LT McDonough experiences varied from person to person. He encountered a Major who he felt distaste for because he saw that he wasn’t on the other side of the wire. He had driver – Phil Nail – who he got out of the fight and felt deserved to be behind the wire to avoid anymore combat injuries. “A small gesture, ” he said. He had buddies from his West Point days following alongside him to Vietnam and had a sense of camaraderie that they were be going to the same country. He met another LT from the 173rd that he hoped to share any relative knowledge of his future unit but instead got a gruesome and dehumanizing look into what the LT had seen and done while in country. LT McDonough met the Battalion Commander who showed his weariness and seriousness of his coming to the 173rd. Lastly, LT Tom Rolfe, the outgoing Platoon leader, whom he met and immediately felt shame on his selfishness of his position and neglect of care for his men.

Everything that I see from these interactions was lack of awareness and knowledge to what was happening in Vietnam. For the most part, LT McDonough was taken by surprise by the interactions of the LT from the 173rd and his gruesome experience and the outgoing LT for his lack of selfless service. Though, this is no fault to his own. LT McDonough, like most new recruits, do not know what to expect once they are finally in it. His interaction with the Battalion Commander showed exactly that. I also see that his excitement to get to his new unit also “blocked his view” as to what is really going on in Vietnam. Its a War. Understanding these effects will help place into focus what he needs to prepare for. What can happen to them can also happen him. If an Army Officer can see and read these effects then he may understand that once it comes his way he will know how to deal with it the best possible way for himself and his men.

The Army can prepare you for War and they can also give you knowledge as to the effects it has on you. Though, teaching you how it may affect you is another thing than actually experiencing it yourself. Everyone adapts to war differently. War brings out in you things that you never knew about yourself. The outgoing LT probably had the same mentality as most zealous young LT’s but found out that he wasn’t the man he thought he was. The 173rd LT he encountered probably will have a hard and long time recovering from the events that took place during his tour. The thing that we need to take from this is that everyone reacts to war differently. He encountered people who never experienced combat and they made it out alright. Some were not so fortunate. He described that most of his original platoon and its replacements didn’t make it back.

The Army can prepare you for the effects of war; to an extent. They can teach you methods on dealing with the levels of stress and how to combat them. The Army can show you methods on reacting to certain soldiers and how to help them. Though, the effects of war are not beyond anyone. LT McDonough already was showing signs of the effect of war when he was returning home. When he was speaking to the Major he showed distaste for his lack of combat experience and didn’t want to talk to him. What if he was a normal person back home? Would he act the same way? He loved his unit and the men that fought beside him but he will never dream about them?