... , his training as a chaplain's assistant in South Carolina, and his dazed trek behind enemy lines after the disastrous Battle of the Bulge. Billy falls in with three other American soldiers, two of whom are scouts and capable soldiers. The one who is not, the antitank gunner, Roland Weary, is a cruel, insecure character that saves Billy's life repeatedly in acts that he thinks will make him a hero. Billy ... revenge. One time Lazzaro fed a dog that had bitten him a steak filled with razor blades and watched it die in torment. Lazzaro reminds Billy of Roland Weary's final wish and advises...

• Word Count: 5323
• Approx Pages: 21
• Grade Level: High School

... of the war, and for much of that time the narrator has been trying to write about the bombing of Dresden. He was never able to write the book. When he thinks about Dresden's place in his memory, he always recalls two things: a dirty limerick about a man whose penis has let him down, and "My Name is Yon Yonson," a song which has no ending. Late some nights, the narrator ... gets drunk and begins to call up old friends on the telephone. A few years ago he tracked down Bernard O'Hare, an old war buddy of his, using Bell Atlantic phone operators. When he tracked his old friend down, he aske...

• Word Count: 7795
• Approx Pages: 31
• Grade Level: High School