Summary

The Marine’s father tells him about Vietnam when he is deployed to Iraq. His father drinks swigs of whiskey alternating with sips of beer. He tells his son about the unbearable humidity, the jungle rot, the monsoons and the ineffectiveness of their weapons. When he really gets drunk, he talks about the whores.

At first there were monthly trips into town. Later the brothels moved close to the camp and the Marines sneak through the wire at night or had the girls over during the day. There were different brothels for white Marines and black Marines. If a girl from the white brothel was caught servicing a black man, she’d be severely beaten or murdered.

His father is too drunk to go on with his stories. When the Marine helps him to his bed, his father mumbles and...