“Sign here, and the next chapter begins.”
Uncertainty is expected and understood,
as she enters the ranks of the brotherhood.
An opportunity for adventure and new friends,
the torment of home and poverty will soon end.
An officer now, safety is assured.
but a cruel world remains endured
Request mast, someone will listen.
Of that night, she speaks with poise
Mentors that once said “You can trust us”
blowing off steam, from months deployed,
with slurred lines, offered her coin.
The investigator speaks, she hopes for justice…
All that is said, boys will be boys.
The Tailhook Scandal of 1991 is of the most famous examples of sexual assault in the military, as it was made public and widely reported. Linked is an article from The San Diego Union-Tribune from the time describing the events of the symposium and the gauntlet of assaults the women there were subjected to. Sadly, even under national scrutiny and investigation, none of the attackers were brought to justice. While the importance of this incident is not to be disregarded, there's a bigger picture to see; this was not an isolated incident. This sonnet is a tribute to the other stories, the ones that get hushed and swept under the rug allowing the perpetrators to get away with what they've done... with what they've always done as women have entered male-dominated workplaces.