It’s not often you get a whole boxcar to yourself but the thing is you can’t very much enjoy it. The rocking motion puts you to sleep, over and over again. I was headed west on the Pennsylvania ’cause I heard there was a get-together around New Goshen, Indiana-never heard of it before but what else was there to do? You never know with these meetups. Sometimes 5 folks showed, sometimes 20, sometimes 50. The big ones a real hoot, plenty of drinking and swapping of stories both real and tall. Where was I? Ah, the sleeping. I don’t dream much anymore but I dreamt of Johnny last night. I knew because I woke in a sweat that was both cold and warm. That hadn’t happened in a while. Hope it doesn’t happen again soon.
I met him in boot camp-I’d gotten kicked out of the house, there was a war on that the U.S. had recently joined and I figured I’d do my part. He was there on the bus headed to the base. You couldn’t miss him. Bright red hair, pale skin like it was a thin cotton bedsheet. He was getting a ribbing from some guys and wasn’t getting upset about it, kept his cool. I noticed that about him. After we got our brushcuts the jokes died down a little but not with our drill instructor-he lit into Johnny something fierce but Johnny would just take it, I mean what could he do, jaw back at him? I figured our instructor needed a whipping boy and Johnny could take it so that’s how it went.
The first time we were all allowed off the base Johnny wore this bright red bandana or maybe it was a neckerchief?, around his neck. I couldn’t believe it. He was inviting all kinds of shit-talking but it occurred to me that this kid, a kid just like me, was his own man. From that day forward we buddied up. Most times when guys rode him he smiled and looked down like he had some sort of secret he was gonna keep to himself. Things got rough a few times and we got into some scraps but nothing serious.
We made it through boot camp easy and were sent to England in mid-May of ’44. Things were coming to a head, there were so many rumors flying round but I knew we would be seeing some action. Sure enough, we found ourselves on a transport ship headed to ‘Utah Beach’. I thought it was kinda funny that them Frenchman had a beach with the same name of one of our states. Johnny was sitting across from me and we were both nervous as hell but we kept looking at each other and it was unspoken, ‘I’ve got your back and you got mine’. Just before we were about to jump out he yelled at me to get my attention and I saw that he had his ‘lucky’ red bandana tucked in his chest pocket. Big grin on his face. I laughed.
We made sure we were no more than 3 yards from each other as we made our way forward. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Johnny fall backward, his face in the sand. I rolled him over and he was done for. It looked like the bullet he took hit his shoulder and went into his neck. His eyes were glazed over, his mouth was moving and nothing was coming out. Then his eyes rolled back into his head and time seemed to hang in the air for a bit. I couldn’t see anything around me, there was no gunfire, no explosions. But then a bullet grazed my arm, stinging me back to now. I grabbed his lucky bandana out of his pocket and moved forward with the rest of the unit.
I couldn’t tell you what happened the next few days-I remember anger, fear, desperation, dread and other stuff all jumbled together as one. It was night near a fire later on when I was eating my rations that I ‘came to’. I dropped my food and wandered a little bit, finding a shed that I collapsed into and I began sobbing. I cried for a long time, so long that I pissed myself, not that it mattered one bit.
I kept hold of his bandana in the belief that the luck would work for me if it didn’t for him. It’s usually folded away among my things but when we have these get-togethers I tuck one corner of it in my front pocket and let it hang down. You see, you’ve got to stand out in some way so that you can be identified by your brothers. At one of my first ones a guy asked me what my nickname was. “Nickname? I never thought about it”. This old fella said, “Look over there, that’s Doulbledown Pete, over there’s Triple Trouble and that guy’s Frank Fancy. You gotta have a name.” I looked down at the bandana trailing out of my pocket, “I guess my name’s Johnny, Dead Johnny, is what it is.” The old man looked at me, turning the name over in his mind, “Dead Johnny… Dead Johnny… damn, that’s a good one, folks’ll remember that one for sure!”
And that’s how I got my name, and I gotta admit it’s catching on. What is it, ’48? Maybe 1949? I’ve been at this now for a few years anyway and the name is starting to get around…
/to be continued
TO THE GAME!
Pats/Seahawks:
Cam Newton’s star turn last week caused many to overlook the fact that the entire receiving corps went 10 for 96 yards. That’s 2019 Michael Thomas numbers! Needless to say, this isn’t the most opportune time to get the passing game going. So look for more of Pats wr’s not being able to get separation and Cam trying to make the best of it.
Enjoy.
THE END
I used to work around the corner from here. There used to be a food truck that had the best gyros ever.
I turned it to Mighty Mike. The best cartoon I’ve seen in years!
Ok, local affiliate has gone through all the SC injuries. On that cheery note I’m gonna go read some idealized fiction about living in a little flat in Edinburgh
On one of the postgames Moore is rockin an AC/DC T shirt and flannel over it.
LARP 80s Seattle pretty good
Team Mike
Team Joel as host, Mike as head writer and occasional cameo (as Steve Reeves was the greatest).
I’ve had a high ankle sprain, tripped over a cat while drunk. I could go down stairs at a moderate pace without holding the handrail after 3 weeks, but wasn’t fully healed until months later
But was the cat OK
Sat on the bed where she knew she wasn’t allowed to be and just looked at me writhing on the floor in pain because I didn’t step on her
Nothing can come between the bond of a pet and their person
John Clayton is getting into Cryptkeeper territory on the local postgame.
One of three local postgame shows
I think we’re all missing the lede – for a week, the Bills are in first place. It’s table-breaking time!
No! Only teams that cover are allowed nice things
When things stop being all pandemicy, DFO MEETUP AT A BILLS GAME
In Toronto, maybe
Buy more folding tables
And Zubaz
Geico is wrong. Aunts are cool. They smoke.
Ok! So all I need is a 62 point performance out of Latavius Murray tomorrow night and I’m laughing!
Only 62?
Is that you kicking my ass?
Nope.
Soon it will be “What the Fuck is Cam Wearing?” time!
Charmslinger saying the right things, but losing his battle with filler words
“We knew Cam was getting the ball, obviously” LOL
MAYBE IF BELICHICK WASN’T BUSY MAKING SUBWAY COMMERCIALS HE COULD FOCUS ON COACHING
lolololololol
WE ALL KNEW THAT DAHKIE COULDN’T HOLD TAWMMY’s FACKIN JAWK!
Leave the footlongs to Jared
I wonder if that guy is ripped and covered in white supremacist tattoos now?
Unlikely, in most countries he would be dead
so my opponent started russel wilson, i got zero points from will fuller today……
and I’m still gonna win my matchup by 30 points. man this game is weird
No touchdown.
Do the Patriots actually know any goal line plays that don’t involve a QB carry? I’m legit curious now.
They’re confused now that Vrabel isn’t there to be a receiver
You are a sweet guy, we all like you! Pssst: Doktor Zymm is a girl too!
Petronel, too, right?
Yup! We’re almost a third of the way to double digits!
Eh, I say dudes. Dudettes is just cumbersome and kinda sounds like a potato based fast-food snack treat
What an awful playcall
Hooray! I win $5.50! I’m rich! I’m a wealthy miser!
Fuck everything we won
FACKIN FACKS
iron sheik agrees
And cheers erupt all over Seattle
Is it loud there? Did you know it’s loud there?
It’s like finding out Jimmy Graham played basketball – yes, BASKETBALL – in college.
Why don’t they call a slant route?
Belichick still loyal to Parcells?
FUCK AND YES!
I’ve never noticed how hard butler trucked the receiver in the superbowl interception
He going to run that Super Bowl play the Seattle failed on.
What? Where’s Marshawn!?
God DAMMIT!!!!!
SUSPENCE
Oh, man! I just threw my phone and jump out of the bed.
Fucking hell
Should have had some prophylactic whiskey
I’m following along on gamecast, why did Seattle take a timeout?
Because reasons?
They’re actually complaining about the decibel diff between fake noise and real and thank y’all for the heads up that my horribly lagging stream is about to be flagged!
Belichik and the refs are just flexing on dreamboat now
Looks like Edelman still gets the calls
BLEE’RGH!!!
Oh my god
I’ve always been in awe of the way these guys give competent career/interview/salary advice at the drop of a shoe.
Tough, but fair.
We’re not supportive of EVERYONE
/shoves Horatio back into his locker
Let Cam bake?
[does Paulie Walnuts “heh-heh”]
Don’t get cunty
If this is gonna happen, can it please be Newton to Harry? Thanks
Super annoyed that there’s no legit way this goes to OT
Don’t work tomorrow?
I got a lot of last minute requests for useless crap on Friday afternoon. I have people to scold tomorrow.
Being hung over sounds like great prep for that!
It’s a surprisingly good way to not be a pillowcase
Cam Newton, dragging me back into my fantasy matchup
Belichick pwns Carroll
Well we just handed them a chance
What the shit was that call
Dumb. Let them save a timeout too.