Jewish children and old people. Most of the emphasis, as far as Conley was concerned, by the news media reports in the United States, was on the War in Europe, as well it might be, but the War in the Pacific Rim and Asia was no less brutal and devasting, as witnessed by survivors and reports he was receiving on his short-wave set.

The 300,000 plus killed by Japanese troops in China would only be a small, but significant example of Japanese terror, brutalization, and murder. They exacted similar devastation on other lands they conquered including Korea and Southeast Asia. Gang rape of women, children (both boys and girls) even to the point of death, was only part of their vicious act set upon the innocent civilian populations. Cannibalism, by Japanese soldiers and officers, of captured people was not unheard of and practiced openly.

The Germans were no less restrained when it came to gang rape and fucking the young. Although the Third Reich disavowed homosexuality and the practice of same sex liaisons, some of the officers and men of the armed forces were not hesitant on bending over the younger soldiers, younger teens and boys of the various villages conquered, and enjoying their sexual pleasures on them. Men with bigger cocks inserted in the very young, created damage both physically and mentally. War, at any time and any place, was cruel and deadly to the civilian populations.

Just before school started in the fall, Isaiah and Gio showed up for chores, sans Stephen. Curious why just the two of them, Conley asked, in faux innocence, “Stephen sick?”

“Nah,” Isaiah responded. “He decided after we sell the last few of these pigs, he’s going to take on some other interests.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” snorted Gio, “he’s more interested in taking on Ricky Donovan’s big cock and newer truck. Ricky’s from the other side of Logansport and his family raises beef cattle. Stephen claims they don’t smell as much as pigs.”

“Besides,” added Isaiah, “Rick’s dad is financing the whole thing. Sounded like a plan to me; raise some beef, make some money, and get fucked on a regular basis!”

Neither Isaiah or Gio seemed terribly upset by it. In fact, they seemed almost pleased Stephen was finding his own way.

Conley became increasingly concerned about the situation in the Pacific after November first. The date was significant, he felt, when he learned a Japanese staff officer arrived in Pearl Harbor and departed four days later. It may mean nothing to some, but it did raise alarm in his mind! The Hawaiian Islands contained several military bases and it was the port of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Something in the back of his head sort of made the hair back there stand up, forewarning of something not to his liking. What, he wasn’t certain!

The radio chatter decreased and everything became just too damned quiet. Warnings began to pop up concerning something about to happen in the Pacific, but, apparently, were being downplayed by the U.S. Government. Not everyone in the government, but some.

November 29, the passenger ship, Lurline, sent a radio message regarding the sighting of the Japanese War Fleet. This huge armada was on the move, but their destination seemed to be in doubt. Most thought they’d be heading toward the Philippines, perhaps to launch an attack there.

The United States lost track of them!

December 5, the U.S. Aircraft Carrier, Lexington and five heavy cruisers left Pearl Harbor while, unknown to the U.S., the Japanese attack force, consisting of six aircraft carriers, nine destroyers, two battleships, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and three submarines lurked some two hundred plus miles north of Oahu.

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor December 7 and the United States was at war!

Isaiah and Gio happened to be at Conley’s doing chores. Finished, they walked into the house, heard Conley’s radio, and spotted him sitting in an easy chair in the living room, tears streaming down his face.

Looking up at the two teens, he choked out emotionally, “We are at War! Japan just attacked Hawaii!”

The boys hastened to his side, settled together on the floor, and listened while his radio crackled broken transmissions of the attack. They both knew what they were hearing would not bode well for their future. Shuddering in a combination of fear and anger, Isaiah felt compelled to put his arms around his boyfriend, seeking not only to protect him, but to express his love and his worry for their future! It was their senior year of high school and the final days of their youth were at hand. Their lives and the lives of so many others were forever changed that fateful day!

To be continued...

Posted: 04/15/2022