PALOMINO DENOUEMENT (eBook)

Tank Gunner (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
280 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3178-1136-5 (ISBN)

Infos

PALOMINO DÉNOUEMENT In a dying Texas town or the heart of a Vietnam jungle, survival is more than just staying alive, it's clinging to the remnants of who you once were. Captain Grady Allen thought he understood war. He thought he knew sacrifice. But as echoes of gunfire fade, he finds himself locked in a battle with something far more insidious - his own mind. In 1968, amidst turmoil in America, Allen comes home to Palomino as a Survival Assistance Officer for the family of Sergeant Cloud Sea. Lucinda Jones, Managing Editor of the Palomino Press, asks Allen to meet after Sergeant Sea's funeral for an interview at Miss Bobbie Jo's Dairy Queen. She isn't looking for heroes-she's chasing truths buried lower than the depth of foxholes. The deaths of little Jessie and Sergeant Tommy Franklin - both connected to Allen - have left scars deeper than the war itself. As customers arrive, whispers beneath grief and silence turn to demands. But some truths are more dangerous than bullets. Allen must confront his past and the ghost of a man he might never be again. What is redemption when the line between right and wrong has blurred beyond recognition? Many lovable characters from his immensely popular novels - The Redeemer, Palomino, Porky Baycann, Lucinda Jones, Reverend Ripple$ Building Fund, Cookie Johnson, Rigors of Revenge - appear for a final bow in this concluding chapter of Tank's memorable rural town of Palomino, Texas.

At 86, Tank Gunner is an almost famous author, retired combat cavalry trooper, Senior Parachutist, and Jumpmaster awarded a Combat Infantry Badge and decorated with a Silver Star, three Bronze Stars - one for Valor - and a Purple Heart. He served his nation with pride and honor for more than a quarter-century as an enlisted soldier and officer. On his journey from Battlefield to Book Shelf, Tank has written and published 10 books in 10 years. Tank wrote a play that was produced on stage; wrote a newspaper column of satire published weekly in 24 newspapers, and created a blog with 200 non-fiction stories and 350 pictures, images, and graphics titled WAR STORIES of an ARMED SAVAGE. Using some war stories and college creative writing prompts, Tank wrote and published PROMPTS (60 short stories, including two international short story contest winners), at age 76. He followed that anthology with PROMPTS TOO (57 short stories including two international short story contest winners) at 77; COOKIE JOHNSON, a Vietnam historical fiction novel of love and war where Cookie paid an Army recruiter $10 to be a cook, ended up in Vietnam as a rifleman, and found love with Lieutenant Katy Patton, at 78; PALOMINO, immensely popular WWII historical fiction novel about 3 German POWs living and working in a rural Texas town I the summer of 1943, at 79; PORKY BAYCANN, a 14-year-old boy living in Palomino in the summer of 1943 - coming-of-age, friendship, and WWII historical fiction novel - at 80; THE REDEEMER, powerful drama of love, conflict, and redemption on the eve of WWII, an exonerated Dr Pearly Gates comes to work in the Palomino hospital, at 81; REVEREND RIPPLE$' BUILDING FUND, historical fiction about Bobby Ripples, thief, ex-con, and pretend preacher coming to Marshall, Texas for a new beginning in 1956 (Elvis Presley sings and Ray Charles appears in Bobby's tale), at 82; RIGORS of REVENGE, the story of Colonel Grady Allen, a retired soldier harboring revenge for 50 years, returns to Vietnam to find and kill a murderous enemy, at 83; LUCINDA JONES - fourth in the series with THE REDEEMER, PALOMINO, and PORKY BAYCANN - comes to work in the Palomino Press at the onset of the Korean War, in June 1950. Lucinda fights isms - sexism, racism, chauvinism, stupidism - and uncovers secrets, challenges stubbornness, defies injustice, wins trust, and delights in the excitement and serenity of true love, at age 84. His tenth book, PALOMINO DÉNOUEMENT - fifth in the Palomino series - is the story about Captain Grady Allen, in 1968, when he comes home to Palomino as escort for a soldier's burial and agrees to interview where he confronts his past, faces upheaval, and hears challenges to the war in Vietnam. He's done hundreds of book signings in 17 local bookstores and he also does a LIVE and ZOOM PowerPoint show for schools, clubs, associations, veteran groups, and senior living community residents to encourage teens to seniors to follow his lead and write, whether for a memoir, short stories, non-fiction, poetry, or magazine filler. Tank and his wife have been married 63 years and live with Cody, 100 miles southwest of Palomino.

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PALOMINO DENOUEMENTIn a dying Texas town or the heart of a Vietnam jungle, survival is more than just staying alive, it's clinging to the remnants of who you once were. Captain Grady Allen thought he understood war. He thought he knew sacrifice. But as echoes of gunfire fade, he finds himself locked in a battle with something far more insidious his own mind. In 1968, amidst turmoil in America, Allen comes home to Palomino as a Survival Assistance Officer for the family of Sergeant Cloud Sea. Lucinda Jones, Managing Editor of the Palomino Press, asks Allen to meet after Sergeant Sea's funeral for an interview at Miss Bobbie Jo's Dairy Queen. She isn't looking for heroes she's chasing truths buried lower than the depth of foxholes. The deaths of little Jessie and Sergeant Tommy Franklin both connected to Allen have left scars deeper than the war itself. As customers arrive, whispers beneath grief and silence turn to demands. But some truths are more dangerous than bullets. Allen must confront his past and the ghost of a man he might never be again. What is redemption when the line between right and wrong has blurred beyond recognition?Many lovable characters from his immensely popular novels The Redeemer, Palomino, Porky Baycann, Lucinda Jones, Reverend Ripple$ Building Fund, Cookie Johnson, Rigors of Revenge appear for a final bow in this concluding chapter of Tank's memorable rural town of Palomino, Texas.

Textauszug

3

 

. . . his wait was short.

"Okay, Captain Allen. Corporal Wisinowski is ready for you." The Staff Sergeant held out a sheaf of papers and pointed with the other hand. "There, Sir. Corporal Wisinowski is the finance clerk. Pay, allotments, beneficiary, next of kin, that sort of thing. Take these papers, Captain."

Wisinowski stood behind an Army-gray metal desk with a large, black Underwood typewriter mounted on top of it and waved her hand. "Here, Captain.”

"Sergeant Franklin, bring your file, here,” the Staff Sergeant said. "Let me have the folder, have a seat, and I’ll finish up your in-processing.” This time he pointed with his chubby index and middle fingers at the metal folding chair Allen had sat on.

Sergeant Franklin and Captain Allen acknowledged each other with a smile and nod as they moved to cross paths.

"Musical chairs,” Allen said, "switching rock-n-roll conductors.”

Franklin paused and turned aside for Allen to pass.

Allen stopped, stood close, looking into Franklin’s brown eyes.

"Yeah,” Franklin whispered, "but the musical director where you’re going is a whole lot prettier than the anthropomorphic egg.”

Allen’s eyebrows arched questioningly.

"Staff is on the heavy side,” Franklin whispered. "Humpy Dumpty?”

"Come on, Franklin,” the Staff Sergeant urged. "Let’s get on with your paperwork.”

"Where they sendin you to, Capn?" Franklin asked.

"First Cavalry. Fifth Battalion, Seventh Cavalry. Fire Support Base Linebacker."

"What will you do?"

"I hope to command one of the companies. You?"

Franklin looked at Staff.

"What's in your orders? What's your M-O-S?" Staff asked.

"Eleven-Bravo."

Staff shrugged and grinned. "If you want to. Eleven-Bravo. You're a rifleman. It's an infantry battalion. They need riflemen. I can make it happen for a cold beer."

"I do, yes, I want to. Make it happen, Sergeant," Franklin said.

Staff canted his round head at Allen, who nodded.

"Make it happen, Sergeant. Sergeant Franklin, welcome to Seventh Cavalry – when we get there."

"It's Tommy, Sir." He offered a handshake and Allen took it. "Sergeant Tommy Franklin, Capn."

"Allen. Grady Allen."

"Seventh Cavalry. We're gonna be in General Custard's outfit," Tommy said.

"Custer," Staff corrected. "Ole George Armstrong, hisself. Garry Owen."

"You know about Custard, too?" Franklin asked.

"Sure do," Staff said. "Born and raised in Hardin, fifteen miles from where my great granddaddy and a few of his scouts helped ole George find Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. I'm a quarter Absaroka and a lot of other little pieces of everything else."

Franklin frowned. "Absaroka? What's that?"

"Crow," Allen said. "Crow scouts were hired by the Army to find camps, but not to fight."

"Come on, Franklin, let's get all of your paperwork done," Staff said. "Shots and physical are next, then you'll go to supply, pack away your khakis, get your jungle fatigues and boots and stuff, get assigned a bed for the night, stand formation at Reveille, then after chow you'll ride a bus to the flight line, board a Chinook at oh-seven-hundred, and go up to Linebacker."

"Will I get my weapon, too?"

"Naw, you get that, and all your combat gear at the firebase. Long Bien is just for processing, in and out, of South Vietnam."

Next morning, gripping the bow-tied nylon rope of their cotton laundry bag filled with two white boxer shorts, two white tee shirts, two towels, two wash clothes, two jungle fatigue trousers, two jungle fatigue shirts, two pairs of Army wool socks, an extra pair of new jungle boots, and a toilet bag with one toothbrush, a small tube of Colgate toothpaste, a black comb, bar of Dial soap, twelve small sheets of toilet paper held together by a brown adhesive wrapper, a book of twelve Army matches, a double-sided black Gillet razor with a pack blades, Franklin shuffled on the flightline behind Allen.

They said their name-rank-and-service number to the crew chief, took seats on the CH-47's canvass bench, strapped in, and, as tourists, silently peered through plexiglass at luxurious landscapes sweeping past underneath for the ninety-eight-minute flight to Fire Support Base Linebacker.

At the flight line, four deuce-and-a-half drivers announced their units to the deplaning passengers; the Fifth Battalion, Seventh Cavalry chauffer unceremoniously tossed bags in behind the six soldiers who used the tailgate to mount the bed.

"Capn, you ride up front," the driver said.

"Me too," Franklin volunteered. "Capn and me gonna be in the same company."

Driver pulled away as the CH-47's engines roared and its blades began to swirl.

"Where yall from?"

"Palomino," Franklin said. "East of Paris."

Driver snorted. "Palomino? Like Roy's horse?"

"Yeah," Allen said.

"Palomino was named after a horse," Franklin said. "Rufus."

"Rufus? Rufus was a palomino, like Roy's horse?"

"Yes." Allen was enjoying these two youngsters' tit for tats. "Rufus and Roy's horse was a Palomino."

"Trigger. That was Roy's horse."

Driver side-eyed Tommy. "Yeah, Roy's horse was Trigger. Bet cha don't know Gene's horse?"

Tommy snorted. "I know all of em."

"Yeah? Trigger was a Palomino, so what was Champion?"

He pinned Driver with an amused gawk. "The original Champion – he was Gene's horse before the war – was a Sorrel, but he died while Gene was in the Army Air Corps. After the war he had Champion Junior and Lindy Champion, then Little Champion – he was Gene's trick pony for rodeos – and there was Touring Champion, and TV Champion. Betcha don't know why the horse was named Lindy?"

Driver's voice was meek; it was soft with a sound of surrender. "He had all of them horses?"

Tommy wasn't finished. "Lindy Champion flew in a plane. Betcha didn't know Gene flew a airplane, he was a pilot in the war – but ole Roy wadn."

Defeated, Driver pressed the horn; six young bare-chested Vietnamese kids in black shorts and flip-flops standing along the asphalt highway raised both of their hands and jabbed and pumped middle fingers into the air as they shouted, "YOU, GI, YOU NUMBA TEN, ASSHOLE."

Driver laid on the horn and roared with laughter. "Your Mommy, snot-brain. Kids, great kiddos, gotta love em. East of Paris, huh? Never been to France myself, but I loved Charades."

"France? No, Palomino ain't in France." Franklin grinned and bobbled his head. "It ain't Paris, France, neither."

"Texas. Palomino is a little rural town east of Paris, TEXAS," Allen said, grinning at Franklin. "Tommy and me come from Palomino, Texas that had about seven hundred people, when I lived there – years ago."

"Still does." Franklin matched Allen's broad grin.

Driver stopped in front of the sign announcing Garry Owen Country – Kilroy Custer Was Here.

A senior non-commissioned officer came out of a sand-bagged bunker.

"Okay, hurry it up. Dismount and form up here with your gear," the boss man ordered. "On the double, I ain't got all day. Oh, sorry, Capn. Didn't see you, sorry."

Allen stepped down out of the truck and returned the salute. "Thank you, Sergeant Major. This where you want me?"

"No, no, nossir, you go righta head on in, right on in Capn. Capn Dutch and Colonel Arthur are in there, Sir. They spectin you, Sir."

Allen again returned a salute. "Thank you, Sergeant Major . . ."

"Vernon, Sir. Albert Vernon."

"I need to get my gear, Sergent Major."

"I'll take care of your gear, Capn," Franklin said. "The Capn and me come from the same little bitty ole town in Texas. We come from Pal-o-mean-no, Texas, Sergeant Major."

Inside the bunker, Allen saluted and reported.

"We've been expecting you, Grady." Colonel Arthur shook Allen's hand and held the other out with an introduction. "This is Von Dutch, Adjutant."

"Welcome to the battalion, Grady," Dutch greeted with a firm handshake.

"Have a seat, Captain," Arthur said. "We have two positions coming open, and I'll give you your choice. You can be our S-Four, supply officer, or take command of Golf Company as the CO, but . . ."

"Command, Sir. I will be your commander of the rifle company."

"Okay, but you didn't let me finish."

"Division requires a week's acclimation," Dutch said. "You'll have to go to An Khe and go through the Division's Patrol and Air Assault School at Camp Charlie. Then you'll come back here, we'll arrange a change of command, and you'll pick up duty with the company."

"You'll draw gear and weapon, stay the night and chopper out to An Khe in the morning," Arthur said.

"Sounds like a plan, Sir. I do have a request."

"What is it?" Arthur...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.7.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3178-1136-5 / 9798317811365