Falling in love was the last thing Army pilot Carl Prosser expected to do while stationed in Korea. But he meets a young man named Tommy who's touring with the USO and does just that. Their relationship deepens through an exchange of letters.<br><br>When the USO troupe returns to the front, Prosser devises an elaborate plan to see his lover one last time before the entertainers return to the states. At the last minute, though, there's a change of plans when the enemy hits the USO troupe and Prosser fears Tommy is gone forever.

For the Boys

For long moments we watched each other, wary, like two tomcats before a fight. His face was draped in shadows and I knew he couldn’t see much more than the shape of my body in the darkness. I wondered if he would just keep walking if I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t think of anything witty or original tosay, nothing to differentiate me from the hundreds of other soldier boys he must have met in Army camps just like this one all over the front. Or he’s hereto talk to a girlfriend,I thought, watching him watch me. One of the dance girls and he’s noteven like that, so he sure as hell won’t remember me after they leave. He won’t have any reason to remember me. 


Finally he cleared his throat, a soft sound between us, and his voice was quiet when he asked, “You lost, soldier?” 


Chapter 3