Philip Caputo
Philip Caputo recounts his haunting encounters at the ‘Marine Corps and Vietnam.’ He asserts he “acquired some expertise in the art of killing.”
Caputo’s Parents
They do not endorse Caputo’s resolution to register as a Marine Corp. They had projected that his college schooling would permit him to secure employment and settle into matrimony.
Kennedy
He is the noteworthy legend who inspires the “Kennedy era” which is characterized by extraordinary nationalism that emboldens young men such as Caputo to register.
Corporal Banks
He is the “1st squad leader in place of Sergeant Gordon who had been temporarily attached to D Company.” He is a black with lofty familiarity of the war in Korea.
Corporal Mixon
He is “the 2nd squad leader, was thin and almost delicate-looking, with a shy, diffident manner.”
Corporal Gonzalez
He is the “3rd squad leader-short, stocky, pugnacious but likable.”
Lance Corporal Sampson
He is “an old man of twenty-five whose seven-year career in the Marine Corps was as checkered as a chessboard.”
