Master chief utilities man (UCCM) Buck Allen stood at attention. He wished they just let him go, but somewhere along the way, they were reminded he was accused of being a hero. Buck didn’t hate wearing his ribbons, but he did his best to avoid the situation. When cornered, and asked about the Silver Star ribbon on his chest, the man who was proud of his accomplishments in the field of plumbing, would simply refer to corned beef and cabbage night at the mess decks, but now Buck was standing at attention being forced one last reminder about how he had ended up where he was.
In the summer of 1967 Buck Allen had climbed out of his friend’s Volkswagen bus, refusing the offers of drugs and the promises of a wild ride, the young man enlisted in the Navy, hoping to avoid being drafted into the Army. Buck walked forward, saying goodbye to the freedom of his youth and hoped some time at sea might be nice for his allergies. A young lady of twenty followed Buck, crying and begging him to stay, and Buck looked back, a regret he held the rest of his days. She was crying, pleading with him to stay, promising him the world and tearing at his heart, but Buck could only promise her he’d write.
A little over a year later, he stepped foot in a land called Vietnam, as a Navy Corpsman for a Marine infantry unit. The jungle was hate at first sight, Buck hated the bugs, he hated the humidity, he hated foliage, but Buck loved and was loved by his Marines. Buck really hated the jungle, he hated the sounds at night, he hated everything in it, and swore to himself, when he finally left the Navy, he would move to a desert with no jungle and no ocean.
The patrol was spread out, waiting to ambush possible enemy activity. Buck liked the disciplined men he served with and like them, he sat in silence, that lasted until a claymore fired. The flash of the light and the volume of explosion tore into the night while ball bearings tore into an enemy he could not see. Rounds were fired, rifles tore into the night, and one of the guys let loose with their M-60. Buck looked around, holding his weapon, still unable to see an enemy, but glad he was not hearing the call for Corpsman.
A flash of green light shot past Buck and hit a tree near him, resulting in a small explosion and the damp tree being ignited. Buck shook his head, that kind of weapon only existed in space movies. Buck turned and looked for an enemy and all he could see was a blur in front of the jungle, almost ghost-like, but Buck fired into it and it fell over, its camouflage failing a lizard-like human fell in front of him.
Several more flashes of light were shot into the platoon, and men were ignited and men exploded. Buck spun, and hit the ground, he could not see anyone, but Buck crawled in the jungle he hated to either find a Marine to help, or an enemy to kill. Another blur was in front of Buck and he fired into it too, and as green blood leaked out of the camouflaged creature, a lizard fell before him. Buck shook his head, trying to free his head of the delirium he was sure had taken over his mind.
Marines continued firing at unseen enemies, and the flashes of light hit their position, slaughtering more Marines than before. The damage from the energy weapons was so intense, there was nothing left for Buck to save. Soon, Buck crawled to the M-60 machine gun, and attached a new belt to it, and loaded. Buck yelled for all the Marines to hit the ground, and he fired bursts through the air at any blur or oddly shaped foliage he could see in the night and in the flashing beams of energy weapons igniting their impact sites. Buck did his best to fire and maneuver, focusing his fire at the sources of fire coming at him, another flash of light hit next to Buck, and he was blown sideways.
Buck was sure he was going to die and cried out to God for help, as he tried to reorient himself following another blast. A blur charged at Buck and he pulled out his knife and drove it into the thing, and looked straight into the face of a lizard creature as he thrust into its belly. The weight of the creature knocked Buck backward, and convinced he was delirious, Buck crawled backward away from it, unable to remove his knife that was lodged in its ribs. Another flash of light hit near Buck and he fell backward, his arm burned, into a mud puddle. Although Buck was knocked backs, he, fortunately, landed face up in the mud but was covered head to toe.
A few hours later at sunrise, Buck awoke and was able to crawl up. The Marines had been killed or butchered, but Buck could find no trace of the lizards. Buck checked every man, and the only one he could find alive was PFC Johnson, a new Marine, who had been wounded, but could walk with assistance from Buck. None of the radios worked and Buck wasn’t in favor of waiting around for help if those things came back, so he told Johnson they were walking out.
“Did you see those things?” Johnson asked.
“No, and neither did you, if you ever say anything of this, they’ll lock us up. They were VC, all of them. Swear to me you’ll never tell anyone different.” said Buck.
“I swear man, I swear.” swore Johnson, and the two men kept their word, long after they crawled out of there. Another Marine patrol later located the ruins of their Platoon, and Buck was credited with fighting off an attack and mostly carrying Johnson several miles out.
Buck slept for several days in the hospital and when he was awake, he decided for the rest of his life he like being a Corpsman more than being a patient as he was treated for burns and dehydration. Eventually, he was awakened by an Admiral Johnson. Buck struggled to get out of bed, and the Admiral stopped him.
“Relax, first I just want to thank you for saving my son’s life, he didn’t listen to me and joined the Marines, instead of the family business, I’m the father of PFC Johnson that you saved.” said the Admiral.
“Hell sir, I joined the Navy and it got me right there with him anyways.” said Buck.
“Well shit, I can’t argue that. They’ve awarded you a Purple Heart and the Silver Star for your actions, would you like a ceremony, or would you rather just me hand them to you?” asked the admiral.
“I’m okay with you just handing them to me.” said Buck, taking the boxes.
“What’s your plan with the Navy?” asked the admiral.
“Well sir, I’d like to say I want to go back with the men, but other than Johnson, there ain’t any.” said Buck.
“Well, if you’d like a career in utilities, I have some pull there. I owe you that much.” replied Admiral Johnson.
“There ain’t no plumbing in the jungle. We shit in the weeds.” said Buck.
“I figure, after you go back to school, I could probably keep you in Pearl for a few years.” said the Admiral.
“They probably won’t let me go back out like this anyways.” Buck said looking at his bandaged arm and legs. For the first time Buck realized how bad his legs were, the blasts had sent random objects into his legs. “Well shit, now I know why my knees hurt.” said Buck.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“No son, it’s either plumbing or going home at this point. You’ve already been awarded another Purple Heart before this one. It’s time you look for a new career.” said the Admiral.
“Where you headed to Chief?” asked the Skipper. Buck blinked his eyes and remembered he was at his retirement ceremony.
“Arizona, sir.” Answered Buck, still standing at attention.
“Hey, the ceremony is over. Are you from Arizona?” asked the skipper. Buck relaxed his stance, embarrassed he hadn’t noticed, but not wanting to show it.
“No sir, but there’s no jungle and no ocean there. I’m going to open a plumbing shop in a little city called Buckhorn, east of Phoenix. I drove through their once.” said Buck.
“Is it nice?” asked the skipper.
“I stayed a night and took a bath, and that was over ten years ago, but it was a nice bath.” said Buck.
“I’m sure she was.” said the Skipper, shaking Buck’s hand, and then stepping aside to let the rest of their men say goodbye to Buck. It was hard for Buck to retire, he liked the men, and he liked being useful, but something in him, was just pressuring to leave and left he did, as soon as he could.
Buck had put what little he owned in his truck and set out from San Diego. He didn’t really know where to go, the one girl he did love, who had called him to look back to the VW bus over twenty years ago had died in a drug overdose a few years later, and Buck had just suffered short term relationships and heartbreaks at that, watching countless other sailors marry divorce in the same enlistment. Buck couldn’t tell if his lack of marriage had made him fortunate or unfortunate.
A great emptiness filled Buck as he drove down the highway, the road mostly empty, and his truck radio struggling to maintain a signal. Buck wished he had someone to talk to, even a dog, but he sat in his truck alone, going down the highway, through Yuma and a little north later. Finally, half a day later following a few gas station breaks, Buck reached the town of his memory.
“Well shit, I guess this ain’t really the town at all.” Buck said, as he reached Buckhorn Baths, this time sober. Buck went inside and asked for a room, the place wasn’t as nice as he remembered, but it still had character. Buck put his bags in his room, and went out to find a lunch and then a commercial building and a house to buy, having done everything he could to save every dollar he had made. Buck turned on the TV, a man in a white suit wearing a white mask was advertising used cars, calling himself the Loan Arranger. Buck laughed and said “I think I’ll like this town.”
Buck spent the next 16 years building his business, but he had aged hard, and his old wounds were doing him no favors, but he built a solid reputation in the community and received more business from word of mouth than he cared to do, but he did his best. As good as the desert once seemed, the heat took its toll on him, Buck longed for his second retirement.
As he loaded his tools into his truck, having finished his last job of the day, Buck heard crying from the yard, so Buck walked over to make sure everyone was safe. “What’s wrong?” Buck asked the little girl standing and looking up in a tree.
“My kite is stuck in the tree, and my dad won’t be home to get it until tonight.” said the little girl.
Buck looked up and saw the kite had wrapped itself in some branches, he tried pulling on the kite string but couldn’t free it. Buck could tell the kite was pretty important to the little girl, and he sighed, knowing he was going to have to do the right thing before he got out of the heat that day.
“I’ll get your kite, but I need you to go sit on your front porch in the shade, because I am going to bring my truck over.” said Buck. The little girl thanked him and ran over and sat on her porch as instructed.
Buck drove his truck over under the tree and pulled his ladder of the top of his truck and tied it to the rack so it wouldn’t slip. Buck trusted his truck, but he didn’t trust the tree to hold the ladder. Buck climbed up the ladder and reached in the tree and untangled the kite and brought it down safely. Buck looked at the kite and smiled, there was a unicorn on it, then he walked over and collected the kite string, wound it up, and brought it to the little girl who was sitting with her mother who had come out when she saw Buck parking under the tree.
“One kite, safely rescued from a tree.” Buck said to the girl’s mother as he brought it up and handed it to her.
“You unclog pipes and you save kites, can I pay you for that?” Asked Mary, the girl’s mother, worried she had kept him from another job.
“No ma’am, It’s nice to be useful.” said Buck.
“What’s your name?” asked the little girl.
“I’m Buck Allen, owner and operator of Buck’s Plumbing.” Said Buck.
“Thank you, mister Buck.” said the little girl.
“You’re welcome, it’s a pretty kite, I’m glad we could save it.” said Buck, grinning.
“My friend Kara gave it to me, we are going to be best friends forever. Why’s your hood of your truck blue when the rest of the truck is red?” Asked the little girl.
“It’s good luck.” said Buck.
“Buck, he drove a truck, it’s good luck. He saved my kite, we like Buck, he’s good luck.” sang the little girl.
“Thank you sir, I’ll recommend you to all my friends.” said Mary.
“Oh please no, I don’t want to be that useful, I already have too many jobs. You all have a good day,” Said Buck, taking a step back and walking to his truck before putting his ladder away. Buck looked around to make sure his path was clear, then got in his truck and started driving off.
Buck noticed the little girl holding her kite and waving, so he paused the truck, waved back, and drove off, feeling good about himself.
Years later Buck awoke to someone banging on the door of his house. “Wake up, Buck, it’s Isabella, I need your help!” shouted the young lady as she banged on his door. Buck dressed quickly and went to open the door and let her in.
“What’s wrong?” asked the old man, weary and still trying to gather his senses.
“My plumbing is leaking, I’m supposed to open the shop soon, and it’s leaking, and I have water going out the front door. Mr. Kook called me when he closed his store.” Said Isabella as she caught her breath.
“So call a plumber.” Said Buck.
“You are a plumber.” Reminded Isabella with some fire in her tone.
“I’m retired.” Reminded Buck.
“I don’t care, my Dad always used you, he’s out of town, my sister is out of town and mom is in the hospital, so get dressed, we’ll take your truck.” Ordered Isabella sternly.
“I can’t drive, I don’t have a license anymore, and it’s even harder at night.” Argued Buck as he looked out the window.
“I’ll drive your truck, you literally taught me to drive in it. Go, or I’ll stop mowing your lawn and getting your groceries for you. You can walk to the grocery store, I don’t care.” Reminded Isabella.
“I had you drive me to the emergency room, that doesn’t count as a driving lesson.” Argued Buck unsuccessfully as he put his boots on. He liked the kid, her dad had always been good to him, and Isabella had saved his life when he was having a heart attack and the phone didn’t work. He’d been beaten and followed her out to his truck. They were soon on the way to her shop. Isabella had spent all summer working on it, and he was curious what it looked like.
He sighed as he saw the water leaking out the door and followed her in as they each carried a toolbox. A few minutes later, laying in water, Buck replaced a broken shutoff valve under the sink. His pride in his skills vanished as he heard Isabella crying in a chair near the counter. She was sobbing and holding herself as she shook.
“It’s fixed, let’s clean up the place.” Suggested Buck.
“It’s ruined.” Said Isabella sadly, as she looked at the place through tear filled eyes.
“Fresh leaks are the easiest to repair. Most of the water ran out the door anyways. Make us some coffee, and I’ll help you clean up the place.” Said Buck.
“Really?” asked Isabella in surprise.
“Trust me, as a retired sailor, I know how to use a mop.” Said Buck. Isabella jumped up and hugged him, before pointing him to the utility closet. Buck sighed and began mopping, sharing coffee and cigarettes all night with his young friend. By sunrise, I the place looked salvageable. Isabella was grateful, but shouting at the voices she heard in her head.
“You didn’t take your medication.” Said Buck sadly.
“If I did, I would have fallen asleep a long time ago. Running this coffee shop with my sister is my dream, not taking pills.” Said Isabella as she lit two cigarettes and passed one to Buck. He nodded in understanding but sighed sadly.
“This coffee is good, I promise when you open, I will be your first customer every day.” Said Buck as he paused from smoking and drank the rest of the coffee in his cup. Isabella smiled, she liked him, and despite being an old grumpy man, other than her sister Erin, Buck was Isabella’s only friend in the world. Isabella sat there in her dark hair soaked in sweat, her eyes tired and a cigarette dangling from her lips shaking, listening to voices shout in her head and feeling like her dreams had a chance again.