All Comments on 'Whiskey Lullaby'

good story, good research, wish it was longer.

pride does goeth if only in dreams. TK U MLJ LV NV

I definitely wish this was longer, but regardless, I really liked this one.. I've always been a fan of this song, and it's nice to have a "story" to go with it..

Good job ;)

Well written story that touches on an unfortunate truth. It is extremely difficult for military spouses to stay loyal when their husband or wife is away. This almost always results in pain and broken families. Many times it is a career killer for the military member because of how it affects them in the performance of their duties. Sadly many of the cheaters don't suffer as they should and in many cases after a divorce they remarry another military person and cheat on them too.

This story highlights so many of the sad facts of the military life it ruined my day.

I like the writing style of this one. It seems like a story that was actually written by the narrator, you know what I mean? I felt you really got the narrator's voice down correctly. Cool.

Our country's military has always suffered worse than the citizenry. Not only during the conflict they're engaged in, but back home reaclimating into society. How many stories of infidelity among spouses back home have we heard through the years? Many.

The story is well told, clear, concise and poignant. Thank you to the author for making it that way.

***** from me.

-Pultoy

Excellent. I am in awe of your skill to be able to write such a fantastic story with such emotion considering the last tale of yours which I thought was extremely stupid. I bow to your skill and imagination.

Outstanding, Sargent, outstanding.

It is a very sad story. I think I am alone with this opinion, but Ben should forgive her. According to the Author Sarah was truly remorseful for her action. There was not bastard or STD and Sarah was not slut type woman...........Am I alone with this opinion? Naturaly 5 stars.

I think Ben's mistake was he did not divorce her so he built a wrong picture in her soul for reconcilation. Ben was not able to move on his life with a second chance (newer woman), he remained married. I think with a divorce Sarah would have found a other man as well. So there would be a tragedy for both...........The divorce would be life rescue for BOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I found myself with a field promotion to Lieutenant..." I know what that's about because I, too, got a field commission, during the Korean War. But then he later attended the Naval Academy and got commissioned a second time? Of course, the second commission was in the Regular Navy, rather than the reserves. But I was able to also get a Regular commission later and did not have to attend four years at the Academy. I've never heard of an officer giving up his commission to attend either the Naval Academy of the USMA.

Why did the author have to introduce this confusion?

Forgiveness first: not being Christian, I learned that an essential part of Christian teaching is confession, repentance and forgiveness. I learned that if a person confesses and offers meaningful repentance, then it is for God to judge and for us to forgive. I can understand stiff-necked pride. I can understand rendering that in a story but when did that become a virtue? After Jacob dies, Joseph's brothers come to him in fear that now he'll take vengeance. Joseph reassures them and says, "Am I in the place of God?"

Moving on: there is a wonderful story about two monks sworn to silence and to avoid physical contact with women. They reach a stream. A woman standing on the bank asks them if they can help her because she's afraid she will drown. One monk speaks, breaking his vow, to say he would and tells her to climb on his back. He carries her across the stream, puts her down and the monks walk on in silence. Many, many years later when the monks are so old they have been released from their vow of silence, the second monk says to the first, "Why did you speak to that woman and carry her across that stream?" The first monk says, "Why are you still carrying her?" Get the point.

@ Cloacas your fable about the 2 monks is an excellent example to remain human is the most difficult chalange in the LIFE!!!!!! I think the exact level punishment, revenge could help rezonant mind to become better human or avoid newer serious mistake. Here the divorce would be the exact level punishment and both characters could move on their life after a longer healing up period. The exwife would not have bilt a wrong reconcilation future picture and the exhusband could follow his military carrier and both would be able to find a second chance sam years later. Sometime the EXACT LEVEL PUNISHMENT and REVENGE may be the most humanist step......... Naturaly a over top punishment or revenge may be reverse effect............

For him, he died the moment that he saw Sarah in bed with another. His friend just confused things by keeping him on his feet.

I suppose it was worse for the Crusaders and that those who stay home must, besides the hungers of the flesh, must feel all sorts of self-doubts.. It is a shame that we still have to go out and shoot at each other.

hi, i have seen and heard the song you based your story on, and the feeling i got after the song is that the war should be blamed and not only the woman, i dont condone her actions, but understand it.

Very sad story, competently crafted. Cheating wife. Passive revenge (not intended as revenge, so is him banishing her really revenge?) Nothing erotic or close to it!

Does NOT qualify (IMHO) anywhere in LIT!

I will answer in the order they are listed. To those who liked the story I thank you. To those who hated it I thank you for reading it. For those who wish the story were longer I can only say it is as long as I needed it to be to convey that which it did. Were I a better writer it would have been longer. To Tazz317 you finally get to comment on this story sorry it took so long.

The men in western militaries do not receive the respect they deserve. Our societies are divorced from the sacrifices they endure and so they belittle their achievements. We are at a point in history similar to the late Roman empire. The citizen solider is being forgotten.

To the Navigator; it probably has never happened but since most western militaries almost never field commission today that doesn't mean it can't happen. Sorry for the confusion.

I have one private email comment that stated Belleau Wood happened in June of 1918. I agree and knew that before writing the story. However Garth Brooks song of the same name, describes the scene I wished to place about the brotherhood of soldiers. So it was my want to pay homage to that song as well. No offence taken you are of course correct.

If you have never suffered PTSD there are things that will never make sense no matter how a story is written. As I deal with it everyday I can understand how Ben reacted to his situation. The dividing line was meant to be harsh, because that is the only way to deal sometimes.

And finally to Lickideesplit, thank you for your comment. I do not find any of the stories in the LW category in the least bit erotic. Unless it is a true loving wives story. So I agree with you that this is not erotic however I disagree with you that it does not qualify as a LW story. All the elements are there.

I gave this *****. Why because it makes me cry every time I read it. If a story gives me a visceral response I rate it high whether I like it or not.

how Sarah got fucked.

that has happened to a lot of us

there are millions of military wives that get lonely and don't cheat. it's a fifty/fifty shot you have a faithfull wife. many just pick the wrong woman, been there do that

I enjoyed this story when you first wrote it and I enjoyed this story once again, any chance you will post your other stories again? I for one will read them. 5 stars from me thanks for writing.

...as they were both "talking" about that woman still. I thought the story was undeveloped and only poignant wrapped up in the war heroism., which is always stupid since it is always done for an unjust cause, the passion play of the world's elite fought out by dupes and patsies from the working class.

I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING!

You took some time with that one.

SAM!!!

Excellent story. It was well written, with a minimum of errors. The plot was entertaining, and the characters were richly drawn.

Of course, the fact that my beloved Corps was central to the plot helped me like it a lot as well.

Five stars. Semper Fi

this story had a tragic ending. Ben never found happiness.

One of my very favorite songs (though it wasn't BY Paisley, it was written by others. then recorded by him along with angel voiced Allison Krause.). What other musical form in this day could have something SO tragic as two people so in love even after betrayal drink themselves to death, put in the form of a beautiful melody and it's A LULLABYE?

BTW: To 'pistol pakin PUTZ' (look the word up); the reason for all the regular guys fighting the wars is usually due to people like you, (obviously 'above' the rest of us), knowing that the Hitler's, Musolini's, Stalin's, & their ilk go their merry way 'cause they ain't that bad! I'm ashamed to say, I never served, (being an 'enlightened' smart-ass' child of the 60's) but as the old time Democratic Senator (Benson?) who gave a moving speech at the 2004 REPUBLICAN convention backing Prez Bush, said, "It was NOT the college professors, the teachers, or writers who gave us our Freedon Of Speech; it was the soldiers!". Unfortunately, many had to die to allow you to write your filth commentary; & YOU, not even thankful for it! News item for you... There IS evil in the world....and though we're NOT perfect, it's usually left to US to fight it!

While the US declared War in 1917, very few US troops saw action in 1917. The Marines and the overwhelming majority of Army troops didn't go into action until 1918. Belleau Wood was 1918 NOT 1917. The author was a bit lazy on historical research. I was so put off by this I didn't bother reading the rest of the story.

I liked your story to the song. Loved it was from the male perspective. but you only showed the physical signs, you didn't give voice to the emotions that must have been so thick in the air as to be almost visible.

This song has been a favorite of mine since first hearing it.

As a female the song bought to mind for me.......

While she was unable to deal with the demons that haunted him from the war. Ben was 'broken' by his wife's ultimate betrayal, infidelity.

For Ben it was a vicious circle, round and round with only Whiskey to dull the pain.

For her, there was no chance to explain that she couldn't deal with HIS demon's. So she tried to find forgetfulness somewhere else, in someone else. But only ended up hurting Ben and hurting herself more

you got it right 5x51

A powerful story about love and the inability the leave someone behind. Nicely written, but the narration with Sarah sitting naked in her bed while he read her the commendations was not really needed. Her unfaithfulness to her husband was not made better or worse by him being a hero, but it did add drama to the scene I will admit.

Great story.

Well written, showing the depths of love and not really hate just total loss.

Thanks for writting and submitting.

When he embedded me in the fucking wall. She didn't tell me she was married to a Marine..or I wouldn't have fucked her. Shit, I was an Air Corp pilot on leave and missed three months of duty--and a promotion. She was a good piece of ass, but not that good!!

Semper Fi.

tom anon

Not only does he belittle a decent story with real characters, he doesn't realize that the Air Corps was not established until WW2 (because the Airplane was still VERY young at the time of this story) Sir, your ignorance is exceeded only by. . . Nevermind.

versus a lust addict, TK U MLJ LV NV

You might want to check your facts. It was renamed to US Army Air Corp in July 1926 (15 years before WW2). (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Air_Corps)

this story should be put in front of any straying spouse. i have had two cheating spouses. the first was a plain whore and used a lot of men as a means to an end. it was all about money and useing sex as a weapon. i loved her and she got loving sex from me. i found out and dumped her. my second wife started fucking my friend after the settlement from an accident did not go her way. as with the first she had all my love. it was about money also. but a service wife that cheats is the lowest form of life on this planet. great story.

Here are a few observances from my own experiences during the Viet-Nam war. Take them for what they are worth. While stationed in Camp Pendleton and waiting to ship out in 1966 I observed that a great many women hung out around Oceanside, Ca just to hook up with Marines. Many of these young Marines dated these women and than married them before shipping out. We all received 30 days leave before having to go over. That leave often ended in a marriage with your girlfriend after 30 days of sex or love, whichever. This guaranteed her a quarters and food allowance while you were gone. I observed that when 300 men were shipped out, a list of some of the lonely wives was posted on bulletin boards with addresses and phone numbers. I did not know who posted them but understood why. They still lived in apartments all around Pendleton, and they still had a lot of young Marines available to them. While a company Sergeant and squad leader in Vietnam I consoled many a young Marine who had received a Dear John from some of these newly wed women they had left behind. Not all, but many of these young women left behind for a year or more found other men to console them in their loneliness or their night life.

I also observed that many of these young Marines got a little sexual consoling of their own around the villages that surrounded our camp in Chulai and Danang. $10 and a lets go Dedeboomboom was a popular phrase for some. I went on Rest and Recuperation breaks twice during my 18 month tour, to Bangkok, Thailand and Penang, Malaysia. There...I observed thousands of Americans dating and buying young prostitutes whilst they were either R&R or stationed there. While traveling back and forth through Okinawa I observed pretty much the same thing. I knew many lifers that had wives and girlfriends both overseas and back in the world too. Some had children on both sides of the world. Most Marines went back home and kept their sexual life overseas a secret. I assume many wives kept their sexual activities secret as well, and both spouses stayed married and carried on.

I think we read these stories to enjoy reading about what can happen when a cheating wife is caught. There are several kinds of endings for these stories and I enjoy most of them. That there is cheating going on everywhere in the world is not world-shaking news. It is what the individual that was cheated on thinks or does about the betrayal that makes the story. I mean, does he move on, does he get revenge, or does he do something stupid like the Marine in this story and turn to drink? Maybe he forgives and keeps his woman even though she betrayed him? That is up to him and her. These stories just give us reasons to belabor and discuss that neither sex is completely monogamous...

I was contacted by Literotica once after a comment similar to this, and I was told that the cheating percentage for men was around 63% and women 51%, or something like that. I still maintain that a survey is only as good as what the people surveyed will admit to. I think it is probably higher than that for both sexes. We all get more righteous as we get older and convenietly forget how we were when we were younger and going through the stages of our life... Nuff said, just ignore my attempt to present my own meandering thoughts. I am just an old Marine/cop.

Remember what FDR's wife Eleanor once said: "These extremely young Marines fighting and dying for us are almost all just oversexed, hired killers. They will not do well in life after going to war because they will see and do to much. It took me many years to adjust to civilian life. To not want to just kill people that I thought thoughtless and worthless.

I have seen that there is little comaraderie and empathy for other people here in America, maybe the world. Not unless there is a big event that brings us together like 9/11. It probably didn't help that I went right into law enforcement and saw even more of what men and women can do to each other in their non-reasoning selfishness.

However, this was a good story; It followed a Marine, a cheating wife, and a song by Brad Paisley and Allison Krause. It was a Sad story and a sad song. Still, it was just a story and a made up song.

OldMarineVet

I would say he is better off. But in lfe it hurts , realy hurts and if he can't deal with it, then it provides the pain he can't handle. Or doesn't want to handle!! My 2 cents Bud.

during the nam we would comment that the chances were you would find your wife just as you left her, freshly fucked. for some it was true but for most, they waited and their husbands did not fuck the nam whores or anyone else while they were away. 5

I will need to read again... This is TOO close to home for me...

Since I read them in alphabetical order this is your last story for me - at this point -

Write more - please heh

their are only two types of women those that cheat and those that dont, and every good man seems to marry the ones that do...sad, but no surprise, so many military men fall into this type of marriage,should make the sluts fight for freedom.

Good story but too short and ends too abruptly.

Too big tragedy in this story...tragedy almost always leads to death...

Tragic but entertaining.

First I liked your story. Second I collect medals, have done so for over thirty years. The Silver Star was not approved by the secretary of war until July of 1932. During WW1 only the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross were presented for combat bravery.

The song is one of my favorite country-western songs followed by 'wild irish rose'.

ya the below comment may be true about the medal & needing an editor, but so does the fact that the effort put in by the author of this story holds even when people start nit picking, am not saying that you should not point out flaws, all am saying is, there is a path you take & a path you dont take.

if you feel strongly that the story does not meet you level acceptance, then you could offer to edit yourself & mail it to the author, also factual discrepancies could be mentioned in a more humble approach, rather than boasting of ones skill & qualification, a fact need only to be checked once with the source to prove its validity but never once is a persons qualification or career or skill ever held sway with the validity of a fact, yes am specifically pinpointing you out <i>adevilru12<i>.

Jimbob102

@ "old Marine vet"...You're right of course...and rational now. Must say I'm not happy about you going into law enforcement..but I did that too. Anyway...good story. Sad but true. We do stick together and in a sense never get out. I guess when you're old and alone,as I am, that is a comfort. In any case, I enjoyed the story and it stirred many memories. Not sure if I should thank you for that but...whatever....0311..19xxxxx

wow.

I've often thought if I were going to join the service I would put off marrying or even exclusive dating till I could get out. Just wouldn't want to chance something like this. Couldn't deal with it.

stars of course.

One of the most powerful one pagers I've had the pleasure of reading.

If Ben was a Sgt. and he was a Lieutenant leading and commanding their squad, he was an officer. Why would he go to Officer Training OTC to become an officer when he reinlisted?

The battlefield commission would be as a reserve officer, and he would be disadvantaged as to other officers, not so commissioned and formally trained, when it came to promotion. Also after wartime, and the wind down of forces, there is a glut of officers, and many are forced out of the service or are forced to accept demotions, sometimes to the enlisted ranks. This happened quite often after both WW I and WW II.

This was a tight, moving short story, especially for those who have served. You wrote a story about PTSD that wasn't necessarily caused by the combat he has seen. Fighting, and surviving to get home to Sarah, what he found traumatized him as much as combat ever did. In the end it killed him. The story was amazing, but what really amazes me is that some anonymous fool wants to quibble with the author over details like direct commissions and OTC. Seriously? Is that all you got from the story?

Yeah she screwed up big time......but she spent the rest of her life WILLINGLY paying for it.

She paid for her crime.....maybe he can forgive her now in heaven

5

Just a man, having seen the worst of war, & broken by betrayal of a woman. It was simple story but felt & sounded like so many of the real life stories of men returned from overseas service.

That was a cut above the other stories here. I understood those characters. Very fine effort.

This was a very strong and moving story. 5 stars. I felt this story deeply. Thankyou.

It happens in every war. Sometimes it’s wife sometimes it’s the husband. Apart for years is hard on couples but it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. Sex well, sometimes sex is just sex. People need to forgive. Before you take me to task remember the brothels in Saigon guys. Same in WW 1 and 2.

If you know the song and then read this story, you'll rate it 5 stars but may never want to read it again.

There's heartbreak in almost every line. It's been in my Favorites for three years where it belongs but I've only read it through completely once. Can't get through a second time.

This guy could write!!

More duty stations no dependents but Navy at sea?

Not a good career choice if want stable relationship

Of course other way also stationed with lifers who had 2 families one in Asian countries and one in USA

That story hit home. I never had that happen to me, but like anyone who ever served I knew men who have been there. Damn those women and men ,who cheat, tohell.

“...forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,”

Very hard, sometimes, but ignore it at your peril

Chilley

Again. This one hits too close to.home. Not my favorite, but probably your best.

Wrong. Try, "I have no character. I have no honor. I have no depth. I could not sacrifice while you risked your life every day." Don't we all know someone like this?

Powerful story very well told. A good man dies because he loves someone who is unworthy of him.

This story is the reply to those who take their relationships so lightly. Those who disregard their own requirement to act with honour and integrity to respond to the base, classless act of being led along by the ache in their groin and their shallowness of character.

I have heard what is said... the world is different now. Nobody takes it seriously, everybody does it.

Well... I admit... It seems that a greater percentage do feel that way. But the fault still lays with them, if they harm the one person they promised to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with against the world. It doesn't matter one bit, that society has chosen to soften and sanitise moral failure.

When they marry, they go into their promises wide-eyed. They utter their half of the pact, all of it intended to provide security, refuge and friendship you can rely on, in return for the same.

We've lost all of this to the 'modern' age, but it's always really been the same old story.

There still are men and women out there with a sense of nobility and justice, but it seems they are increasingly swimming against the tide.

The answer is simple.

If you can't commit to honouring your own word... if you can't decide to make the right choice in your own actions before you find yourself in the situation where you have to decide what path to take... just don't get married.

And when that happens... when people start to be just a tiny bit more honest with themselves, and face their own character flaws... watch society crumble and decline around us, when everybody is just out for their own gratification and are not looking to build a better world in which to raise, protect and nurture the next generation.

The story may be fiction. 5 star fiction, but still fiction. ..

...the essence of it is every bit, 100% real.

Am not ashamed to admit .. i tear up when i hear the song

Great story, every time I read it.

Wow, just everybody hating on the wife, huh? I feel sorry for her. It isn't really fair to expect someone put their life on hold for years while being separated. Normal long distance relationships are hard enough, but military ones are more stressful and often of longer separation. I've seen several military marriages both succeed and fail. Some of those that failed were indeed because of infidelity on the stay-at home spouses part, but i've got to tell ya, an overwhelming majority of them were because of infidelity by the serving spouse. Here's another hint, quite a few of the surviving marriages also had infidelity, most often on both sides.

But i got side-tracked.

Overall, i think it's just a shit situation that doesn't have any real answers that we want to actually acknowledge or implement.

Cheating on deployed military personnel should be a criminal offense. That is is the answer anonymous thing below. The people involved should get a minimum 12 year sentence and + 2 for every man women she/he cheated with. And they should get nothing in the divorce. If the cheating resulted in a death, the sentence changes to death penalty. The cucks and wimps on this site will likely start whining. And no I'm not an American. I am however a sailor from a NATO country.

Agree with Mikoda

Such a powerful and well-written story. 5*****

I served for 10 years, in that time I saw way to much this happen. The men were strong soldiers, to see the shells of men they became was heartbreaking. A lot of them redeployed and went back to the battlefield never to see home again. I think they wanted it that way. Damn the women who do this straight to hell.

I must have read this before because it seemed familiar to me.

Sad ad moving!

5

The long suffering story. She doesn't want forgiveness, it's absolution she seeks.

Ben's fate is not a myth. Countless numbers of military men, and bow women as well, find their lives shredded.

I was an F-4 pilot in '71. My roommate found out his fiancé was fucking some guy.

I was with him when read the note. I watched the light of life die in his eyes right before me. A few hours later he seemed to buck up. The next day we flew to cover over the North. He just wasn't paying attention, his focus was elsewhere. That distraction cost him the 5 seconds needed to avoid the SAM that killed him AND his RIO. As far as I'm concerned it wasn't the N.Vietnamese that killed him. It was the whore fiancé. I got hit a month later, spent several months recovering, and during that time I carefully planned how I was going to kill her. Thank God another patient, who was a LRPS, helped me see that plan as a bad move for me. Karma got her in the end. She got into drugs. Also, I never got over my guilt of not taking his news to the Squadron C.O. Had I done that my friend, and his RIO, would likely have come home.

All this horror from one whore who had the morals of a piece of road kill.