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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why are the Medivac helicopters unable to land to pick up casualties?

2. How many men are on a helicopter team?

3. What does Lemmon say they are trying to do while the Howies are strafing the area?

4. What happens for about twenty-five of the men?

5. What does Caputo do at Camp Upshur, Virginia?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Caputo and his 40-odd men get transported to the war zone?

2. What is it like for Caputo as they march back through Giao-Tri?

3. What is Caputo's troublesome encounter with Sergeant Fred Wagoner?

4. What do they find when they rush a base camp near the LZ?

5. How does Caputo describe the way a soldier fighting in the jungle should act?

6. Describe the Annamese Cordillera.

7. Explain why Caputo says that at age twenty-four he is more prepared for death than he is for life.

8. What always comes to Caputo's mind when he thinks of basic training?

9. After a group of VC disappears once again, what does Caputo want to believe?

10. Why do the men continually have to be reminded to keep five paces between them and the next man?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A recurring theme in the book is fear. Using examples of extreme fear in the book, write a paper about how fear can cause people to do things they would not normally do. You may want to relate this to a personal example of behavior when you were very frightened.

Essay Topic 2

Self-preservation is a big consideration for anyone. In the case of Vietnam, there was no way to look at a person and know if he or she was South Vietnamese or VietCong. Write your opinion about the moral dilemma of having to make such a determination and whether it is right to err on the side of personal safety.

Essay Topic 3

Caputo discusses the deterioration of morals as the war goes on. Write your opinion about how extremely adverse situations may affect human morality. Give examples from the book of behavior in Vietnam that would not even be considered in main street USA.

(see the answer keys)

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