A War on Two Fronts (Peterick)

Chapter 4

-Pete-

I report tomorrow and all I've done is lay in bed and stare at my ceiling. What else can I do? I don't have any real friends, except maybe Joe, but he was just a party buddy that hooks me up with drugs. My parents have never been happier to get rid of me. Laying here, I realize how lonely and empty my life really is. I've been using parties to fill the void that lack of true friends and family has left.

Maybe I could get out of this? There are ways to get out of a draft. I could say I'm gay and marry a man? No, I want my family to love me, not hate me. And I could never be gay. I could get a war related job? No. Not enough time to get one. I could move to Canada! Canada is only a short drive from Chicago! But I'm sure that's illegal some how and I'll be known as a draft dodger. While these are all way to avoid the draft, none of them are feasible for me right now. I'll just have to suck it up.

Even though laying in bed wallowing in my own self pity sounds comforting, I knew I had to get up and go somewhere, and while Joe may not be my true friend, I'll pay him a visit because he's the closest thing to a friend I have.

I knock on Joe's door, not really knowing what to expect considering I've never seen the kid during the day sober. A woman, who I'm going to assume is his mother opens the door. "Hi. You must me Joe's mom. Is Joe here?" I ask her a bit nervously.

"I'm sorry sweetie... But... Joe went to fight in the war..." I was honestly shocked by her words. Joe never seemed like the type, but then again, I didn't know him outside of the party atmosphere. "You look troubled. Do you want to come in and talk?" I didn't know what to say, but maybe talking to someone will help me.

"Sure...." I said hesitantly. She opened stepped out of the way to let me in, and led me to the living room.

"Would you like some coffee? Or water? Or anything? Uhhmm... I'm sorry hun, but I didn't catch your name.." she said awkwardly.

"Oh! My name is Pete. And no thank you, I don't need anything." She sat down.

"Pete, what's the matter?" She was right to the point I guess.

"Well... I was drafted to join the war... And I don't want to go.. I don't even know what I'll be fighting for honestly..." I admitted.

"You don't know why we are fighting in Vietnam?" She sounded surprised.

"No. I don't really keep up with current events."

"Well, we are fighting the communist of Northern Vietnam, known as the Vietcong. They want to take over the democratic southern portion of Vietnam." She explained. "You've heard of the Korean War haven't you Pete?"

"I remember it from somewhere in school."

"Well what happened in Korean War is exactly what is happening in Vietnam. A nation was divided between communism and democracy. There's a thing called The Domino Effect, and that's the idea that once a country falls to communism, all the countries around it will fall to communism as well."

"Why would countries want to be communist if it's so bad?"

"Many countries on that side of the world are third world countries, just freed of colonialism, and the original idea of communism is that everyone is equal. Equal land, equal pay. Everything. The theory, originally brought together by Karl Marx in his book 'The Communist Manifesto' sounds good in theory, but it never works out in reality. Which is why America is going through the Cold War with The Soviet Union and other Communist countries. Does this all make sense?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. America has a policy of Containment, which is an effort to contain communism and prevent The Domino Effect. Have you heard of the Great Purge?" She asked.

"I don't recall...."

"Joseph Stalin was behind it. He had thousands of people killed to secure his rule over Soviet Russia. That's just one example of corrupt governments under communist rule. The Nazi's were communist you know. China attempted the Great Leap, which ultimately failed. Communist governments just don't work out in the end, and they are never the original idea of communism. That is why we fight it, and that is why we are in Vietnam."

"Thanks. At least now I know what I'm going to fight for."

"Do you know why Joe went to fight in the war?"

"No. I never knew he was going." I told her.

"He went because his father fought, and died in the war. Pete.. don't fight for democracy." She looked me in the eye. "Fight to survive, because it is hell out there. I lost my husband, and I may have lost my only child. Fight for your life."

"I will."

"Good." She smiled."No go make your last day in Chicago a good one."
________________________________

A/N: A little History lesson for you guys. By the end of this story, you will be an expert on the Vietnam War. I originally wrote this story as a history project.