Question One

The letters portray a horrible situation the nurses and the American soldiers go through. For instance, in the second letter, Mike sheds some light on how the soldiers survive on the battlefield. Mike gives gory narratives of how his cohorts are blown apart by the booby traps set by the unconventional Vietnamese fighters. Mike narrates how the deaths of their friends serve to motivate the soldiers to crack down on the enemy who seems to know no boundaries. 2Lt Robert Ransom also makes us mindful of the fact that the soldiers fight for their dear lives other the noble interest of America. If the soldiers hesitate in shooting the enemy, they would eventually be shot and killed. 2Lt Lynda in the third letter also describes to us how they are forced to provide care to the terrorized Vietnamese villagers.

Question Two

            There is a significant lack of correspondence in the manner in which the three letters convey the war and combat experiences in Vietnam. In essence, John Dabonka in his letter describes the combat experience from a whole different perspective. He supposes that the situation in Vietnam is tranquil with exceptions of frightening shots of artillery which he describes as a horrid experience. John’s combat expectations were different from the realities he seems to encounter. For example, he anticipated for a more appalling experience than what he goes through in Vietnam. On the other hand, Mike sought to bring out the gruesome reality in the war. He supposes that one should either shoot or get shot and killed by the combatants. The second letter portrays a ghastly scene in which the American soldiers are blown apart by the mines and booby traps. 2Lt Lynda in the third later brings out a war experience matching that of Mike.