Specialist 4 Haywood T. Kirkland Summary and Analysis

At the age of twelve Haywood has a vision of himself in the Vietnam War and then in prison for five years. It is 1960 and he has never even heard of Vietnam before. He is drafted on November 22, 1966. At boot camp the killer instinct is driven into him. He is a replacement in a division known as The Cacti Green who go anywhere there is trouble. Haywood volunteers for a small recon group where he can have a say in their actions instead of being just another blown up on the line. The most fearful times are when something is about to happen. In the heat of battle you do not think about what is going on but just act. When there is time to think then fear creeps in. Haywood spends a night sleeping...