After reading through Chapters 1-16 of Tiger Force, pick ONE chapter to summarize for the class. Your summary can be a paragraph(s) or bulleted points. Do NOT repeat chapters that others have written about.
Chapter 8 Tigers met their new leader James Hawkins. Before they met, the former leader Stephen Naughton informed Hawkins about all the Tigers. After then, the Tigers headed back to the Song Ve. There they found the signs of NVA. The new leader Hawkins nearly got the tigers killed by giving wrong orders, but Wood stopped him and saved the troop. The tigers began to doubt Hawkins. When the entire platoon set in, the Tigers took their first break, drinking beers for hours. After then, they got the mission to cross the river and set up an ambush. Wood was worried about if the Tigers could still act normally after drinking. The Tigers stared to act impulsively during the mission, and so did Hawkins. After Heaney caught the unarmed farmer Dao Hue, Hawkins shot Dao in spite of others protesting. When Wood came to see what happened, he was struck by Trout, and Hawkins fired over his head. The fires gave up their position to the NVA, again they nearly got killed.
CHAPTER 6 In Chapter 6 it becomes evident this platoon is out of control and very bad things are unfolding. Ybarra told Green he had the cut off ears of a “gook” in the bag he was carrying around with him and Green simply shrugged his shoulders. Nonetheless, when Ybarra slit the throat of an enemy soldier, even Ken Green was sickened by the cruelty. It is difficult to imagine the fear newer Tiger members must have felt to be in the jungle among such company and even your commanding officer is providing his approval by ordering someone to dispose of the body. Carpenter kept thinking of his grandmother while disposing of the body and their Sunday dinners and prayers. He also thought about the card he was given at deployment regarding the handling of prisoners. Soldiers were advised they would be court-martialed for degrading, torturing or killing a prisoner. Carpenter knew what Tiger Force was doing was immoral and illegal but he couldn’t speak up. Even with a clear opportunity to notify Colonel Austin when he flew in with the old woman Barnett stole the money from, none of the Tigers spoke up. Not Sanchez, Carpenter or any of the new Tigers told of the atrocities they were dealing with. None of them wanted to be the “snitch”. To further antagonize the situation, Army commanders were using Tiger Force as their enforcers. They were no longer the eyes and ears, now they were the fists.
CHAPTER 13 In Chapter 13, the Tigers would not be returning to Song Ve. Instead, they will be pulling out of Carentan and heading 35 miles north to Army base at Chu Lai and a new province- Quang Tin. The battalion would be moving into the jungle terrain northwest of the air base to find enemy encampments. The plan was for the Tigers to camp at Chu Lai and then break into teams on search-and-destroy missions. Moving to Quang Tin has a more challenging deposition: more North Vietnamese soldiers to fight and more civilians to remove. This part of the chapter sums up the description of Quang Tin. The tigers were given a day to get drunk and get laid. Unfortunately, most huts were sold out of alcohol. One of the marines who works at the hut denied them alcohol. Tigers became infuriated and stormed the bar and grabbed cases. They destroyed the place and eventually burned the place down and took off. Ybarra was looking forward to the new operations area, while Green wasn't so sure. He couldn't see himself staying in South Vietnam much longer. Ybarra told him there isn't a better occupation than serving the army and being in South Vietnam. The world at this time has nothing to offer. Green agrees. Donald Wood is not longer a Tiger. He left the unit and was shipped to another unit, for the sake of not cooping with Hawkins and his uncivilized, destructive behavior. This significant move clearly symbolizes the change of the Tigers attitudes, portraying mass murderers, not warriors.
This Chapter deals with the mindset of the Tiger Force Troops and the moving of the Song Ve Valley to a new safer location in Nghia Hanh. The Mind set of the members of Tiger Force vary in this chapter, on how they view the situation, as well as how they see the Vietnamese villagers. How this may have affected the treatment of these people. Mainly seen through the eyes of Don Woods. He is a more empathetic character, who does not share the views of most the other Tigers. And is frankly disgusted and disturbed by many of the other soldiers comments and actions.
The Villagers are beginning their Journey, by loading up as much rice and clothing as they could as the walked along the river to a processing tent. Here they would receive a food & assistance voucher worth about eight cents a day and to guaranteed shelter. They then waited to be put on a helicopter that would fly them to the new location. Woods remembered what he had been told in training camp, that they were going to win the war by winning over the trust of the peasants. He then thinks how that would happen with how the Tiger Force is treating them, mocking and laughing at them by making references and singing cattle herding songs. To make the situation worse the Army had sent out a press release calling it Operation Rawhide. Don Woods view on the scene unfolding in front of him is both a peaceful and sorrowful one. By witnessing the beauty of the land and what it had to offer. Then the disheartening facts as to what these people are losing after hundreds of generations fought to keep this land. And if after the war would it ever be the same.
By the end of the chapter officer Austin comes in to command. When he first arrived he found that the Valley had not been fully cleared of all the villagers, demanding the troops remove the rest of them immediately. It then goes on to tell more about him how he tried to learn about each member of the Tiger Force Team, and how he did not agree with the freedom given to the men of Tiger Force. Even though these types of Units were needed to fight the enemy, without proper bureaucracy involved that these men would take war into their own hands. Austin however is determined to keep tabs on the Tigers. And at the end announcing the valley had been cleared.
This Chapter allows you to see many things through the descriptions of Don Woods. As he portrays the Beautiful land-scape. Then the lack of moral values and respeact the other Tigers had on the value of the vietnamese life, and culture. How he found himself in his own moral persecution of not straying from his own beliefs no-matter the situation.
CHAPTER 7 The Song Ve Valley became a free-fire zone. This meant that U.S. troops had the ability to attack in civilian areas. However, it was not permitting them to fire at unarmed civilians. The commanders believed it was necessary to do this because they knew that the VC was able to attack U.S. troops at anytime and at anyplace. Teams of Tigers set out to clear the valley and burn all the huts of the locals who lived there. This was to ensure that the civilians would not return. They ended up torching everything. One of the teams traveled with a reporter, Dennis Stout. As they traveled through the Song Ve, the team was becoming angry and tired of walking through foothills, when two peasants appeared. All but three of the soldiers shot at them. Stout, obviously bothered by what had just occurred, asked to be reassigned to another valley when the rest of the platoon regrouped. He felt this team was “trigger happy.” The Tigers returned to Carentan. At this point in the chapter, the novel shifts to a villager standpoint. Lu Thuan and several others who lived in the Song Ve Valley were deciding whether or not it was safe for them to return to their village. They were unsure as to whether or not the Americans would be back or not. However, many of them returned to their torched huts to begin rebuilding. Again, there is a shift in the novel. It returns to the reporter, Dennis Stout. Stout is unable to come up with a story for his editors. He had seen such negativity in his passed two assignments, and he had no idea what he could write about. It was at this point that he realized that the Vietnam War was getting worse, and that he wanted to be home with his family. In the meantime, some of the Tigers were taking time to write letters to their loved ones. Sanchez wrote to his girlfriend, and Green was writing a letter to his father. Trout wrote to his wife, and went over his roster of Tigers. It was there that he kept track of ranks and positions as well as injured and killed. He hadn’t had to track any injuries or killings lately, but it is here that the author hints at a future battle.
I'm surprised nobody has written about the beginning of the whole ordeal. I guess I'll recall Chapter One then. The beginning of the chapter introduces us to two friends:Sam Ybarra and Kenny Green. They meet in a lounge along with several others,and Ybarra invites Green to join the Tiger Force, "the badass of badasses". Ater brief history of Ybarra's and Green's relations in the pre-war life, the chapter takes us through the description of the unit, several operations it participated in, unit's wins and losses. After that we're given a history of the conflict, and the reasons the United States got involved in it in the first place. US gets involved, Green joins Ybarra. The story begins.
The beginning of the chapter discusses instability of Ybarra’s personality. The Tigers generally stayed out of his way, except his old buddy Green. Ybarra and Green grew up and became great friends when they were teenagers. Green made his way to the unit because Ybarra convinced him to. The Tigers were in desperate need of fresh bodies. Green came with a convoy of other recruits.
Ybarra showed Green around. The base was only temporary, so it did not look very good. The book explains that the name of the base, Carentan, came from a captured French town in WWII. The book goes on in to great detail about the Battalion and what each section is responsible for.
Just as Green and the other new recruits were going to unpack, they got the call to gather around the Battalion Sergeant. He told them that the Tigers were going out to “Quang Nqai.” There would be no training, so they must listen to their team leaders if they planned on living long.
As the group stood around listening to the Battalion Sergeant, the book explained some of the team leaders that we will play major roles later in the book. First there is Harold Trout from Missouri, then James Barnett from Tennessee, and lastly is William Doyle from Kansas City. These men were expected to keep the new recruits alive.
The book also introduces a few more characters like Bill Carpenter a Specialist, and Privates Ken Kerney and Barry Bowman. The Battalion Sergeant told them that Quang Ngai was going to very difficult and the people there will hate you.
Just then, General Westmoreland comes in the room, interrupting the meeting. He gave the troops a pep talk about the situation and what this area means for the conflict in Vietnam. We also see Private Kerrigan wound up and excited so he could not sleep. He was thinking about how he got screwed over and sent to Vietnam instead of some place safer. He just wanted to join the military and get the G.I. Bill. He just wanted to get out of ‘Nam as soon as possible and go to UCLA.
Sergeant Sanchez was also restless, but for different reasons. He was packing his gear and getting prepared for Quang Ngai. He learned from a young age to always be prepared. He was the oldest of seven children so he had to set the example. Another Sergeant, named Bill Carpenter, was going to sleep. He learned to survive by living in the moment and not thinking too far into the future. He did not want to think about is past, in Ohio, because that would just bring him homesickness. He joined the Army because he wanted to get out of Ohio and he joined the Tigers because he heard they were the best.
The last person we see in the chapter is Douglas Teeters, the medic. He was high from a joint and he was just waiting for the time to expire before he has to watch more people get shot, maimed, and killed. He tried to sleep, but he found it very difficult.
I am impressed with your overviews and find myself really reviewing and understanding the book better. Thanks for those of you who have posted already--much better to have so many blogs completed earlier this week than last!
The tigers thought with the announcement that Song Ve Valley was cleared that they would be heading back to Carentan. This was not the case. The tigers were upset about the stubborn people not wanting to leave because it meant they had to stay longer. The tigers decided that to ensure that the villagers would not return they would burn down the villages; as stated in the book this tactic was referred to as “breaking out the Zippos”. If the villages were burned down then the civilians would not have a reason to come back. The tigers thought this tactic was ideal for this mission because the people from this area were too independent.
Manuel Sanchez and his troops came across a woman riding her bike while on their mission. Sanchez ordered not to fire on the woman; he even stated she was harmless and let her pass. James Barnett didn’t trust her or in fact anyone. He kicked the women off her bike and began going through her things questioning if she was Vietcong. Sanchez and the men were upset with the way Barnett acted. He stole the women’s money and sent her on her way.
The tigers burned up more than two hundred huts that afternoon. There had been minimal violence that day. Green and Ybarra were shot at but couldn’t pin point where the shots came from. Ybarra wasn’t himself since the tigers were ordered to stay in Song Ve. Green could notice a change happening in his friend.
Chapter Nine opens the morning after some of the men in Wood’s Tiger Force group had killed an innocent man, Dao, when he was unarmed and of no harm to them. This is shortly after they had received their new leader, Hawkins, who seems to be more of a murderer than a hero. Wood did not like the new leadership that they were provided with and the way men were following his orders left and right. In the beginning of this chapter he tries to avoid most of the group, including staying at the back end while they were all traveling together. Wood does not think that Hawkins is fit to lead a Tiger Force group and even those who had been drinking with Hawkins the night before were showing some concern about their new leader. As the group was walking they came across some huts in which Hawkins ordered the tiger force to surround and as he did this Wood approached his side. This is the first part of the book where we see Wood directly challenge Hawkins. This occurs when they see two people walking towards them from the huts and Hawkins orders the men to fire since it was established a “free-fire zone” and all of the civilians were supposed to have been evacuated. Wood then tries to overpower Hawkins by raising his hand and telling the men not to fire. Hawkins then shot the two women himself, injuring one, the other unharmed. Wood and the medics ran to the women and Wood called for a medevac. It was at this point that he decided he was going to have to do something about Hawkins, he would report everything that he believed Hawkins had done wrong when he arrived back at the base of Carentan. Once the men retreated at the end of the day they set up camp along the river. They prepared in case of an ambush and then most of them dozed off for the night. In the middle of the night Carpenter woke up to gunfire and grabbed his M16 when he heard someone call for a medic. As he approached the two figures he saw a Vietnamese male holding his leg on the ground, covered in blood. Bowman opened his medic kit in attempt to find something to help the man. When Trout approached the two he saw that a medevac was necessary but did not want to put the Tigers’ in danger by giving away their spot so he tried to force Bowman to shoot the man since Bowman had never killed a man before like this. He refused so Trout shot the man three times with no hesitation. No one even knew if the man was VC or simply a civilian. Wood approached the group and saw what was going on; he respected Trout as did many other men but realized that he too was on his way to being a corrupt Tiger if Hawkins remained in the lead. Many of the men were having a hard time dealing with the killing of the innocent man by the river. The medics were passing out amphetamines and everyone was on the edge. The end of this chapter focus’ on a Vietnamese civilian who goes around at night hiding in the brush and burying the innocent Vietnamese who are killed by Tiger Force and other American soldiers. His friend comes to help him and they dig a shallow grave for Dao. Examining him as they carried him to the grave they realize just how brutal the American Tiger Force was.
Donald Wood went off by himself to think for a way to stop the Tigers because he feared that the Tigers would kill more civilians. Being by himself for a while, Wood came to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to let the Tigers run amok and he will be the one that going to stop them. Then the call was made from the battalion headquarters for everyone to heading back to Carentan. Wood saw his chance that he would go talk to his commanders about his concerns and hoping that they would understand him along with support him to get rid of Hawkins. After reaching the Huey, Wood headed to Naughton’ tent but he wasn’t there nevertheless they ran into each other. Wood expressed to him about the leadership of the Tigers especially Hawkins. Unfortunately, Naughton could not help him because he did not have authority. However, he recommended Wood to either hang in there or take the issues to someone higher. Then wood headed to the battalion headquarters and met the executive officer. Wood explained to the officer about his concern but it impossible for him to take the Tigers out of action because they’re in the middle of war. Since no one help him, Wood realized that he have to take care of Hawkins himself. In the meanwhile, Stout also struggled to forget those shooting image of the villagers who were trying to surrender. Stout realized that he had not done right thing and now it is time for him to rectify. Even though Stout could be in jeopardy but he chose to documented everything he remember before going back to the United States. In the other hand, Nguyen on his journey to the mountains west of Song Ve Valley but he encountered a plane that released highly toxic herbicide known as “Agent Orange.” This chemical caused Nguyen to felt deeply sick that he could not go on. He took rest until he regaining his strength and heading out of the Song Ve.
Chapter 9 Wood stay away from everyone. He wasn't in a good mood to talk and he didn't want to do anything with Hawkins. After that The Tigers were determined to keep people from building more huts. Hawkins said, "This is free-fire zone" "No one is supposed to be here". Hawkins wheeled around and Wood turned to him. Hawkins lifted his rifle and aimed at the women. The two women fell to the ground and another one is screaming. Wood and two doctors came to where the women fell. One was shot in the leg and arm, but the other one didn't get hurt. After that Wood ordered a radio operator to call for a doctor so nobody protested the command. After that Carpenter woke up by shots he and Bowman saw the Vietnamese man on the ground. Bowman saw that the man was really hurt. After that Trout arrived and asked what happened to one of the soldiers that on guard. He told Trout that he shot the man because he had approached the perimeter. Then the tension kept the man awake at night. After that Nguyen peeked out to make sure that there were no soldiers. After waiting Nguyen was irritated and whispered to the man to hurry because The American soldiers could be anywhere. Each step Nguyen and his companion smell the death body of the Vietnamese man. So he told the other man to dig a hole and he walked back to the body. He lifted everything from the death body to the burial site, but it was dark he didn't notice that the ears were missing when he carry that man to the burial site.
Chapter 8
ReplyDeleteTigers met their new leader James Hawkins. Before they met, the former leader Stephen Naughton informed Hawkins about all the Tigers. After then, the Tigers headed back to the Song Ve. There they found the signs of NVA. The new leader Hawkins nearly got the tigers killed by giving wrong orders, but Wood stopped him and saved the troop. The tigers began to doubt Hawkins.
When the entire platoon set in, the Tigers took their first break, drinking beers for hours. After then, they got the mission to cross the river and set up an ambush. Wood was worried about if the Tigers could still act normally after drinking. The Tigers stared to act impulsively during the mission, and so did Hawkins. After Heaney caught the unarmed farmer Dao Hue, Hawkins shot Dao in spite of others protesting. When Wood came to see what happened, he was struck by Trout, and Hawkins fired over his head. The fires gave up their position to the NVA, again they nearly got killed.
CHAPTER 6
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 6 it becomes evident this platoon is out of control and very bad things are unfolding. Ybarra told Green he had the cut off ears of a “gook” in the bag he was carrying around with him and Green simply shrugged his shoulders. Nonetheless, when Ybarra slit the throat of an enemy soldier, even Ken Green was sickened by the cruelty. It is difficult to imagine the fear newer Tiger members must have felt to be in the jungle among such company and even your commanding officer is providing his approval by ordering someone to dispose of the body.
Carpenter kept thinking of his grandmother while disposing of the body and their Sunday dinners and prayers. He also thought about the card he was given at deployment regarding the handling of prisoners. Soldiers were advised they would be court-martialed for degrading, torturing or killing a prisoner. Carpenter knew what Tiger Force was doing was immoral and illegal but he couldn’t speak up. Even with a clear opportunity to notify Colonel Austin when he flew in with the old woman Barnett stole the money from, none of the Tigers spoke up. Not Sanchez, Carpenter or any of the new Tigers told of the atrocities they were dealing with. None of them wanted to be the “snitch”. To further antagonize the situation, Army commanders were using Tiger Force as their enforcers. They were no longer the eyes and ears, now they were the fists.
CHAPTER 13
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 13, the Tigers would not be returning to Song Ve. Instead, they will be pulling out of Carentan and heading 35 miles north to Army base at Chu Lai and a new province- Quang Tin. The battalion would be moving into the jungle terrain northwest of the air base to find enemy encampments. The plan was for the Tigers to camp at Chu Lai and then break into teams on search-and-destroy missions. Moving to Quang Tin has a more challenging deposition: more North Vietnamese soldiers to fight and more civilians to remove. This part of the chapter sums up the description of Quang Tin.
The tigers were given a day to get drunk and get laid. Unfortunately, most huts were sold out of alcohol. One of the marines who works at the hut denied them alcohol. Tigers became infuriated and stormed the bar and grabbed cases. They destroyed the place and eventually burned the place down and took off.
Ybarra was looking forward to the new operations area, while Green wasn't so sure. He couldn't see himself staying in South Vietnam much longer. Ybarra told him there isn't a better occupation than serving the army and being in South Vietnam. The world at this time has nothing to offer. Green agrees.
Donald Wood is not longer a Tiger. He left the unit and was shipped to another unit, for the sake of not cooping with Hawkins and his uncivilized, destructive behavior. This significant move clearly symbolizes the change of the Tigers attitudes, portraying mass murderers, not warriors.
CHAPTER 4
ReplyDeleteThis Chapter deals with the mindset of the Tiger Force Troops and the moving of the Song Ve Valley to a new safer location in Nghia Hanh. The Mind set of the members of Tiger Force vary in this chapter, on how they view the situation, as well as how they see the Vietnamese villagers. How this may have affected the treatment of these people. Mainly seen through the eyes of Don Woods. He is a more empathetic character, who does not share the views of most the other Tigers. And is frankly disgusted and disturbed by many of the other soldiers comments and actions.
The Villagers are beginning their Journey, by loading up as much rice and clothing as they could as the walked along the river to a processing tent. Here they would receive a food & assistance voucher worth about eight cents a day and to guaranteed shelter. They then waited to be put on a helicopter that would fly them to the new location. Woods remembered what he had been told in training camp, that they were going to win the war by winning over the trust of the peasants. He then thinks how that would happen with how the Tiger Force is treating them, mocking and laughing at them by making references and singing cattle herding songs. To make the situation worse the Army had sent out a press release calling it Operation Rawhide. Don Woods view on the scene unfolding in front of him is both a peaceful and sorrowful one. By witnessing the beauty of the land and what it had to offer. Then the disheartening facts as to what these people are losing after hundreds of generations fought to keep this land. And if after the war would it ever be the same.
By the end of the chapter officer Austin comes in to command. When he first arrived he found that the Valley had not been fully cleared of all the villagers, demanding the troops remove the rest of them immediately. It then goes on to tell more about him how he tried to learn about each member of the Tiger Force Team, and how he did not agree with the freedom given to the men of Tiger Force. Even though these types of Units were needed to fight the enemy, without proper bureaucracy involved that these men would take war into their own hands. Austin however is determined to keep tabs on the Tigers. And at the end announcing the valley had been cleared.
This Chapter allows you to see many things through the descriptions of Don Woods. As he portrays the Beautiful land-scape. Then the lack of moral values and respeact the other Tigers had on the value of the vietnamese life, and culture. How he found himself in his own moral persecution of not straying from his own beliefs no-matter the situation.
CHAPTER 7
ReplyDeleteThe Song Ve Valley became a free-fire zone. This meant that U.S. troops had the ability to attack in civilian areas. However, it was not permitting them to fire at unarmed civilians. The commanders believed it was necessary to do this because they knew that the VC was able to attack U.S. troops at anytime and at anyplace.
Teams of Tigers set out to clear the valley and burn all the huts of the locals who lived there. This was to ensure that the civilians would not return. They ended up torching everything. One of the teams traveled with a reporter, Dennis Stout. As they traveled through the Song Ve, the team was becoming angry and tired of walking through foothills, when two peasants appeared. All but three of the soldiers shot at them. Stout, obviously bothered by what had just occurred, asked to be reassigned to another valley when the rest of the platoon regrouped. He felt this team was “trigger happy.” The Tigers returned to Carentan.
At this point in the chapter, the novel shifts to a villager standpoint. Lu Thuan and several others who lived in the Song Ve Valley were deciding whether or not it was safe for them to return to their village. They were unsure as to whether or not the Americans would be back or not. However, many of them returned to their torched huts to begin rebuilding.
Again, there is a shift in the novel. It returns to the reporter, Dennis Stout. Stout is unable to come up with a story for his editors. He had seen such negativity in his passed two assignments, and he had no idea what he could write about. It was at this point that he realized that the Vietnam War was getting worse, and that he wanted to be home with his family.
In the meantime, some of the Tigers were taking time to write letters to their loved ones. Sanchez wrote to his girlfriend, and Green was writing a letter to his father. Trout wrote to his wife, and went over his roster of Tigers. It was there that he kept track of ranks and positions as well as injured and killed. He hadn’t had to track any injuries or killings lately, but it is here that the author hints at a future battle.
I'm surprised nobody has written about the beginning of the whole ordeal. I guess I'll recall Chapter One then.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of the chapter introduces us to two friends:Sam Ybarra and Kenny Green. They meet in a lounge along with several others,and Ybarra invites Green to join the Tiger Force, "the badass of badasses". Ater brief history of Ybarra's and Green's relations in the pre-war life, the chapter takes us through the description of the unit, several operations it participated in, unit's wins and losses.
After that we're given a history of the conflict, and the reasons the United States got involved in it in the first place.
US gets involved, Green joins Ybarra. The story begins.
Chapter 2
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of the chapter discusses instability of Ybarra’s personality. The Tigers generally stayed out of his way, except his old buddy Green. Ybarra and Green grew up and became great friends when they were teenagers. Green made his way to the unit because Ybarra convinced him to. The Tigers were in desperate need of fresh bodies. Green came with a convoy of other recruits.
Ybarra showed Green around. The base was only temporary, so it did not look very good. The book explains that the name of the base, Carentan, came from a captured French town in WWII. The book goes on in to great detail about the Battalion and what each section is responsible for.
Just as Green and the other new recruits were going to unpack, they got the call to gather around the Battalion Sergeant. He told them that the Tigers were going out to “Quang Nqai.” There would be no training, so they must listen to their team leaders if they planned on living long.
As the group stood around listening to the Battalion Sergeant, the book explained some of the team leaders that we will play major roles later in the book. First there is Harold Trout from Missouri, then James Barnett from Tennessee, and lastly is William Doyle from Kansas City. These men were expected to keep the new recruits alive.
The book also introduces a few more characters like Bill Carpenter a Specialist, and Privates Ken Kerney and Barry Bowman. The Battalion Sergeant told them that Quang Ngai was going to very difficult and the people there will hate you.
Just then, General Westmoreland comes in the room, interrupting the meeting. He gave the troops a pep talk about the situation and what this area means for the conflict in Vietnam.
We also see Private Kerrigan wound up and excited so he could not sleep. He was thinking about how he got screwed over and sent to Vietnam instead of some place safer. He just wanted to join the military and get the G.I. Bill. He just wanted to get out of ‘Nam as soon as possible and go to UCLA.
Sergeant Sanchez was also restless, but for different reasons. He was packing his gear and getting prepared for Quang Ngai. He learned from a young age to always be prepared. He was the oldest of seven children so he had to set the example. Another Sergeant, named Bill Carpenter, was going to sleep. He learned to survive by living in the moment and not thinking too far into the future. He did not want to think about is past, in Ohio, because that would just bring him homesickness. He joined the Army because he wanted to get out of Ohio and he joined the Tigers because he heard they were the best.
The last person we see in the chapter is Douglas Teeters, the medic. He was high from a joint and he was just waiting for the time to expire before he has to watch more people get shot, maimed, and killed. He tried to sleep, but he found it very difficult.
I am impressed with your overviews and find myself really reviewing and understanding the book better. Thanks for those of you who have posted already--much better to have so many blogs completed earlier this week than last!
ReplyDeleteChapter 5
ReplyDeleteThe tigers thought with the announcement that Song Ve Valley was cleared that they would be heading back to Carentan. This was not the case. The tigers were upset about the stubborn people not wanting to leave because it meant they had to stay longer. The tigers decided that to ensure that the villagers would not return they would burn down the villages; as stated in the book this tactic was referred to as “breaking out the Zippos”. If the villages were burned down then the civilians would not have a reason to come back. The tigers thought this tactic was ideal for this mission because the people from this area were too independent.
Manuel Sanchez and his troops came across a woman riding her bike while on their mission. Sanchez ordered not to fire on the woman; he even stated she was harmless and let her pass. James Barnett didn’t trust her or in fact anyone. He kicked the women off her bike and began going through her things questioning if she was Vietcong. Sanchez and the men were upset with the way Barnett acted. He stole the women’s money and sent her on her way.
The tigers burned up more than two hundred huts that afternoon. There had been minimal violence that day. Green and Ybarra were shot at but couldn’t pin point where the shots came from. Ybarra wasn’t himself since the tigers were ordered to stay in Song Ve. Green could notice a change happening in his friend.
Chapter Nine opens the morning after some of the men in Wood’s Tiger Force group had killed an innocent man, Dao, when he was unarmed and of no harm to them. This is shortly after they had received their new leader, Hawkins, who seems to be more of a murderer than a hero. Wood did not like the new leadership that they were provided with and the way men were following his orders left and right. In the beginning of this chapter he tries to avoid most of the group, including staying at the back end while they were all traveling together. Wood does not think that Hawkins is fit to lead a Tiger Force group and even those who had been drinking with Hawkins the night before were showing some concern about their new leader. As the group was walking they came across some huts in which Hawkins ordered the tiger force to surround and as he did this Wood approached his side. This is the first part of the book where we see Wood directly challenge Hawkins. This occurs when they see two people walking towards them from the huts and Hawkins orders the men to fire since it was established a “free-fire zone” and all of the civilians were supposed to have been evacuated. Wood then tries to overpower Hawkins by raising his hand and telling the men not to fire. Hawkins then shot the two women himself, injuring one, the other unharmed. Wood and the medics ran to the women and Wood called for a medevac. It was at this point that he decided he was going to have to do something about Hawkins, he would report everything that he believed Hawkins had done wrong when he arrived back at the base of Carentan.
ReplyDeleteOnce the men retreated at the end of the day they set up camp along the river. They prepared in case of an ambush and then most of them dozed off for the night. In the middle of the night Carpenter woke up to gunfire and grabbed his M16 when he heard someone call for a medic. As he approached the two figures he saw a Vietnamese male holding his leg on the ground, covered in blood. Bowman opened his medic kit in attempt to find something to help the man. When Trout approached the two he saw that a medevac was necessary but did not want to put the Tigers’ in danger by giving away their spot so he tried to force Bowman to shoot the man since Bowman had never killed a man before like this. He refused so Trout shot the man three times with no hesitation. No one even knew if the man was VC or simply a civilian. Wood approached the group and saw what was going on; he respected Trout as did many other men but realized that he too was on his way to being a corrupt Tiger if Hawkins remained in the lead.
Many of the men were having a hard time dealing with the killing of the innocent man by the river. The medics were passing out amphetamines and everyone was on the edge. The end of this chapter focus’ on a Vietnamese civilian who goes around at night hiding in the brush and burying the innocent Vietnamese who are killed by Tiger Force and other American soldiers. His friend comes to help him and they dig a shallow grave for Dao. Examining him as they carried him to the grave they realize just how brutal the American Tiger Force was.
CHAPTER 12
ReplyDeleteDonald Wood went off by himself to think for a way to stop the Tigers because he feared that the Tigers would kill more civilians. Being by himself for a while, Wood came to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to let the Tigers run amok and he will be the one that going to stop them. Then the call was made from the battalion headquarters for everyone to heading back to Carentan. Wood saw his chance that he would go talk to his commanders about his concerns and hoping that they would understand him along with support him to get rid of Hawkins. After reaching the Huey, Wood headed to Naughton’ tent but he wasn’t there nevertheless they ran into each other. Wood expressed to him about the leadership of the Tigers especially Hawkins. Unfortunately, Naughton could not help him because he did not have authority. However, he recommended Wood to either hang in there or take the issues to someone higher. Then wood headed to the battalion headquarters and met the executive officer. Wood explained to the officer about his concern but it impossible for him to take the Tigers out of action because they’re in the middle of war. Since no one help him, Wood realized that he have to take care of Hawkins himself. In the meanwhile, Stout also struggled to forget those shooting image of the villagers who were trying to surrender. Stout realized that he had not done right thing and now it is time for him to rectify. Even though Stout could be in jeopardy but he chose to documented everything he remember before going back to the United States. In the other hand, Nguyen on his journey to the mountains west of Song Ve Valley but he encountered a plane that released highly toxic herbicide known as “Agent Orange.” This chemical caused Nguyen to felt deeply sick that he could not go on. He took rest until he regaining his strength and heading out of the Song Ve.
Chapter 9
ReplyDeleteWood stay away from everyone. He wasn't in a good mood to talk and he didn't want to do anything with Hawkins. After that The Tigers were determined to keep people from building more huts. Hawkins said, "This is free-fire zone" "No one is supposed to be here". Hawkins wheeled around and Wood turned to him. Hawkins lifted his rifle and aimed at the women. The two women fell to the ground and another one is screaming. Wood and two doctors came to where the women fell. One was shot in the leg and arm, but the other one didn't get hurt. After that Wood ordered a radio operator to call for a doctor so nobody protested the command. After that Carpenter woke up by shots he and Bowman saw the Vietnamese man on the ground. Bowman saw that the man was really hurt. After that Trout arrived and asked what happened to one of the soldiers that on guard. He told Trout that he shot the man because he had approached the perimeter. Then the tension kept the man awake at night. After that Nguyen peeked out to make sure that there were no soldiers. After waiting Nguyen was irritated and whispered to the man to hurry because The American soldiers could be anywhere. Each step Nguyen and his companion smell the death body of the Vietnamese man. So he told the other man to dig a hole and he walked back to the body. He lifted everything from the death body to the burial site, but it was dark he didn't notice that the ears were missing when he carry that man to the burial site.
Nice synopsis of various chapters:)
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