I really liked what Higgins said, especially ” Soldiers will feed off of their leader as to what the mood is going to be.” You can see this exemplified in McDonough’s actions in Epilogue, where he begins to say goodbye to his platoon. McDonough says “I tried to be upbeat, to avoid any semblance of mawkishness, to hide the concerns I held for e…[Read more]

I absolutely believe that McDonough had a valid reason to send members of his platoon to the beach. They were tired, dilapidated, and covered in tiny, infected cuts. Had I been in LTs place, I would have made the same decision to send my soldiers to the beach. I think that the fact that he didn’t accompany the squad to the beach really doesn’t m…[Read more]

In chapter 14, LT McDonough chooses to disobey direct orders and intervein in the business of the South Vietnamese police officers assigned to his platoon. At the time, the police officers had the Vietnamese civilians in pushup positions, while they abused their legs by smacking them with bamboo staves as a form of punishment. Once LT McDonough…[Read more]

LT McDonoughs response to the enemy ambush on his PB was an excellent example of poise under fire coupled with decisive leadership. His placement of massive casualty producing weapons, coupled with his communication with his squad leaders, allowed him to effectively respond to the massive output of enemy small arms and indirect fire.  As the f…[Read more]

I feel like I can identify with some of the thoughts and observations of LT McDonough. His feelings of uncertainty in his future, his wonder of what the true experience of war is, and the tradition of military service are all things I identify with. I think that LT McDonough’s interaction with the Lieutenant he meets just before leaving for his p…[Read more]

While professional reading is not the single and utmost important factor in developing and maintaining leadership skills, I do believe that it is an important task, and enables leaders to be lifelong learners. Maintaining a mindset of “how can I learn and improve myself as an intellectual and general human being”, is, in my opinion, c…[Read more]