A Piece of My Heart
By Shirley LauroThe six women in A Piece of My Heart are seen over a twenty-year period, from the sixties to the eighties. Maryjo, a young singer, agrees to go to Vietnam to entertain the troops. She starts out 17, and is 37 by the end. This monologue is a drastically condensed version of her story. Maryjo is from Texas and has a Southern accent.
MARYJO
I was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in the Sugar Candies All Girl Band. We'd come to L.A. to get discovered and did country and rock and were were about seventeen years old and thought we were the livin' end! We hadn't gotten too far yet, but one day in '67, an agent told us he could book us - miniskirts and little white go-go boots - to go over and entertain half a million boys in Vietnam! Well, I was out of my mind! Half a million American boys groovin' on my music and lovin' me 'cause I'd be liftin' the worries of war right off their shoulders with my love for them?
I don't think that anymore. I learned. I mean, sex is a physical urgency for them - and I love them - But I have to protect myself - survival level! They're gentlemen - mostly - but after the gigs - if we stay overnight where they are - some - some crazy stuff's happened - stuff that never would've happened at home -
We got stranded - up the coast near Nha Trang - then the grunts - but they apologized - well, one apologized.
We got raped. They... they didn't come back on the truck for us. Gig was through... we just found the shack... no food, no water... VC all over the place and not even any money between us to bribe them with so they could help us get out of there - then uh - we're there two days - and - the door burst open - and these six grunts off the field come in - and we're happy - so happy to see them - we think we're safe.
They didn't give a damn, the brass. Headquarters. Saigon. We reported it there afterwards. We needed medical attention - we needed help! They smirked! These two colonels smirked! Laughing sideways at each other out of their mouths! It was worse than what happened with the grunts! Like it was our fault!
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