The carnage, senseless murders, and completely antiheroic nature of the battlefield leave him reeling, adding to his doubts about right and wrong and the morality of the war. Richie struggles with these difficult issues but never finds satisfactory answers. He is the friend to whom every soldier in the squad turns when in need of advice or a sympathetic ear.
Kenny is not as smart or as athletic as Richie, but he looks up to his older brother. Meanwhile, Richie worries about Kenny being at home with their alcoholic mother and the younger teen's habit of mouthing off when he is provoked.
An African American soldier who initiates a blood oath to signify solidarity between the African American soldiers in Alpha Company. Peewee and Perry refuse to participate, but later come up with a less painful version of Rings's oath: they spit on their palms and rub their hands together.
Jenkins is a member of the same squad as Perry and Peewee. A nervous and skittish young man, Jenkins has joined the army because his father, a colonel, wants his son to have a military career. Jenkins steps on a mine during his first patrol and Perry watches him die - the experience is profoundly devastating for all the soldiers. The Sergeant who oversees Perry's squad is close to the end of his tour of duty. He is very active in trying to preserve the privates' safety, but during every patrol he insists that he cannot die because of how little time he has left in Vietnam.
He constantly clashes with Captain Stewart about the older man's habit of volunteering Alpha Company on reckless assignments in order to increase the platoon's body count. After Lt. Carroll's death, Captain Stewart pressures Sergeant to extend his tour by 30 days. Simpson agrees but then changes his mind and returns to the U. The commander of Perry's platoon, Lt.
Carroll is 23 years old and has a pregnant wife back home in Kansas. He is well liked among the soldiers and cares about their well being. After Jenkins's death, Carroll describes the young deceased soldier as a "fallen angel warrior" because he was an innocent boy fighting a grown man's battle. Perry becomes especially close to Carroll and describes his demeanor as "gentle. Stewart is the leader of Alpha Company who is vying for a promotion to Major. He is obsessed with "body count" and often fudges the number of VC killed on a particular patrol to make himself seem more effective.
Later, Sergeant Singer accuses Stewart of putting the Alpha Company soldiers at risk by volunteering them for the most dangerous missions simply to increase his kill count. Stewart's immoral tactics work, however, and by the end of the novel he has successfully been promoted to Major. An Italian-American soldier who is a member of Perry's squad.
He was a baseball and football star in high school and often questions authority. Even in war. In chapter 3 Richie first arrives at the base in Vietnam but his commanding officer says that his medical file has not yet arrived. This foreshadows that Richie will not get the medical discharge that he wants because of his injured knee.
Jenkins stepping on the landmine shows that death can be sudden and without warning. This shows that war is cruel, senseless, and unromantic. He include this scene to show that during war there is chaos and nothing ever goes your way.
In chapter 17 Richie learns that Sergeant Simpson has been sent and they now have a racist sergeant by the name of Dongan. He puts the black soldiers in the most dangerous positions.
Knowing this Richie is worried what he will have to go through under his command. He included this scene to show that everyone who claims to be on your side has other ideas in mind which tarnish the armies reputation. Chapter 20 has the greatest tension. Although he had dreams of becoming a writer, his poverty has limited his options. Right after graduating from high school, Perry enlists in the army. Perry hopes that his knee injury will keep him safe.
Unfortunately, a delay in processing his medical profile causes a few complications for this young soldier. While other members in his troop go elsewhere, Perry is ordered to Vietnam. During his first weeks there, we see that he is worried about his brother Kenny. One of the reasons why Perry enlisted in the army was to help support his younger brother. He does not want his family to worry about him unnecessarily.
He does not want to shock his family or worry them. He finds it difficult to communicate directly to his mother. Perry is compassionate and very concerned about how people perceive the actions of the US military in Vietnam. Although Perry had hoped that the war would conform to some rational plan, the sudden death of Jenkins opens Perry's eyes to the senselessness of war.
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