Book notes chapter 18 and 19

• There is a bit of humor in the beginning of chapter 18 when a soldier gets hit. Describe that scene (233).
  

• Johnson develops as a character much more in these 2 chapters. Be able to discuss the following events:

  On page 232, Peewee asks the question, "They got kids over here?" Johnson replies, "Naw,

  man, all they got is Congs." Explain Johnson's remark. Why did he call the kids Congs?

  The couple of paragraphs about Johnson on page 234. How does Richie perceive him?

• What have Stewart and the VC Colonel been arguing about (235)?

  Who's the winner?

  Why does that upset Stewart so much?

  What ends in the end anyway?

• What does Peewee decide to give to Richie if he should get killed in Vietnam (238)?
  

• Understand what the environment was like for the men in Vietnam (239).

  The mud on the hill and in the paddies made it hard to run

  Mines would be buried in them (Monaco raises his gun above his head)

• After they climbed this hill, with no adversion, what call were they given and why (242)?
  

• Discuss how effective the ARVN's tactics while going up the hill the second time (starting on 242, goes for several pages)

  First of all they were using an ONTOS (anti-tank weapon), which would not be helpful (242).

  They were bunched too tightly and moved too quickly (243)

  What happened as the company formed a perimeter around the village--the ARVN ran past them (248)

  the company watched the ARVN troops begin to drop and some were running back without their weapons

• Discuss the simple mistakes of war and why that doesn't conform to our notion of soldiers and war

  Richie throws the grenade in without the pin. Thankfully the VC in the hut throw it back, also without the pin pulled (249)

  2 ARVN men and a GI go into a hut and in an instant, another GI throws a grenade in the window (250)

• Know how Richie killed his 2nd Cong upclose (251).
  

• What was Dongan's fate (252)?
  
• What did the company do with the men that had died in the battle and why (253)?
  
• Despite the men's desperation to save a friend, what did they end up doing for one man who was suffering on the pile of dead bodies (255)? Do you think that was alright? Why or why not?
  
• Know why the Dog Tags were so important (256).
  
• Chapter 19 ends with Johnson and Stewart facing off. What happened? What does this say about Stewart? What does this say about Johnson? What does this say about the effects of war? (259)