The Ride
by Jon J. Boot
I was home on leave
when my old car broke down-
stranded alone ten miles out of town.
The road was dark, so as I walked along,
thought I'd� whistle a Sousa marching song.
Then out of the night like a beautiful dream
came the prettiest '57 Chevy I had ever seen.
"Need a ride Marine", I heard him say.
"Well, yes sir - its quite a long way."
"I could tell you're a Marine
by your hair and your walk."
He said his name was Billy,
and as I listened to him talk,
his radio played songs that were before my time -
it even advertised Coke for only a dime.
It was 1964 when he became a Marine,
He spoke of all the places he had seen;
He talked of Pendleton, Quantico and LeJune
and of a battle in Viet Nam that started at high noon.
At the edge of town he said, "This here's as far as you go, I'm going past my moms - I turn at the next road."
I thanked him, waved and as he left with a roar, I noticed his billfold
had fallen out the door.
When I knocked at the house to return it the next day,
the lady who answered had hair streaked with gray.
I said, "Mam, if this address is right - I have something your son lost
last night."
Her eyes began to glisten - when she spoke her voice would crack.
She said, "Come with me young man, I want to show you something out back."
Her garage was filled with relics - antiques from another time.
A metal poster on the wall advertised Coke for just a dime.
When she threw back the canvas I thought THIS MUST BE A DREAM !
There was the prettiest '57 Chevy I had ever seen.
The body was covered with dust,
on the bumper was an emblem of the Corps.
But the license plate was dated - 1964 !
I tried to find an answer - but didn't know where to begin.
She said, "Don't look shocked my friend, this happens now and then.
You have the right address, and yes, I'm Billy's mom - but my son died in
battle one afternoon in Viet Nam.
She gently touched my shoulder,
said, " You're welcome anytime - we have to stick together, we're one of a special kind.
To� let you know this is real
and everything's alright.
A '57 Chevy drove by and tooted the horn last night."