I saw a face one day
Moving through the crowd
Briefly, across the room
We locked eyes
And we recognized
I quickly turned and lowered my head
Pushed out to the street
And away
What would he say or do
I did not want to know
When last we met in Nov 97
We almost came to blows
We worked together at HQ Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, VA
He lied to me about a rescue alert aircraft
On Friday when he wanted to get home early
I had to stay late that night, unscrewing his shit
Getting a Guard bird positioned for Presidential support
Wasn’t the first time this Lt Col left me hanging
So I later tracked him down at his Cub Scout jamboree
Told him he was a liar and an asshole
He told me I was an insubordinate Major
I said happy to discuss with our boss, the Colonel, if he would like
He never took me up on that
A couple of weeks later, I came to the office on a Sunday
To prepare for an out-of-town trip the next day
The Lt Col was there, in the make-shift weight room, working out
Shit, I thought, last thing I want right now is to mix with him
I slid unnoticed past the weight room and stepped into the men’s room
To my surprise there was a curling bar with weights sitting on the floor
I hustled up my piss so I could get out of there before the Lt Col popped in for a few curls……what a dweeb, does curls in the men’s room because it has mirrors
I rolled into the office area and fired up my computer
Needed to grab some papers and print out my itinerary
Before I could get in and out, the Lt Col rolls into the office
Swaggers over to my desk and asks what’s up
I tried to be polite, but let him know I was in a hurry
He starts telling me he’s in the best shape of his life
Says he’s come a long way from his youth as a skinny bean pole
He gives a little flex
I said that’s cool, but I need to concentrate on getting in and out of there
He slides around the desk and stands next to me, reading my computer screen and jabbering
I say I’d appreciate it if he would not bother me
He bumps my chair and says, “What’s the problem?”
I stand up from my chair and again ask him not to bother me
“What’s the matter,” he says and steps closer to me, beak-to-beak, a foot away
I take a step back and tell him to back off, get out of my personal space
“Your personal space, that’s funny,” he says
I say, “Nope, not funny, and you need to stay away from me. You may be in the best shape of your life, but I could still snap you like a twig.”
He stared at me for a tense couple of seconds, then laughed and turned away. “Some people just can’t take a joke,” he says as he walks out of the room
I finish up my work and roll out of there as soon as I can
The next day, I show up at the office about 1000, a quick pit stop enroute to the airport
Five minutes at my desk was all I needed
As I arose from my desk to leave, in comes the Lt Col
He’s in uniform now and walks right over to where I’m standing
“Major, how’s your personal space doing today?”
I say, “It’s all good, thanks.”
He steps to within two feet of me and says, “How about now”
I say, “That’s a little close,” and slide back a couple of feet
“Hey everybody, this guy has got his own personal space, and he doesn’t want anybody in his personal space”
How about now, he says and slides within a few inches of my face
“Too close,” I say and back pedal a few feet
He starts to step forward again, but I put up my hand up and say “Stay the fuck away from me. What’s wrong with you, man?”
A half dozen co-workers are now interested in the ruckus
I diffuse the situation by heading for the door, “Got a plane to catch. Got to go”
One week later I returned to the office and hear the Lt Col is now residing in the Portsmouth Navy Psychiatric Ward
Apparently, two days earlier, on Saturday, the Lt Col, in gym clothes, wandered into the headquarters building of Air Combat Command and demanded to speak to the 4-star Commander
When the Lt Col wouldn’t take no for an answer, the Exec Officer called security and had the Lt Col taken into custody
Investigation revealed this was only the latest in a pattern of weirdness
The Lt Col had been taking numerous bogus sick days, lying about trips to the clinic and following doctor’s orders
He would often tell his wife he was going to work, but never show up
Security cops said he routinely sat in his car, on base, in the middle of the night, saying he was on a stake out
The Lt Col was sent to Portsmouth for observation
I was transferred from Langley AFB, VA, to Hickam AFB, HI, the next month, in Dec 97
The Lt Col was still at Portsmouth
Over the course of the next year, guys from Langley informed me the Lt Col was psychologically/medically discharged from the Air Force
His wife divorced him
Fast-forward a year and a half, to spring of 1999
I’m on one-week temporary duty to Maxwell AFB, AL
On the last day there, I’m leaving the main academic auditorium, along with 500 other military personnel in uniform
In the lobby area, swimming against the tide of departing people, is a lone civilian figure
It was weird, a swarm of 500 Air Force officers in blues heading out of an auditorium to get outside, and one civilian dude trying to go the other way
It was the Lt Col, now a civilian
Briefly, across the room
We locked eyes
And we recognized
I quickly turned and lowered my head
Pushed out to the street
And away
Likely he just wanted to talk
Maybe apologize
Maybe rationalize
Maybe antagonize
Didn’t know, didn’t care
I was out
Haven’t seen him since
Hope to keep it that way
Waipahu Bob 