The storm scene

submitted by Lindy

William Tell

I'll call him William because if this ever gets back to him it will embarrass him, and I don't want that.

William is a retired Marine captain, with one or two tours in Korea during the fighting and two tours for dead certain in 'Nam. He's tall, lean, devout in his religion, and a good guy who occasionally goes back and fights 'Nam all over again. In the 'Nam he was one of those Marine intelligence spooks who operated in and out of bad guy territory. Mostly in bad guy territory.

William is like 70 years old. He is proud of his American Indian heritage and loves archery. I gave him a compound bow that had been handed down to me, and he loved it.

The "event" began in the parking lot of my local K-Mart store. William is not a braggart, intrusive, or bellicose. I think he was just putting packages in his car when this 30-something --- got up in his face. The fact that the kid was black has very little to do with the issue.

The kid hassled William for reasons I don't know, and apparently took a swing at him. Bad move.

William, I was told later by his wife, blacked out and went into "kill" mode. It took six people to pull William off the kid before the cops arrived.

The kid landed in the hospital.

At trial, the judge, who is also black, absolved William of any blame or responsibility whatsoever (backed up as William was by many witnesses), took William back into the judge's quarters, and apologized for William's rough handling by a member of the black community.

I never talked to William about that, like I never talked to him about his time in the 'Nam. But knowing what I know about hand-to-hand, if William had really wanted the kid dead, the kid would be pushing up flowers somewhere.

The judge, by the way, is a 'Nam vet and stays in the reserves to this day.

When voting time comes, I know where my "X" will be put on the ballot.

Merlinius Primus Pilus LEGX Judea