Prologue
Caputo makes it a point that this book is a story about war. This is simply a story of how war can change a man (what it does to a men and what a man does during war). He states that this book is a soldier's account of the longest and least successful (on America's part) war that the U.S.A has embarked upon.
Caputo landed in Indochina in March of 1965 with the first of the combat unit to be sent to the area by the U.S.A. He was a young infantry officer with a battalion of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. He also returned to Vietnam as a newspaper reporter covering the communist offensive that ended with the fall of Saigon, and he was one of the last people to exit only a few hours prior to the North Vietnamese Army entered the capital.
This book is one big excuse as to why the Vietnam vets committed the atrocities that they committed in Vietnam. He mentions that U.S soldiers are often criticized, but critics fail to acknowledge the violent acts that the Vietcong committed against their own people (America commits atrocious acts as well, sneaky sterilization of minorities and mentally retarded-eugenics...even recently in North Carolina) and the French and Korean soldiers who were brutal. I think he's right in a way, but wrong in the sense that it's only Americans who seem to criticize in this way. My husband is Belgian and my French professor from France both explained to me the role that French and Vietcong played in brutality of civilians.
He also mentions the strategy of attrition General Westmoreland enforced and the effect that it had on their mentality and actions.
This book is not a protest or an attack on any political figures, but it's a true and personal account.
Places: chapter 1
Danang- a town/city
Chapter 1
When Caputo's 3 year enlistment ended in 1967, he was more experienced in killing than living. Caputo joined the marines in 1960 as a result of boredom with his safe, suburban life in Westchester, Illinois. He had only known comfort and security, and therefore he craved danger and the need for a sense of heroism. (my side note is that he probably watched too much t.v. haha!). He was recruited at his college by the Platoon Leaders' Class, the ROTC for Marines.
He attended Officer Candidates School (OCS) where he began his combat and war training. His rigorous training schedule at Camp Upshur was filled with abuse and humiliation. He explains the strategy behind the breaking of each man's mental state and self-worth, which they could rebuild if they could display endurance of this abuse. Finally, they would be able to prove that they were equal to the Corp's specific set of standards.
The soldiers were made to chant codes that marines were expected to follow: A marine never leaves their casualties on the battle field, never retreat and never surrender as long as they have the means to resist (which they have the means until they die).
He attended Basic School in 1964 in order to attend a lieutenant's apprenticeship.
Guerilla Fighting: beat the opponent into submission. "a rough seat of the pants form of warfare"
His time at Basic School was pleasant in comparison to OCS school. He recalls the hills that they were made to trample in the heat through thirty miles of dust kicked up by their boots trudging along. Many people weren't capable of completing this portion of the education due to lack of endurance. However, Caputo was capable of completing his time at Basic School, resulting in his leadership in Vietnam.
He expresses his love of the ceremony and the ritualistic behaviors that honored the past companies. However, he was disappointed at the cotillion style ceremony that he experienced at Basic School when he expected a Beowulf style festivity with beer swilling camaraderie of warriors in the mead hall. Instead, the party was full of shiny brass, officials dressed to the hilt in British styled uniforms with capes, tunics, white gloves, gowned women and Broadway musical scores.
It was chilling to read at the end of chapter 1 how Caputo viewed that scene in hindsight, noting that everyone is enjoying the festivities without foreboding of the hell that awaits them in Vietnam: dismemberment and decapitation, torture, widowhood, sudden death, fear, and the pain of long separation. This scene to Caputo is a period piece of "an innocent time before Vietnam".
Caputo makes it a point that this book is a story about war. This is simply a story of how war can change a man (what it does to a men and what a man does during war). He states that this book is a soldier's account of the longest and least successful (on America's part) war that the U.S.A has embarked upon.
Caputo landed in Indochina in March of 1965 with the first of the combat unit to be sent to the area by the U.S.A. He was a young infantry officer with a battalion of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. He also returned to Vietnam as a newspaper reporter covering the communist offensive that ended with the fall of Saigon, and he was one of the last people to exit only a few hours prior to the North Vietnamese Army entered the capital.
This book is one big excuse as to why the Vietnam vets committed the atrocities that they committed in Vietnam. He mentions that U.S soldiers are often criticized, but critics fail to acknowledge the violent acts that the Vietcong committed against their own people (America commits atrocious acts as well, sneaky sterilization of minorities and mentally retarded-eugenics...even recently in North Carolina) and the French and Korean soldiers who were brutal. I think he's right in a way, but wrong in the sense that it's only Americans who seem to criticize in this way. My husband is Belgian and my French professor from France both explained to me the role that French and Vietcong played in brutality of civilians.
He also mentions the strategy of attrition General Westmoreland enforced and the effect that it had on their mentality and actions.
This book is not a protest or an attack on any political figures, but it's a true and personal account.
Places: chapter 1
Danang- a town/city
Chapter 1
When Caputo's 3 year enlistment ended in 1967, he was more experienced in killing than living. Caputo joined the marines in 1960 as a result of boredom with his safe, suburban life in Westchester, Illinois. He had only known comfort and security, and therefore he craved danger and the need for a sense of heroism. (my side note is that he probably watched too much t.v. haha!). He was recruited at his college by the Platoon Leaders' Class, the ROTC for Marines.
He attended Officer Candidates School (OCS) where he began his combat and war training. His rigorous training schedule at Camp Upshur was filled with abuse and humiliation. He explains the strategy behind the breaking of each man's mental state and self-worth, which they could rebuild if they could display endurance of this abuse. Finally, they would be able to prove that they were equal to the Corp's specific set of standards.
The soldiers were made to chant codes that marines were expected to follow: A marine never leaves their casualties on the battle field, never retreat and never surrender as long as they have the means to resist (which they have the means until they die).
He attended Basic School in 1964 in order to attend a lieutenant's apprenticeship.
Guerilla Fighting: beat the opponent into submission. "a rough seat of the pants form of warfare"
His time at Basic School was pleasant in comparison to OCS school. He recalls the hills that they were made to trample in the heat through thirty miles of dust kicked up by their boots trudging along. Many people weren't capable of completing this portion of the education due to lack of endurance. However, Caputo was capable of completing his time at Basic School, resulting in his leadership in Vietnam.
He expresses his love of the ceremony and the ritualistic behaviors that honored the past companies. However, he was disappointed at the cotillion style ceremony that he experienced at Basic School when he expected a Beowulf style festivity with beer swilling camaraderie of warriors in the mead hall. Instead, the party was full of shiny brass, officials dressed to the hilt in British styled uniforms with capes, tunics, white gloves, gowned women and Broadway musical scores.
It was chilling to read at the end of chapter 1 how Caputo viewed that scene in hindsight, noting that everyone is enjoying the festivities without foreboding of the hell that awaits them in Vietnam: dismemberment and decapitation, torture, widowhood, sudden death, fear, and the pain of long separation. This scene to Caputo is a period piece of "an innocent time before Vietnam".
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