Tom was his real name. Served with him in the Acores, Portugal in the early 1980s. Tom really was in the army, and he did serve in VietNam, and he did request a transfer to the USAF at the end of that war.

He never told me this story, however. It came from dreams I've had since I was a child, and watching the war unfold during the late 60s and early 70s on the little black and white television in our living room. My stepfather was there. Six times. A repeat volunteer.

The stories he told me were horrible. He never admitted the horror to himself even though he described it in vivid detail. Acted as if it were just normal. He was a very violent man. Nearly everything I know about violence, I learned from him.

The title is a wordplay on the Mi Lai massacre, allusion used to remind the reader just how horrible men can become when we decide to play war.

This comment may not make much sense to folks now that I've removed the prologue. I had meant it as a part of the story, and found it was being interpreted literally. Thanks for the questions and the interest in the background here. I'm going now to get in your ducky-row, so add another duck to your followers!