Hello Larry: Hope you enjoy this short little story about Sgt. Lau, over the years I have often thought about it and it always brings a chuckle. I do believe that down deep, Sgt. Lau actually had a heart but I don't believe that he wanted every one to know it. I actually got to the point that I really did like the guy and have thought about him quite a bit over the years.-Alan Rossman  Some time during the summer of 1967 I was in down town Honolulu checking out different Bars and having a beer here and there. I don’t recall the names of any of the Bars but in one of them I ran into Sgt. Lau.

He was sitting with some other folks but he did notice me sitting at the bar after awhile and gave me a friendly smile and nod of the head. They were laughing and joking around and having a good time, and for the very first time since I had met Sgt. Lau in May of that year it dawned on me that this rough and tumble, gung–ho soldier actually had a human side to him.

Back at Schofield Barracks a few days later Sgt. Lau asked me if I frequented that particular Bar and I said no, that I just happened in there by chance. He seemed in a better than usual mood and started telling me that it was one of his favorite hang outs on week-ends and he mentioned a few other places he liked to stop in at on occasion.  

The next time I ran into Sgt. Lau down town was in a different bar and he was sitting by himself and invited me to join him for a beer so I took him up on his offer. As we talked over a few cold ones I began to realize that Sgt. Lau could actually be a pretty nice guy when he wanted to be. He actually asked me where I was from and about family and girlfriends and such. He even mentioned a girl friend of his a time or two and how difficult women could be at times.   After an hour or so I told Sgt. Lau that I needed to get going as I wanted to check out a few more places and then the “U.S. Army Gung–Ho Soldier Sgt. Lau” reminds me that what I do on my time is my business but come 5am. My young ass belonged to him and that I had better not show up for reveille with a hang over.

Any how every so often I would run into Sgt. Lau and have a beer with him and he started opening up more and more to me. He was a very private person but on occasion he would tell me a few things, and would ask me what I thought. Well I ran into him one after noon and he was all down in the dumps over two girlfriends, seems as though they had found out about each and that both had given him the ultimatum of dumping the other one. Sgt. Lau was having a difficult time with this, as he liked them both.

I said it all boils down to which one you like the most. He said he already knew which one that he cared for the most but he just didn’t want to give up the other girlfriend.

I asked him what so special about the other girlfriend that he was willing to lose both of them by not choosing one. Sgt. Lau took a quick look around and looks back at me and whispers “it’s the cute little voice she uses when she calls me Hum-Duck”.

I immediately broke out laughing and our rough and tumble, gung–ho soldier Sgt. Lau realized he shouldn’t have told me this bit of information. He immediately informed me that if I ever told another sole this bit of information that I would probably cease to exist. So I promised that I would keep his secret and until now I have kept that promise. That is, I never told any one that ever knew him.

On occasion when no one was with in hearing distance and it looked like he could stand some humor I would say “what’s the matter Hum-Duck” which usually got a smile out of him.   The day I left Liz for Bronco to start processing out, I looked Sgt. Lau up to say good by and all he said to me was to get my draft dodging ass out of his sight, but he at least smiled and shook my hand when he said it. I guess in his view if you weren’t a military career man then you must be a draft dodger. I never did find out if he chose one girl or whether he kept seeing both of them.

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