Wade

I met Wade in the mess hall at Fort Lee in 1983 he was singing Wade why do you drink why do you roll smoke a half hour later we were in the back of a truck
What did you do to end up here this fine Sunday morning at the crack of dawn he asked
I fell asleep in the shower while the platoon was cleaning the bathroom
Wade laughed I got drunk last night and woke everyone up when I came in
The truck stopped
We jumped out
Walked down the road
And picked up trash

Wade and I both ended up packing parachutes at Fort Benning a couple months later we were sitting in a strip club on Victory Drive in Columbus
He bought us beers and didn’t leave a tip
I told him he should
He said I would if I could that was my last three bucks I was hoping you could lend me twenty till payday
I handed him a twenty and tipped the waitress
Wade said remind me to buy a carton of cigarettes

Wade and I invented a game
We would throw a golf ball
Down the hall
Against the wall and
Catch it
The best out of ten wins
Easy enough
Unless you throw the ball too hard and if you throw it soft you’re a pussy
One boring Sunday morning
Wade threw the ball too hard jumped out of the way and laughed
Siebert walked out of his room into the hall on the way to the bathroom and got hit on the ankle
Wade ran into his room and locked it
What the fuck Siebert yelled I’m going to kill you Brown

Wade and I got in trouble for watching a fight in the middle of the night
Wiggans fought Wellman to a draw
Wellman narked
The three of us were arrested for conspiracy to commit assault
We just watched Wade said to the First Sergeant
You hung Wellman out a third floor window you guys are lucky we don’t charge you with attempted murder
I said we didn’t hang him out the window
I’m supposed to believe that the First Sergeant said
I don’t appreciate being called a liar I said
The First Sergeant’s face got red Johnson I would like to take you behind the Barracks and kick your ass
Wade tried but couldn’t not laugh

That was Wade’s last straw they kicked him out of the Army
The last time I saw him he said addios Johnson cry no tears for me
I’m going fishing in Alaska