Patricia Mohar
Published: 2019-12-26
Total Pages: 213
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This is the true story, a memoir of S. Fenyoaée McKinney, PFC, “Private Flower Child,” a young black man from Chicago who, in 1970, is discovering his individuality. It’s subtitle is “Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer.” It is a time when the Vietnam War and civil rights marches are a regular feature of the nightly news. In an era when many young men are faced with the reality of war but are unaware of its consequences, PFC has become a protagonist of the "Age of Aquarius", the peace movement, hippies, iconoclasm, Jimi Hendrix, and the new age of rock. He is a young man who wants to be part of the "revolution.” The story line parallels the lives of two brothers, PFC and his elder brother, PRINCETON, who are both in the military during the Vietnam War. As he challenges the system, his brother embraces the war. Intermittently throughout the story, bold images of PRINCETON in combat in Vietnam are juxtaposed with the nonconformist capers of the pacifist PFC. PFC is an adventurer seeking to be free, questioning social norms. He rejects conformity, especially the military but finds himself drafted at a time when the Vietnam War is escalating. In stark contrast, his older brother, PRINCETON has voluntarily joined the U.S. Marines. He wants to serve his country by fighting in Vietnam and become one of the “few good men.” The tale of “Private Flower Child” begins at the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus headquarters in Venice, FL where he is rehearsing for the upcoming tour season. He receives a call from his mother instructing him to return home to Chicago or the military will arrest him as a draft dodger. On April 15, 1970 he is involuntarily inducted into the U.S. Army. The story follows him from his idealistic survival as a pacifist through the rigorous disciplines of military life. His army buddies call him PFC, "Private Flower Child" which was a vicarial substitute for the Army rank, Private First Class. The story recounts PFC’s adventures with friends and enemies in the military world. Each anecdote chronicles a chapter in his army experience from boot camp to his honorable discharge. During basic training, he pan–handles at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and parties with friends at “Love In” gatherings at Grant Park. The antics continue when PFC paints his combat boots "red, white, and blue". His song, “I Got The Army Blues, Baby" and its defiant lyrics performed at his battalion’s talent show, add to his many military infractions resulting in an Article 15 reprimand. In addition, this autobiographical insight reveals PFC's escapades during his assignment in Germany where he becomes the personal stenographer for Brigadier General George Patton, IV who will determine his fate when he is convicted for the possession of .06 grams of hashish. He became a member of a blues-rock band, The Last Transaction, with two German civilians and an Army buddy. He continues with frequent AWOL "holidays" in Switzerland and Austria. He buys a 1961 Porsche, names it “Smack,” then paints the Superman “S” logo on the hood. At last, he returns home to Chicago and enrolls into college. After completing two tours of duty in Vietnam his brother also returns home. Days later his brother dies. Later he finds that after a car accident, his girlfriend’s mother, a recovering addict, gave him methadone to relieve the head pain incurred from the accident. The coroner attributes his death with the drug and alcohol he had taken earlier. Motivated by the loss of his brother, PFC establishes a career as The Fabulous FENO, “the world’s only talking mime.” He creates the “What Is Cool”, a program that encourages youths to say no to drugs and alcohol and yes to education and to a healthy, positive lifestyle. He appears on numerous TV shows and performs at schools all across the US. The result of his work is exemplified by the positive outcome on the many lives he has inspired to this day.
