The presidential election is fast approaching and friends and I were talking about the candidates. I happened to mention that John McCain was my commanding officer while I was attached to VA-174 at NAS Ceil Field, Florida and that I have his autograph on my discharge papers. This, of course, lead to me telling of my discharge.

:::::settling back in his favorite chair.....wallowed out places fitting the contour of him...sipping coffee....both hands wrapped comforting around his mug....the devil showing in his eyes::::: Thirty-four years ago I joined the Navy to make my escape from the place of my birth and spent three years, a month and a day.....six hours and 27 minutes in the military.

I found the Navy an okay place to grow up......:::smile:::....I'd do it again if I had to make the choice. It was a place to learn some hard lessons without having to crawl home in defeat.....they always guaranteed three hots and a cot.....::::chuckling::::.....even if a whole paycheck was lost in a game of cribbage or spent partying.

In my last half of my second year, they transferred me to an area of the country I couldn't stand, a base that I hated and a squadron that I never grew comfortable with. I tried for six months to get transferred, went through all the channels, but was told it wasn't possible until time for my re-enlistment. I finally came to a place where I could not force myself to go into the base....:::sighing....remembering the angst and tears shed each morn::: I didn't have any answers and pride would not let me go AWOL. That morning I went up to legal and told the Lt. JG to send to Washington for my discharge because I was a queer.

In those days the Navy oft times held what was called "witch hunts," where they would scour the bases looking for queers to discharge.....they compiled evidence and would bring to trial the unsuspecting......queer or mistaken queer....to burn at the stake. Here I was......admitting I was queer, wanting out.....but since they had no evidence......:::eyes bright.....shaking head over military intelligence::::

The powers that be finally decided that as "evidence" of my queerness they would accept a hand written documentation of.....:::flushing:::....a love making session between me and my partner. When I was finished, the three investigating officers had me read this....uhmmmm....story......:::eyes hardening and fastening to the rim of his coffee cup.....face burning a deeper shade of red:::....out loud to them and swear on the bible that it was true.

Six weeks later my discharge came but unlike those who had fallen in the witch hunts that received a bad conduct discharge, they had given me an honorable discharge with full benefits....:::humor returning......eyes rekindling that old spark:::....guess cause I was so big and brave during the "investigation" .....eh?

Joe:::whose first ever erotic story is enshrined in a folder somewhere in the bowels of a file cabinet in DC::::