The Bullet: The Intriguing Story of a Bullet and Its Travel Through Time

By Gary Matheny

A bullet is fired from a gun and follows the shortest path between two pointsin most cases. But in this intriguing story by Gary Matheny, the bullet at the heart of the novel travels a circuitous path. Through decades of war, around the world and as it touches the lives of families to its exciting climax. The trajectory of a bullet, then, may never be as straight forward as it seems as the reader learns in this exciting tale of one bullets journey to its fitting end. Matheny keeps the readers interest as he takes the bullet on a path that only a good storyteller can imagineand make believable. The reader must get to the very end of the book to grasp the importance of one single bullet in the life of those who have survived its history.

Captivating read with different adventures the bullet experienced. I felt compelled to read the next adventure to find out where it would take the bullet and who would next receive it. Captain Plyde P. Marsh II, GAARNG, GAANG, USAFR Retired A compelling and original read that will resonate with many. Kathleen Long, USA TODAY Bestselling Author Each page makes you want to continue following the journey. I hope you are planning The Bullet II. Chief Mike Burns, Macon Police Department (retired)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jul 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504335072

Gary Matheny

After a long and successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, Gary retired and began writing. In 2010 he published his first book If the Shoe Fits, Wear it: The life and Times of a Shoe Salesman. His blog, “Life Happens” has gained popularity on the social media scene, attracting audiences worldwide. His love for the mountains inspired he and his wife to move to the east Tennessee area recently where he spends his time writing and playing an occasional game of golf. Gary grew up in Macon, Georgia. He and his wife have two children and six grandchildren. He is an author, speaker, and a consultant through his company onTRAC Motivations. Visit www.ontracmotivations.com

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Copyright © 2015 Gary Matheny.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters (except Tommy Deane, childhood friend), events and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is accidental.

Any reference to the history of WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Florida was researched through the public domain sites of the internet using Wikipedia.

Any references to firearms or ammunition were researched through the public domain sites of the internet using Wikipedia.

Any reference to technical, atmospheric, geographical, or historical data was researched using public domain sites on the internet.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-3506-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-3508-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-3507-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015910094

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/21/2015

Contents

Acknowledgements

Forward

Pvt. Henry Appleton

Lt. Willard Green

Specialist Horace Ho Campbell

Patricia Campbell and Sgt. Luis Sabato

Epilogue

This book is dedicated to anyone who has carried a weapon for protection, whether serving in the military or as a first responder protecting people from terrorist foreign and domestic.

If it wasn’t for the bullet nobody would fear the gun

Lightning does the work

Chad Brock

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following people for their input, encouragement, or help in the editing process to make this book a reality:

My wife, Brenda

Plyde Marsh

Nancy Moore

Big Al Bailey

Monica Desayo

Frank Mathews

Kathleen Long

Scarlett Sullivan

Joni Woolf

Tim Parker

Forward

On a Sunday afternoon in 2001 as I was watching a movie about a man who ran guns from Europe to America while getting very rich. As the opening credits before the story began, a bullet traveling over the open seas appeared rapidly crossing the water. As the first scene unfolded a door to a cargo trailer aboard a large ocean freighter opened displaying thousands upon thousands of pieces of ammunition being illegally brought into the United States. As a mind will, my thoughts began to speculate about the life of a bullet. I wondered how intense it would be to trace a piece of ammunition beginning with its conception to finality. This story traces just that, a .45 caliber bullet issued at the beginning of World War II and its journey through time. You will witness how a piece of metal and lead can change the lives of those it comes in contact with. This .45 caliber bullet saw hurt, misery, happiness, and destruction as it made it through its forty-five year span of life. You will meet the people it touched and the way it affected their lives in both a positive and negative way. It’s an object of destruction, The Bullet.

THE BULLET

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PVT. HENRY APPLETON

It was a warm day in southern Mississippi in June of 1941. The breeze from the Gulf of Mexico was singing ever so softly its song of summer as it made its way across the flat land. The sea gulls were playing their games of diving for food, usually coming up with their dinner hanging firmly from their long beaks. On this particular day the tourists were lining the beaches in hopes of getting the sunshine needed to tan their lily white bodies from the long months of winter hibernation. Summer time in Mississippi along the Gulf Coast was special; people came from all over the country to bask in the warm sunshine and vacation with their families. Children combed the beaches, chasing the water as it receded back into the ocean floor laughing as it fondly chased them back to shore. Yes, summertime: America was once again beginning to experience a sense of renewal. The past few years had taken a toll on the lifestyles of Americans, and now people were returning to a semblance of peace and tranquility. Over the great ocean in Europe, turmoil was brewing as Germany and other European countries were rattling the sabers of war, but that was a long way from here, from this moment. For now, people were concentrating on the peacefulness of the ocean, the wonderful seafood, and the Southern hospitality. It is said the oysters in this part of the Gulf are the best in the country, and people travel from all over just to sample the small crustacean. Apalachicola-bred oysters, raw, steamed or baked, were a delicacy, but so was all the seafood on the gulf coast. The fried shrimp, grouper, flounder and tilapia were specialties, and if seafood was your weakness, then the Mississippi Gulf coast was right up your alley. Life was good, and the crowd assembled on the beaches proved it

Harrisonville, Mississippi was a quiet little gulf town with a population of 9,000 or so people, give or take a few drifters that wandered through. The stretch of beach along Highway 15 was where the tourists normally hung out. There were several eating joints that made up the bulk of attractions on that stretch of the highway. Skeeters’ Fish house was the most popular of all of the eating establishments in the area. It had a lot to do with the way they cooked their flounder. The body of the big fish was scored on both sides then fried to a golden brown. Scoring the fish allowed you to lift the meat with a fork without encountering the sharp bones the fish is famous for. When you added a side of their famous muscadine marmalade, you had a meal fit for a king and his court. A little farther up the road was County Line BBQ where they served the best pork ribs in a two-state area. BBQ and fish (especially mud-cat), that’s what the South will stake its reputation on, and when you throw in some fried hushpuppies, you’re good to go.

Hotels were not plentiful in the area, especially really nice ones. Most of the tourists rented seaside cottages so they could be close to the water. The Harrison West was the only decent motel on Highway 15. It belonged to Mr. John Harrison who owned the big Harrison Hotel downtown and a few other cheap joints that rented their rooms several times a night. On farther out of town was Ray’s, the only night club in the county. Ray’s usually catered to a pretty rough crowd, and the local law ran squad cars to Ray’s on a regular basis. It was said that once a drifter stumbled into the club and left out on a hospital stretcher, word was he casually looked at one of Ray’s regulars and the guy shot him. People usually went to Ray’s only if they were looking for trouble.

Downtown Harrisonville was rather quaint with the normal hometown look and locally owned businesses. The Harrison House, the nicest hotel in town, stood at the corner of Main and Tupelo beside Mama Sue’s diner. Mama Sue’s was known for the finest Southern fried chicken east of the Mississippi River. She had a recipe that was said to be handed down through several generations, but rumor had it her secret was she soaked the bird in buttermilk overnight and sprinkled in some brown sugar to give it that distinct special Southern flavor. There was the fix-it shop, a dress shop, a men’s store, the barber and beauty shop, a grocery store and the local drugstore. Old Dr. Garrison was both the town doc and pharmacist. He had a soda fountain in the back of the store that served the best vanilla and cherry cokes anywhere around. The job to have if you were a kid was the soda jerk at the fountain in Garrison’s Drug Store. Yep, Harrisonville was like most rural towns in the 1940s: just good people trying to raise their families and make the most of the American way of life.

Henry Appleton was a new graduate of Jefferson Davis High School and he was looking forward to his summer. He had struggled to get out of high school, and he knew getting into a college wasn’t an option. The really good colleges were the Ivy League schools in the Northeast, and you really had to be smart and rich to get accepted. He decided he would get a summer job and not worry about his future till later. On the coast, a young man could find an array of jobs, part-time and full-time. Working in a restaurant bussing tables, doing a stint on a fishing or shrimp boat, or simply mowing lawns could bring in enough cash to fill a young man’s pocket. Henry woke up early and set out on this warm summer morning in quest of a job.

Henry was a handsome young man and somewhat athletic. He had run track in high school because, as he would say, running allowed him time to sort out his thoughts of how someday he could change the world. It seemed he was never able to come to a definitive consensus of exactly how to do this, but he kept thinking. He had a good posture and weighed in at approximately 185 lbs standing 5’11" tall. His hair was auburn with a wave that was a little long but not unkept. Thinking he was somewhat of a ladies’ man, his flirtatious ways allowed him to cultivate a great personality, and he was able to carry on an intelligent conversation with anyone. Yes, Henry was a young man of many talents and a legend in his own mind.

On this particular morning, Henry slipped out of bed making his way down stairs to the breakfast table. His Dad had stopped reading the morning paper and he had a grimacing look on his face. The news from Europe and the pending issues between the countries were beginning to show some effect on the United States. When President Roosevelt decided to send help in the way of money and arms to aid England and France, it thrust the country into the conflict by way of non-neutrality. Adolf Hitler was gaining strength. His popularity and powers were increasing. The world did not need another power hungry maniac in control.

Mr. Appleton acknowledged Henry’s presence and asked, "Well son, what’s on the agenda today? I understand Mr. Parker down at the pier could use some help unloading the boats as they come in."

Henry looked a little uninterested but said, I know Dad, Tommy Johnson said he’s paying $.25 an hour for a full day’s work, but then I would come home smelling like fish. Mr. Parker ran the oldest fish camp in the area and his fish were always the freshest and best priced commodity around. All of the tourists would stop in to buy his seafood while vacationing in the Gulf Shores area.

Why don’t you be the first in line today and grab one of those jobs, said Mr. Appleton.

I will, but can I have breakfast first?

Mr. Appleton was concerned about Henry’s becoming too idle; it is not good for a young man to have a lot of time to waste. He knew in this day and time trouble loomed on the horizon of the idle, but he knew Henry was a good boy and he never showed any sign of problems, but you couldn’t be too careful.

Henry finished his breakfast and made his way to the pier. As he turned onto Main Street he encountered two boys who had been classmates at school and they were huddled together talking.

As Henry approached he heard one of them say, I’ll go if they give me the chance, I’m ready to shoot me a German. It was Tommy Johnson, a small guy who liked to shoot off his mouth and brag a lot. That’s right, if I could get to Jackson, I’d sign up today.

Henry spoke up and asked, What are you guys talking about?

Bernard Tompkins, everybody called him Bernie, was the other guy and he said, Ah, Tommy’s wanting to go war, bet he’d run at the first sound of gunfire.

There ain’t no war, said Henry.

But Tommy chirped, There’s gonna be, and I’ll be one of the first ones there. I hear they are about to start drafting people, said Tommy.

Henry began to look a little concerned, Do you really think we could go to war in Europe?

This time Bernie spoke up and said, I sure hope not, I like the good ole US of A, and I’m not interested in shooting nothin but squirrels and possums.

At this Henry said, Well my Dad wants me to try to get Mr. Parker to give me job at his fish camp. Gotta go, don’t get your rifle polished up just yet, Tommy.

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Henry made his way to the fish camp and was able to secure a job with Mr. Parker, and just like Tommy had said, he was paying $.25 per hour, and he came home each day smelling of fish. Most of the guys working at the camp were teenagers like Henry with the exception of Gus. Gus was an older guy, maybe 45 years old, but looked a lot older. He walked with a slight limp, but he didn’t let that interfere with his work. He always looked as though he shaved about every third day, keeping a slight beard. It seems that Gus had an issue with the bottle, but he shows up every day and never let it affect his work. He was always on time, never came to work smelling of liquor and pulled his load. Gus looked hard and he gave everyone the impression that he didn’t want to get close to anyone; he was somewhat of a loner. He had no family, and Henry couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t around, but he never intruded on anyone, always keeping to himself. It was sort of eerie the way he acted, kind of like he had something to hide but never seemed dangerous. One day at lunch, Henry decided to slip away and find a quiet spot to eat, away from the others. What Tommy had said about the war coming closer to America was bothering him. He wanted to ponder the situation. Henry always liked the water and went to the Gulf anytime he found the chance; he found it soothing yet intriguing. As he made his way down the long walkway to the end of the pier, he noticed Gus sitting and just staring out into the water.

Mind if I sit with you? Henry asked.

The response from Gus was one that might be expected from a guy who didn’t really want to be bothered, Free country; sit where you want.

Henry sat down and began to open his lunch; he politely offered part of his sandwich to Gus, but he declined and continued to sit quietly. Several minutes went by, then Henry spoke, You know someday I’m gonna get a chance to head out across those waters and see the world. Gus didn’t respond he just kept staring into the ocean, so Henry tried a more direct approach. Gus have you ever been across the waters?

Gus looked at him and said, Yep several years ago.

Henry was shocked that he had responded, so he decided to push little more. Where did ya go?

Europe, France, he said, It was during the war.

Henry was somewhat taken back. Gus had never really carried on a conversation before, so he decided to push further. Tommy says the war is going to get to America, could that really happen? I’m not sure what to do and it’s beginning to bother me.

For the first time Gus showed signs of interest. Son, wars are not fun; it is pure hell. I lost some good friends over there, the blood and loss of body parts, I still have nightmares waking up in the night with sweats and chills.

Gus did, did you ever kill anyone, Henry asked.

I don’t like talking about it son, but yes, and I can still hear his cries. Horrible, but it was either him or me and I wanted to come back home.

Henry sat quietly listening and thinking about what he would do in a situation like that. Well I don’t know if I could kill anybody, Henry said with a trembling voice. Gus, do you ever get over such a thing, you know, killing someone? asked Henry.

Gus for the first time began showing some emotion and said with red eyes, Nope, you don’t. I sometime see his eyes when I close mine at night, horrible feeling.

Do you think we will go to war Gus, seeing as you have had experience in this type of thing?

Gus looked at Henry and said, If they don’t get that Hitler guy, the whole world may go to war, and then you may get your wish to see the world you keep talking about. With that Gus rose and walked the long walkway from the pier back to the fish house without saying another word.

Henry finished his lunch and sat thinking about the conversation with Gus, and now he was more convinced than ever that he might get out of Mississippi quicker than he thought.

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Henry arrived home that evening, and when he came through the door, his mother sensed something was weighing heavy on his mind. Mrs. Appleton had a way of seeing things when it came to her children. Once during his senior year in high school Henry had gone out with some of his classmates, and they decided to have a few beers. Drinking beer in the Appleton home was something you did not do and would result in severe punishment. As soon as Henry walked in the back door, his mother was standing about 30 feet away and asked him if he had been drinking. How she knew and could tell from that distance had always puzzled Henry, she seemed to have this special ability to see and know things.

Mr. Appleton was in the living room reading his evening paper and he looked up only to see Henry as he passed through the hallway. Mrs. Appleton said from the kitchen, Henry wash up and get that fish smell off of you before you come down for supper.

Sara, his little sister, was sitting in the corner reading a book and didn’t notice