View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What happens to an old Vietnamese woman chewing a beetle?

2. Who is Elmer Fudd at division HQ?

3. What does a cynic say about the Navy Crosses Corporal Gautier has won?

4. Why are Caputo and Crowe brought up on charges to face court martial?

5. What is going on inside the operations tent the night of the assault?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the ridiculous hold up in getting the evac helicopters to the platoon?

2. Why is the chaplain upset?

3. How serious are the results of the assault?

4. Coming across a clearing, how does Caputo manage to get to the other side?

5. What effect does Colonel Nickerson have on the morale of the Marines?

6. How does the platoon snap and go on a rampage/

7. What does Corporal Stasek say about the bodies the colonel wants left out for the clerks and General Thompson to see?

8. Describe the Marines in Caputo's dream platoon.

9. What are some of the contradictions Caputo itemizes about the war?

10. What work has to be done as the Regimental HQ is moved to Dai-La Pass?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a paper about understanding different cultures. Use examples from the book to show that people of different cultures often do not understand each other. A good example is the old Vietnamese man trying to sell pornographic pictures to Caputo and his men. He, like so many Asians, had the idea that all Americans are addicted to sexual laxity and vulgarity. On the other hand, the Americans often could not understand the stoic nature of the Vietnamese who show little emotion regardless of circumstances.

Essay Topic 2

Hurry up and wait is a common complaint in the military. However, it is not a phenomenon limited to the armed forces. Write a paper discussing everyday situations where we must meet appointments only to have to sit and wait. [e.g., the doctor's or dentist's office, the DMV, a long line at a movie premier, etc.] Make this paper as humorous as possible.

Essay Topic 3

Write a paper on the idealism of the young and inexperienced. Use Caputo and his platoon leaving Okinawa convinced they could end the war in a matter of days and the new arrivals of Battalion one-three as your examples. If possible relate that to some time in your life when you thought something might be a simple matter to solve even when more experienced people were telling you it was more difficult than you thought.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 813 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample