Caputo had one of the most unique perspectives on the war possible. He was a young Marine lieutenant when the Marines first came ashore in force in Vietnam in March of 1965. Ten years later he was one of the reporters that reported on the final fall of Saigon to Communist North Vietnamese forces. Caputo is one of the first Marines ashore in Vietnam and is part of the initial process of escalation that led to our massive commitment to that country. He first guards an airbase, and then makes limited patrols into the surrounding countryside to route out snipers. Eventually he is part of the first massive search and destroys operations of the war. Caputo's book chronicles the sixteen months of the war, or at least what he saw of it. From leading a platoon guarding the airport in Danag, to endless patrols in search of a phantom enemy. Eventually he is transferred to a staff position and as one of his duties posts every day the number of American's lost and VC killed on the regimental HQ's blackboard. To say this has a negative affect on his morale is to put it mildly. Caputo is then transferred back to an infantry company to serve once again as a platoon leader. He serves in this capacity until stress and lack of judgment lea
He felt it was his duty but that he also in a way new that he needed to get done what was needed and he needed to get it done the way he was trained. I believe he was critical of what he was doing. It would be very difficult for anyone to not be critical on what they where doing in war. He believed in standing up for his country and certainly all that comes with it, even though what is done is hard not to criticize. War is cruel and things are done and needed to be done that are more than cruel. Its difficulty not to look back in such horrifying memories and not criticize yourself. I think that Caputo brought back the horrifying memories of what he went through in this book. I believe that is why he wrote this book.
In the beginning of the book I could not quite understand his thirst for war and fighting. Then I realized it must be a feeling every man has some time in his life, and me being a woman had to think hard about the drive behind this.
War to be incredibly disturbing but I never imagined it to be as inhumane as Caputo described in his autobiography. I did not think the actual murder was as significant as the way the soldiers were reacting to it. By the end of their service time, I guess all soldiers get used to the killing and blood shed, but I found it hard to read when they were making fun and joking about people they had killed. I know that in other parts of the book they killed but I guess this one just seemed more intense because a
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