Chapter 1, Part IV Breathing In Summary and Analysis

The nights that Herr spends in the jungle move in an aural fashion from the usual jungle sounds to disturbing silence to war racket. He describes how fatigue sets in stronger during war than with any other human activity—soldiers miss the details that could have kept them alive, or sleep while standing and talking. The talking refers to whatever they dream, not their actual surroundings. The days are no less difficult than the nights in the jungle. Malaria and other diseases quickly take down strong men.

Everyone uses the phrase "good luck", whether they mean it or not. Luck might mean being killed in your sleep or it might mean living through another day. Soldiers who have experienced a close call and survived are often considered good luck to the others...