Thursday, July 9, 2026

mountain meadow 1: hunter and tom, in progress

EXT, MOUNTAIN MEADOW - DAY

Hunter and Tom, side by side on horseback, behind Jackie and Chloe, behind Sess and Claire.

HUNTER: Do you mind a few questions to introduce further discussion later about your time in Vietnam?

TOM: Like I said, Hunter, you can ask me anything anytime.

HUNTER: Enlist or drafted?

TOM: I was drafted.

HUNTER: Branch?

TOM: Army was the plan but the Marine Corps had a different one for me when I got to the recruiting depot. Two tours.

HUNTER: Did you fight?

TOM: Yessir. Bumped to lance corporal not long after bein' there.

HUNTER: You didn't tell my mother.

TOM: Never came up.

HUNTER: Do you have a uniform?

TOM: Got a couple in the closet. 

HUNTER: Your dad?

TOM: Army, Dubya two, Europe. 

HUNTER: My grandfather was Navy in the Solomon Islands.

TOM: Alright.

HUNTER: U-S-S Helena. Have you ever heard of the battle of Kula Gulf?

TOM: Yessir. He was there?

HUNTER: Yes.

TOM: Did he come home?

HUNTER: Yes. 

TOM: Ever talk about it?  

HUNTER: Not much. A little, once, when I asked him why he never went in the ocean past knee-high when we'd go to the beach. 

TOM: Hard to not come home a little rearranged. But somethin' to be said for comin' home.

CUH-LIP CUH LOP.


[WITH JACKIE AND CHLOE.]

No comments:

Post a Comment