All Comments on 'Hey, Joe!'

It was fun teaming up with one of the best writers I know. There's no doubt, I'll owe you a beer. Great story!!!

DG Hear

great writing and all, but the story kinda leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Joe was merely reading far too much into the occasional escorting of Angie.. Danny was totally smitten but didn't push it.. First, they joined in business.. Over the years they became sure of their feelings and joined their lives..

If you ever write a bad story a few dozen people will have heart attacks! Another in a long line of excellent stories. What more needs to be said?

but your stories seem to bring me home... and I've never been to Texas. Your love of the country, and the way you describe the people all make me feel like its home. You have a remarkable knack for story telling!

Jake,

When the song first came out I liked the melody but the words turned me off 'cause I'd had a few run-ins with dudes who thought they were God's gift to women, and a couple of the women were mine. A great take though and your usual outstanding effort. Thank You. Ronnie W.

Well Jake, this was a fine collaboration with DG – a great idea! One wonders how DG can continue without DJ (LOL). I loved the way you turned a "potential woman stealer" into a really nice guy. Great work! Pete.

Very good story and the background, domestic and foreign, is reminiscence for some of us. You certainly do show the love of people and their lives in that part of Texas. It brings me along to a joyful remembrance of country life where I was raised and fed forming my own principles. It is funny how we change our views as we age but more importantly experience new things. Even with change of views the principles remain unchanged through out life.<p>Great entertainment and a nice tie into song lyrics.<p>PT

I could relate to much of what the main character was going through (I believe that some life experiences, such as wars, are universal, even if they happen in fiffeent time and place). When Angie (his true personal angle) releases him of his misguided guilt and he tears with the power of the emotional release, I confess to having joined them both… <P>

On the dual path of the stories, these are of course, totally two unrelated plots. Still, a common theme is that each author, regardless of the 'assigned' story theme, made sure that ‘his’ main character gets the girl at the end… I find it to be a refreshing change after reading all the stories where the men characters seem to all be too willing to give their wives away to other men, or at least, pursue some communal arrangement to provide shared intimate experiences (is it intimate anymore?) with their wives. It makes you wonder how many of those authors suffer from a confused sexual identity, or whether they are all eternally wondering in the no man’s zone of: ‘clueless- what- intimacy-really- means- land’. Fortunately, with the likes of yours and of D.G's story, I can regain some hope with the stories here. Thanks for that too. <P>

Another reason why the story ‘plays’ so well is that it brings to life a chunk of life which the author either knows first hand or have done a thorough research about. In either case, reading the story was like traveling into a distinct world without moving from your chair. Great job! <P>

Did I mention how unashamedly romantic this tale is ? Nope, I believe I have not. Ok, Now I have.

A good woman does heal the soul of alot pain. I Know First Hand!

As one who was in the Corps and out before Vietnam the story hit home. For some reason I was selected for special duty and training as a sniper. Now this was before any kind of team concept. I wondered why and the old gunny I asked just said, You're from Flint. You know how to hit what you aim at. We are confident that in a fire fight you will do the job." The last is an allusion to the common knowledge that in a grunts first action most are just as likely not to fire or waste ammo over the heads of everything. I have had many a quiet moment wondering what I would have been like if I had as many kills as mentioned here. It is different seeing your target up front and personal like. Thanks for helping live it through your writing. Semper Fi

I often feel so sorry for the insults and harassment many of our Vietnam soldiers had to endure. Thanks for your sensitive story.

but so strange. I took a girl away from a fellow Marine buddy that could meet girls easily, but did not have the character to make one fall in love with him. Cost me though, I married her at 19 and we didn't last having married to young and too quickly.

I wasn't a sniper, but can relate to the combat part of the story in 66-67 in Phu Bai and Dong Ha. One commenter mentioned that a soldier or Marine in their first combat action fires over the heads of the enemy or elsewhere. That's generally true as most men do not feel comfortable killing. I studied battlefield actions in various wars and it was generally found that only about 50% of men fired their muskets when charging a hill in the great Civil War battles. Of those that did, most fired and never aimed at anyone in particular.

I guess when going back and digging up battlefields...they found a lot of rusted, but still-loaded weapons. It takes a certain type of person to learn to kill willingly, or even to be capable of killing when they have to as in the case of a police officer. I did my share in hunting, and tried to avoid killing in combat. I was in fact a state police officer for 30 years after my tour and was always ready if necessary. But you know what? I can't even hunt anymore.

People do change as they get older like PeggyTwitty said. I have not wanted to hunt, fish, or hurt anything since I was 45. I did two separate stints as a state cop, and retired at 63 from the State Police and have often wondered what makes men so different. So many people have told me that they could never do what I did in the war or as an officer carrying a gun. Yet, I am a romantic and cry reading these stories.

I guess it's like reading all these stories, our perception of each story is based on our continuing life experiences. I can see the guilt this man felt in this story. Although from personal experience I do know that most snipers feel much remorse in what they do. Actually, they become quite hardened and even look forward to what they do. A sad littany on life I guess.

I love reading all of you great writers, but I no longer believe in revenge or hurting others in affairs of the heart. I do believe in protecting the helpless and the innocent, and I feel that I can still be quite savage in doing so.

I have been reading this writer for days now and do believe he is or was one of the best on this site. Just my feelings...

Dg hear won this round...sorry buddy . Good attempt though. 4*

thanks for a wonderful story

They were both honorable and had the integrity to do it with full communication to Joe and each other -

They did it right if there is A right.

Joe was a whack job - good riddance -

As another who has walked the walk and carried the weapon and looked into the face of the decision about whether I could or could not take the life of another to do the job I was committed to - it will stay with you - you may get hardened during but someday it begins to change (I think it does anyway) and the ice blue to warm blue was the turning point for him where the change came - in an instant but still it was covered in the story.

Life goes on and they lived - good on 'em. Great writing thank you as always -

Liked it - 5*

A couple of grammatical and punctuation errors, but nothing terrible.

The story had a couple parallels with my own life. My own father was in the Army, was in battles still classified today, though they shouldn't be. Why they are, even the DoD couldn't tell me. But the scars he brought home tore our family apart. Even my grandmother, my fathers mother, told me after he'd ripped our family apart to where it couldn't be repaired, she didn't recognize the man who came home from the war. It certainly wasn't the boy she'd sent. I can remember at least three times he attempted to kill me, hunting me with a rifle. I suppose he should be in prison, but he never got a bullet into me and he is in his 80's now.

The second parallel was with his girl, Joe's girl. I stopped by a business once and was instantly smitten, the same way Danny was, I knew she was it the instant I laid eyes on her. I stopped by her house, spent time with her, took her out to dinner a few times. Then I took her swimming in the river below my house and took her home to mom and dad. What I didn't know, didn't know for a couple decades, was that she had a boyfriend she was trying to figure out how to get out of a relationship with. I was her out, we'd fallen deeply in love with her.

One day she was distraught, she told me there was a huge decision in front of her and she needed me to leave, but to stop by that evening. I knew it was big, something about her and I. I was right though I didn't know it, she had broke up with her boyfriend she'd hardly even talked to since we'd began to go out together and he'd gotten physical with her. She told me later how she was afraid I'd notice she was wearing long sleeves even though it was a hot summer, he'd left bruises all over but on her face. Today, some 40 years later, I am thankful she never told me, I'd have killed him. Apparently he thought she would tell me, because he knew me and left town. In fact, he moved away some 1500 miles. Even so, if I'd have known, I would have still hunted him down.

40 years of marriage now and we have our five grandkids and life couldn't be better!

been there, done that, still carry the scars. But, my " Angie" is a little Cajun girl. It has amazed me how much difference a good woman can make in a man's life. Good story and brought back good memories. Thank you.

I enjoyed the regional references, the depth of detail regarding rodeo, the tact and skill with which you detailed the Vietnam portion of the story. Well done.

If you hadn't told us about the story by DG Hear I would not have known they were a collaborative effort. It would be interesting to see how different stories would emerge if more shared details were used.

I can remember when a person that hid and shot someone that was unsuspecting from hiding was viewed as a low down drygulching bushwacker.... funny how stances change when you wrap then in hyper nationalism... and direct them at someone that you have dehumanized... and vilified...

As to the story... he not only was a bushwacker... he was a back stabber...

-jaye-

Great story of a returning veteran who happens to full in love at first sight. That is a human condition, and he's not at fault. Loved it! Five stars. Semper Fi Brother.

Now for the anonymous below: Your the bushwacker, you low life coward! Sign your name chicken shit.

Great Story!! I loved it!!

Good story, well written.