the Bar

Military? Nada. I respect what they do, but I'm not a fan of warfare. I'm sure you've seen plenty of things in your time that you still have nightmares over. My grandpa was a Master Sergeant in the US Army, though, and my great-grandpa (no relation between the two) was a Colonel in the US Air Force. Granddaddy fought Korea and Vietnam, and Bat (as we called the Colonel) fought WWII and Korea. Grandpa was dead before I ever knew him, and Bat died when I was a toddler, so I don't remember either of them. A shame, I would've liked to hear their stories.

I fought in the Cuban missile crisis. My father in World war 2 in Europe. And his grandfather in our Southern War of independence. It runs in the family. But I dont have a son and maybe my daughter when she has a family will grow up in more peaceful times. At least I wont have to worry about Sara fightin any war. Women cant enlist except for nurses and such. Unlike other countries who throw women onto battlefields Thats what they have men for. Or maybe Im just old. Maybe I could tell ya mine if you want to hear.

Well, I've nowhere else to go, so feel free.

Well it was 1982.(I know it was 62 in our timeline) And the Soviet Union was as you of course know was supplying ICBMs to the Cubans. Well we could not have that so we had a few options. Namely blockade or invasion. We decided to invade. I was sent in on the beaches as we used airstrikes to target the defenses. It was a shooting gallery.

Sorry for the short post. Chatting on FaceBook. And switching between the two is time consuming.

(OOC: I know the feeling.)

Makes me wonder why the Russians didn't just decide to launch the nukes at you all. They'd probably've launched 'em at the Americans, too, just to get everybody riled.

They almost did. They actually briefly invaded severa European countries. But ultimately cooler heads prevailed. Long story short. The two sides comprimised. The Americans, Confederates and Nato would leave Cuba if The Cubans removed the missiles and Russians pulled their forces back.

Yeah, I remember that much. I wasn't very old at that time, and I did some studying afterwards in school, but ultimately I focused more on other subjects such as math. Although I did enjoy history.

Well you need math in this age. I lost my brother, my best friend and my left hand on that beach. Cant begin to tell you how mad I was when tey ended it by talking. They should have done that before.

I agree. Senseless waste of life, if you ask me, and I'll drink for your brother and your friend. *drinks*

*Drinks with him

They were the same person. Well I drink that you will neva have to see a battlefield. I learned at an early age. There are things that matter and things that dont. We lost our house in a twister some years ago and a reporter I remember asked me what I was going o do now that I had lost all that was dear to me. I just told em boy et me tell you something. I pointed to the wreckage behind me and said this aint nothing. Nothing time wont heal or money wont replace. Then I told em, I lost my daddy when I was 12 years old. And the sory about my brother and hand I just told you. And that my darling wife of all my years was ill with cancer. Now thats something. But a lost house aint nothin.

A lost house is most certainly a lot easier to rebuild from, 'tis true.

I take it that your wife recovered from the cancer, right?

Died a few months ago. All I have left is my daughter. She is 24 now.

I'm sorry to hear that. But may your daughter live a long and successful life, then.

I can't say I've experienced too much in that regard - I am only 29, after all. I left home when I was 18 to attend university in California; I got a degree in linguistics and settled down there for a while, studying the native languages of the Pacific Northwest. Then I got a job offering around Westphalia, so I moved there a few months ago. After that, I got the feeling of adventure (a wonderful feeling, as I've discovered), and now, here we are.

(OOC: I'm RPing as being born in 1983, just because. )

Your experiances will come. I dont regret my life in the least. I will see them all again when my chores on earth are through. But for now my daughter needs me more. You ever plan on settling down?

Maybe. I'm kind of a traveling man, though. Seeing new things has always been a fun experience for me. But maybe I'll settle down here.

Maybe you shuld meet Sarah. She needs a good man. And I wont be around forever. She is supposed to ick me up in an hour. What about it?

I reckon that wouldn't be a bad proposition. I think the liquor might be a bit off-setting for a first impression, though, so do you have any mouthwash or breath mints?

I have some peppermints. I enjoy candy. That should do just fine.

Thank you. *pops plenty of them* Alrighty. Care for some coffee to finish you off? Donald's got some great brews somewhere...

I take it back with no suger.

*takes back another hazelnut blend*

Do you play any instruments, Johnny?

I play the harmonica. Only thing I can really play with one hand.

I figured. But you just get used to it, eh?

Yeah, life goes on.

Yeah. My grandpa lost a lung, an eye, and an arm in an accident in Panama following the wars. He didn't live very long after that, obviously. My granny always told me I looked like him. Then again, dementia had set in by then.