Part I: Fill-in-the-blank:

CHARACTERS
Billy Boy Watkins - One of the casualties in Berlin's squad. Watkins is referred back to
many times, often accompanied by a short song that the squad sung frequently
about his death. Watkins died after he stepped on a defective mine which severed
his foot from his leg. Although not mortally wounded, he enters a state of shell-
shock and dies. Doc Peret claims Watkins died of fright. Watkins, especially via his
song, demonstrates how soldiers cope with the death around them, sometimes
subliminally morphing tragedy into comedy to lessen the fear.
Frenchie Tucker - Dies in a tunnel, shot in the nose.
Chris Haninnen- shot himself in the foot to escape active duty in Vietnam.
Paul Berlin - Narrator/protagonist, who thinks up the chase after Cacciato.
Harold Murphy - Another soldier in Berlin's squad. Murphy leaves early on since he
feels the mission is worthless and the penalty for it is too great.
Li Van Hgok captures them when they fall into the tunnels. He is a young man
trapped their as a POW himself. Once had a promising career but then tried to
desert. They destroy his area and then leave.
Stink Harris - Leads party; is "trigger happy." He once had ringworm. He jumps ship at
Athens when he thought that they would be caught again. Is then never seen again
in the fantasy.
Cacciato - Soldier who goes AWOL (to Paris).
Bernie Lynn - is killed after following Frenchie Tucker into the tunnel and is shot
underneath in part of his throat.
The two grandmothers and the water buffalo-disappear after they fall into the tunnel.
Sarkin Aung Wan - Burmese refugee who saves the squad many times, such as the time
they became lost in a Vietcong tunnel complex. She and Lt. Corson then leave
together after Berlin refuses to stop chasing Cacciato.
Cpt. Fahyi Rhallon - One of the Savak. Tries to arrest the squad in Iran.
Buff - Short for Water Buffalo, is known for his big size. He dies while the platoon is
trying to cross a field. Berlin commonly refers to his death as "life after death"
because his face remains in his helmet after he is killed.
Lt. Sidney Martin - The former lieutenant of Berlin's squad; insisted on following SOP
(Standard Operating Procedures). One of the SOPs in Vietnam was to search all
tunnels before detonating them; Martin enforced this rule sternly. None of the men
in the squad wanted to search tunnels after seeing Tucker and Lynn die. The men in
the squad attempt to plead with Martin, but he sternly restates that they must search
tunnels before blowing them. In the end, all the men in the squad agree to kill Lt.
Martin. The exact manner of death is never stated, except that Lt. Martin died in the
tunnels. He was also an officer from West Point. DIES LAST.
Ready Mix - Died during an assault of a hill in the Highlands. No one knew his real
name; the mention of this character serves to illustrate a common superstition
among soldiers in Vietnam that it was best not to get to know someone if you
thought he was going to die soon.
Lt. Corson- Frequently referred to simply as the Lieutenant. He takes command of the
platoon after Lieutenant Martin, the de facto leader of Berlin's squad. It is stated
that he was busted down twice from a higher rank, once fairly and once not. As the
story moves on the "Lt." is too old for the war and wants to go back to his country.
He is always "sick", says Doc, and the sickness is called homesickness. When the
squad reaches India, he is temporarily cured when he meets a woman a married
hotelier who had once studied in Baltimore, Maryland but he becomes sick
again when the squad moves on.
Jolly Chandin Delhi, is the reason Lt. tries Corson to not continue, but he is
kidnapped by his squad. She is the symbol of America.
Rudy Chassler - Dies from injuries sustained after stepping on a landmine.
Jim Pederson - A religious man, who dies in rice a paddy after being shot multiple
times by the door gunners in the Chinook that dropped the platoon there. As he
dies, he attempts to shoot down the Chinook. He carries postcard pictures of Christ
with him.
Oscar Johnson - Black soldier in the Third Squad. He said that the Vietnam cold made
him think of Detroit in the month of May, "lootin' weather." It is suggested that
Johnson may not be from Detroit at all, despite his ghetto posturinghis mail
comes from and goes to Maine, and one of his nicknames is "the nigga from Ba
Haba.
Eddie Lazzutti - Soldier in the Third Squad.
Doc Peret - the squad's medical aide. He sometimes uses M&Ms as a type of medicine
for those under his care, usually as a way to calm down the over-reactive and the
dying.

PLOT SUMMARY
1. The third squad pursues Cacciato who has gone AWOL. Cacciato lays a fake booby-trap and
Stink trips it. Cacciato leaves in October. They then proceed to follow Cacciato for six or
seven days.
2. 11:55 AM, about two weeks later. Berlin considers what had happened and what might
happen.
3. Harold Murphy is the one who turns back. Berlin decides to go on.
4. Berlin arrives in the war in June of 1968. The corporal gives a lecture. This is Berlins fake
practice for the real war. Berlin also looks back on the time he went camping. The divide
between Formal and Informal Operating Procedures begins the conflict with Sidney Martin.
5. 12:20 AM.
6. Stink shoots the water buffalo. They come across Sarkin Aung Wan.
7. Sarkin and Berlins romance begins. Cacciato leaves a trail. Stink catches Cacciato.
8. Almost 1:00 AM Berlins bravest moment (62) is walking to the sea in the dark to pee.
9. Takes place before Cacciato is dead. Sidney Martin gives coordinates in code, but it takes
more time. This makes Oscar mad because Bernie is bleeding out on the ground. This
demonstrates Sidney Martins adherence to the book - to the rules. Bernie dies. They
give him green M&Ms.
10. Stinks attempt to rescue Cacciato results in him getting bitten. Stink represents several
young tendencies: Getting ahead of yourself (not thinking ahead), and enthusiastic but
unskilled (hence the shooting of the water buffalo). He also tries talking to the Vietnamese
in chapter 39, but ends up screaming. The allusion to Alice in Wonderland begins here.
11. Pederson is shot dead. They call in an airstrike on an innocent town (the town of Hoi An).
They call in Willie Peter (White Phosphorus) and HE (high explosives).
12. Now 2:15 AM. Paul Berlin outlines the reasons for his actions. He is motivated by courage.
There was a Silver Star twinkling somewhere inside of him (81).
13. They fall in the hole in the road. Li Van Hgoc, a major in the 48th Vietcong Battalion. He
refers to the idea of Xa, the land being Pauls true enemy. They are trying to defeat the
tunnels. Defeating the land is impossible. Li Van Hgoc lets Paul look through the periscope
and Paul sees
14. the deaths of Frenchie Tucker and Bernie Lynn (exhibits bravery. He volunteers to go into
the tunnel.) from a different perspective.
15. Li Van Hgoc tells Paul that things may be viewed from different angles (91). Li Van Hgoc
then captures Paul but Li Van Hgoc tells Paul how he (Li vH) is trapped in the maze. They
are both trapped in their fears. Sarkin saves them.
16. They play basketball. Paul Berlin likes the clarity of the sport (102). The third squad starts
to dislike Sidney Martin. Oscar starts to talk about Lt. Martin. Rudy Chassler steps on a
mine and a battle begins.
17. Sarkin leads them to Mandalay.
18. Berlin sees Cacciato dressed as a monk (peaceful, nonviolent) and gets attacked. Sarkin
licks his wound.
19. 3:00 AM. Paul is trying to convince himself that this could be possible.
20. The gunners are in the chinook. Pederson is shot. He is a religious man.
21. Paul Berlin isnt sure how to make things move forward. The New Delhi Express literrally
slows down. He finds the rhyme on the train and thinks that Cacciato is there. It very
rapidly switches from the train to the river Song Tra Bong (where most of the action in
Vietnam happens). Buff gets his face blown off.
22. Paul thinks about the real members of the third squad. He thinks about Sidney Martin and
Lieutenant Corson.
23. They are in India. This is the India that Paul Berlin has always believed in (147). His
family shows up again. Lieutenant Corson is a real person who exists and is the father
figure and falls in love with Jolly, who is his mother figure.
24. The soldiers use a long-distance phone line and calls home. Doc, Oscar, and Eddie all call
home. No one answers when Paul calls home.
25. This is the start of the trouble with Lieutenant Martin. There is a big contrast between Paul
Berlin and Sidney Martin (168), these two leaders and their ideas.
26. Pauls story loses its momentum. What the hell was he doing here? (172). They find
Cacciatos face in the newspaper and this is their reason to move on. At this point we know
that he has killed Sidney Martin and Corson talks to him about this.
27. This is a newer, faster train (176). The mayor of the town of Ossivil tells paul that he hasnt
accomplished anything yet.
28. This shows Paul as being an unimpressive person. His entire history can be written in less
than two pages.
29. They are now in Tehran. Lt. Corson is suffering from nostalgia. They encounter a
beheading. They are arrested and are being asked questions. This is Pauls mind fighting
against him.
30. 3:52 AM. Paul wonders why his imagination led to a beheading in Tehran.
31. Paul thinks about visiting the Des Moines River with his dad. It is revealed that Billy Boy
died of a heart attack, scared to death. He faints and Cacciato gives him a stick of Black
Jack gum.
32. Paul eats pears while thinking about Billy Boys death.
33. They are arrested and questioned. Paul thinks about his motives and the summer of 1967
which he spent working with his father at Fort Dodge, building houses.
34. Sidney Martin orders all of the men to search the tunnel, but they all refuse; all except for
Cacciato, who is out fishing. Oscar plots to kill Sidney Martin.
35. Paul Berlin and Cacciato go fishing at Lake Country. The bobbing SECRET is that Sidney
Martin is going to be killed. Paul has the chance to be brave, to step in and save Sidney, but
doesnt. He is just the messenger.
36. Theyve been captured by the Savak. In the middle of the story, Paul acknowledges reality.
But then he changes to a big chase scene with a pimped-out getaway car.
37. This chapter discusses Quang Ngai - the land.
38. Lam means escape. They are escaping from Tehran to Paris. Stink jumps ship and dies, so
this represents Paul starting to mature because Stink is the representation of the cons of being
a youth.
39. Stink tries to speak Vietnamese. Paul encounters a little girl with gold earrings (could be the
basis of Sarkin) and wonders if she likes him. Paul earns a promotion in September.
40. Within this chapter, he cuts back to the Observation Post. They spend the night in Zagreb
and encounter a college dropout from San Diego State. We see Pauls desire.
41. Buff dies. Cacciato opens up a can of peaches.
42. It is now six months later than the deaths. 5:00 AM.
43. A gargoyle is referenced. Oscar is Pauls subconscious. Oscars running the show.
44. Paul and Sarkin have a very formal, unrealistic breakup. Pauls fantasy converges with
reality.
45. 6:00 AM. Paul is unable to process this.
46. Oscar has assumed control. They storm a building. Lieutenant begins Pauls fantasy He
might make it. He might do all right.