Phillip Gaustad

The Ordnance Phillip Gaustad

A boy and girl struggle to escape the moral squalor of their surroundings. The challenge: could they find authentic goodness in themselves and each other. The Ordnance was the name of one of the first post-World War II housing projects established for returning veterans and their families. For some it was a lifestyle as short and transitory as a refugee camp. Others, however, were mired for years in apartments with paper-thin walls and communal baths. True privacy didn't exist. Young girls, spied on and lusted after by grown men, learned about sex long before they became teenagers. In this squalid environment, Jesse and Retta were drawn to each other the moment they met. The question was whether they would have enough moral, spiritual and sheer physical stamina to withstand such horrors as rape and pederasty. Would their sense of themselves remain intact, and would they find a way to be with each other?