Outskirts Press, INC.

Innocent Romance, exciting adventure, and true family values

This story is centered around two friends, Joshua Kincaid, and Harold “Hog” Baker, who are sons of Kansas wheat farmers. Their family farms are within a couple miles from each other’s, and both are third generation deep with tradition. It is circa the mid 60’s, when the United States was on the verge of anarchy from social unrest; with a new generation whose mantra was, “Don’t trust anyone over thirty!” Many were involved with anti-government rallies, which coincided with the anti-war movement. They were opposed to the Vietnam War which spawned “The hippy”. This sub-culture’s phrase was, “Make Love Not War!”, and they followed Dr. Timothy Leary’s beliefs, their generation needed to “Turn On, Tune In and Drop Out!” All this, combined with the Equal Rights movement spear headed by the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., had the entire nation at a crossroads. The two friends, Josh and Hog, were somewhat out of the loop with most of the nation’s unrest, mainly because of their social distance; their families farms were located on the outskirts or the small city of Great Bend, Kansas, named for its location at the historic big bend of the Arkansas River. Their days were filled with the everyday routine of farm life, and buffered from anything outside their small city, farm lives. This story takes these two young men, along with their friends, from the innocence of their teens years, to when they are thrust into Vietnam battle fields, and finally to their adulthood.

The gentle breeze whisped over the tall weeds, making a high pitched hiss, as the moon slowly tucked behind a cloud bank, making it nearly impossible to discern objects that lay ahead. Both Josh and Harold inched their way forward crawling face down so not to be seen by the ever vigil eyes of those lying in wait for them.