While it could be criticized for his decision to allow his soldiers to go to the beach, I completely agree with LT McDonough’s decision. After getting further and further into this book, I can somewhat comprehend what it must be like to be in Vietnam: constantly having to keep your guard up and worrying about being unexpectantly attacked by the enemy. It got to a point where getting attacked was the daily norm so going to the beach was a good way to de-stress and take the load off their backs. I agree with Benson and Ritter that the consequence of LT McDonough going with his men would have just resulted in his death too. It’s sad to think that a day that was supposed to give soldiers a break from violence just ended up mirroring an average day in their patrol base, still encountering casualties. While by today’s standards it would be considered a risky move, I think that situationally his decision was sound as his platoon deserved a much-needed break. One of the most prominent motifs in this books that I’ve noticed is death, as it seemed to be in the air in Vietnam and did not rest in a day at the beach. While it might have been a reasonable decision at the time I was surprised that he was not held accountable as he was the officer who authorized it.