Post Script ONE 

From the Author:

This story has been a labor of love.  I put a lot into it and it took a lot out of me.  In reply to many of the questions I have received about the story; I don't really know where the story came from. I don’t know how I tapped in to some of the emotions portrayed in the story.  I served four years in the U.S. Army, most of it in Germany. I wasn’t in Vietnam, but am humbled by those who were and who have written to me, believing that I was….they said I had to have been there to write about such emotions. Emotions know no boundaries.  I simply placed them in Vietnam.   

It's a sad ending and you know I'm pretty good at that. I fully expect readers to NOT like the way it ends but life is not always beautiful is it? I did try to give it an uplift at the very end.

It took a lot out of me to write this story.  More than once I had to walk away from my computer to bring my emotions in check before I could continue. But it kept drawing me back, almost demanding to be written. I would get up in the night and write.  I shed some tears while writing it. I shed tears, still, when I re-read parts of it. I don’t know what there is about it.  Sometimes I wish I had written Jason MIA instead of dying, but that would have taken out some of the most powerful and emotional scenes. I was asked numerous times to write an alternate ending, to bring Jason back. I have never done that with any of my stories and I wouldn’t with this one, but like many of my readers, I had trouble letting go of the characters.  I wanted Jason back, too.  So I began working on a sequel, and the story just kept flowing.  I have revised the story several times and this too, is yet another revision. It is the last. Jason has been laid to rest and so must the story be laid to rest.  It has taken up too much of my time, consumed too much of my emotions, and I must move on from it. So it ends, with gratitude for my readers.

If I had continued the story I would have written about a lean, dark, well-muscled youth of sixteen or eighteen or so, an Italian stallion, exceptionally well equipped and with the lust to back it up.  I might have considered taking him back with me, as my houseboy.  But I had the boy who was looking after my house….Sebastian.  I might have written that I returned home to his excitement of showing me the display case he’d made; the base and one side of fine wood, the rest of glass and in it, not only the hash-marked bedpost but Jason’s old, tattered jockstrap. I might have written that Seb became my new, younger life partner. But I leave that to speculation, for the story must end.

I wish to express my deep appreciation to my readers for their support and loyalty. I will likely take a break from writing now, but hope to resume in the near future. 

Devon….Pete…..Peterbilt 

Post Script TWO  

Dear Readers;

Over the years I've had many of you say that my stories should be published; that you would purchase them if they were.  Despite the much appreciated support from readers, my venture into publishing did not turn out well.  Some of the ads on Amazon offered e-stories FREE for purchasing their reader; they were giving away my work for their own benefit. And AFTER the stories were published I received their ridiculous Author's Agreement which I refused to sign and I stopped sending them any more stories and then I put the stories back on the free sites.

For those of you who are still interested, I have set up a way for you to make donations in whatever amount you wish.  No pressure; your support will be much appreciated, but whether you choose to donate or not is of course entirely up to you. If you wish to donate, please send cash, check or money order to ROBERT TREILING (he my editor and "agent"). Checks or money orders should be made out to Robert Treiling, at:

Robert Treiling;  P. O. Box 216;   Sea Cliff, NY  11579. 

Thank you, in advance. Since I do not collect addresses (or phone numbers) you will not receive a note of thanks unless you email me and I will send a confirmation that your donation has been received. 

Pete 

Post Script THREE 

Some interesting facts about the war; 

Over 58,000 were killed in the Vietnam War with over 150,000 wounded. Countless more have and are suffering the effects of the war, and have died from those effects although their names are not on The Wall. 

Beallsville, Ohio (pop. 475) suffered the largest per-capita loss of life in the Vietnam War. Six young men lost their lives in the war, a terrible and profound loss for this small town.  

Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia sustained the largest number of Vietnam war casualties of any high school in the nation with 54. 

The Marines of Morenci; They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.  

Robert Dale Draper, 19, was killed in an ambush.

Stan King, 21, was killed less than a week after reaching Vietnam.

Alfred Van Whitmer, 21, was killed while on patrol.

Larry J. West, 19 was shot near Quang Nam.

Jose Moncayo, 22, was part of an entire platoon wiped out.

Clive Garcia, 22, was killed by a booby trap while leading a patrol. 

The Buddies from Midvale

LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam. 

In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Three hallmark all-American days. Three more names to be placed on The Wall. 

Sgt. Robert G. Davison of Muskegon, Michigan joined the Marine Corp at the age of 14. He had four years of service in the Marines when he was shipped to Vietnam at age 18. Robert was KIA on Dec 17, 1966 one day before his 19th birthday. 

BROTHERS:  There were 40 sets of brothers killed in the war.

FATHER AND SONS:

Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. was killed June 08, 1956 his son Richard B. Fitzgibbon III was KIA September 07, 1965. 

Leo Hester Sr. Died March 10, 1967 in a aircraft crash his son Leo Hester Jr. was KIA November 02, 1969 also in an aircraft crash.  

Fred C. Jenkins Died April 2, 1968, his son Bert M. Jenkins was KIA April 28, 1969. (unconfirmed) 

Number of living whose names are etched on the “wall” in error? TWELVE! 

Post Script FOUR 

For future reference, as a personal request, I would like to hear from readers their first-hand stories of sex between jocks, in the locker room and shower.  Especially RUGBY players. I am very much in awe of rugby players’ muscular thighs and asses. I have heard only a couple of accounts of rugged sex between actual rugby players in the locker room after a game or practice; I’m sure there must be more such stories waiting to be told. 

Would also like to hear from WRESTLERS, LACROSSE players, FOOTBALL players, BASEBALL players, and SWIMMERS.  Stories about jocks of all ages welcome.

Thank you.

Pete

Posted: 09/11/15