From the halls of Montezuma to the whores who give for free
A Nevada brothel is offering free sex to U.S. troops who fought in Afghanistan or Iraq

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By Jason Feifer

June 18, 2003  |  Those yellow ribbons, gestures tied to mailboxes, splotches of color along dull streets like the body of a bruised boxer -- this is not what Eric is looking for. He's risking his life out there, he says, and spending years on a military base in the heart of nowhere. This is all very real and dangerous, so symbolism, genuine or not, doesn't quite cut it for him. He needs something sacrificial, some concrete sign of appreciation from those he serves, from those he protects. A free beer would do, he says. So would free sex.

"I think the country needs to realize that these people are out here, they're working their asses off and they're risking their lives," says Eric, a Navy officer who recently returned from Iraq and asked that his real name not be used. He keeps track of who's naughty and who's nice, because he believes military discounts are a litmus test for troop support. The Holiday Inn and the fast-food restaurant near his base both serve him well, he says, but he's upset that his military I.D. means nothing in the surrounding bars and clubs.

When possible, Eric will gladly take a discount. So, when he heard that a legendary Nevada brothel was offering free sex to military personnel who had fought in Iraq or Afghanistan, he and a buddy hopped in a car and drove straight there. Eric had never visited a prostitute, an impressive display of restraint for a man who has been stationed overseas. There, far from the yellow ribbons and hand-held polyester flags, lies a world of cheap gratification, just begging to be tapped. Bolstered by "too much pride," Eric says he outright refuses to pay for sex, even if it's wildly cheap. But a freebie, he says, is totally different.

"Why not? It's free sex," he says. "Hey, free sex with a porn star. You can't pass that up. That's like every boy's dream."
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