Sonny and Talia

Cars, women, sex, violence, and erectile dysfunction

Like every American teenage boy, Andrew wanted his own car. In the years before Andrew was even old enough to get a driver’s permit his father would take him out to the driveway in front of the family suburban home to teach him about cars. The classroom was his father’s 1957 Chevy which his father bought in 1957 — the same year Andrew was born — and which he had maintained in pristine condition for 14 years.

Andrew’s father was a military veteran of World War Two. He also spent a year in Korea. He retired from military service after almost 30 years. In 1968 he was given a choice of either retiring or going to Vietnam. He chose retirement because he was an extreme pacifist. (Being an extreme pacifist was one of the few things Andrew had in common with his father.)

When asked about his time spent in the military during World War Two, Andrew’s father would first and foremost proclaim that during his entire time during the war he never, ever killed anyone or even struck or hurt anyone. It was what he was most proud of.

But how is this even possible one might ask? It is because Andrew’s father worked in the motor pool. He was never anywhere near the front lines. His entire military career was spent working on and fixing jeeps, trucks and tanks. And to this…