The Lieutenant
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Gallery
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Early Life
World War I, Major William Thomas Harker was sent with a U.S Army platoon to Great Britain to help assist in the war threat crisis taking place there. The platoon was assigned for two months, reinforcing and providing extra support, during that time, William Harker's heart was stolen by one of the local women named Clara Ethington. She was beautiful, rich brown hair that she wore in a perfect bun, an hourglass figure and dazzling blue eyes. Their relationship was kept mostly a secret, and he visited her for the latter month of their stay in England. Eventually Harker was called to arms against an attack by the Japanese, cutting Clara and his relationship short. He promised her he'd come back after it was all over, and they would go live back in America, to be happy together and get married. Unfortunately Harker was killed in the war zone defending his fellow soldiers. A month prior to his death, Clara gave birth a son, Harker's son which he never got the chance to see or even know about. Clara named the boy Jack, after her lover's father, and gave him the middle name of William in remembrance of Major William Thomas Harker, a celebrated soldier of the U.S Army.
When young Jack became seven years of age, him and his mother were visited by a Sergeant Dax Clarkson, a former Private who was trained by William Harker and knew about him and Clara. The Sergeant brought items that belonged to William, including his uniform, service badges and a watch passed down from generation to generation. He stayed with young Jack and Clara for a week, discussing the war and what a great admirable soldier Harker had been, when Clarkson left, he asked Clara if she would consider moving to the states under Harker's name and he'd help her get a citizenship there. By the time Jack was twelve , that's exactly what happened, him and his mother moved to America.
Jack became highly influenced by the military as his mom became a nurse for the Army. They were often at military camps were Jack practically grew up listening to war stories and befriended many of the soldiers who called him 'little pommy', a nickname inherited after its repetitive use from an Australian who was part of the platoon. They taught him how to use firearms and the basic tactics of war. He was no doubt Harker's son, grasping the information given to him rather quickly and hardly complaining, not only that but he shared the bright blonde hair and charming smile of his father, but his eyes, his eyes were his mother's, a fine crystal blue with dark long eyelashes.
At the age of sixteen was when Jack began questioning his sexual appeal towards men, being around the strong soldiers in the camps and watching them train for hours each day, their tanned skin from being out in the sun and the sweat that rolled down their bare backs and chests. He knew homosexuality was highly frowned upon in the military, especially when he wanted to enlist in the army. It didn't help that that year his mother married a general named Philip Gunner, who was always discriminating homosexuals that had been in the military. Jack disliked Philip considerably, he was an ass...he didn't understand why his mother decided to marry him.
(The general and his mother unexpectedly had one child together three years after Jack enlisted, a daughter, who they named Elizabeth. She looked just like her mother, and became the light in Jack's life.)
When Jack turned seventeen he kept explaining his desire to enlist, but Clara could tell something was holding her son back, so one day she asked him and he explained his 'situation' to her, telling her he could understand if she was disappointed with him. Clara said she could never be disappointed with him, and that if he really wished to get into the military, he should go for it without being concerned of his sexuality, for only he needed to know about it. She said he would no doubt make a fine soldier, and he did. He enlisted that year, and thanks to what he learned at the military camps from the soldiers who befriended him, within two months Jack had excelled to a Private First Class, and within four years he was a Warrant Officer. Each year after that he was promoted until he reached age 29 and got his First Lieutenant title. Now thirty he has almost earned a Captain's rank in the U.S army, one below his father's title as a Major. Although now he is in command of his own platoon, it still doesn't stop the constant insult of him being a Brit in the military, especially one of which has achieved more than the average American soldier could within eleven years. Even the general has taken to calling him his new pet name of "Redcoat Jack". But other than that he is a well respected lieutenant.
