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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. Who is the enemy of American forces?

2. How many hits are made by Downs?

3. What is the name of the radio officer?

4. What type of grass covers most of the area?

5. An American is wounded in which area of his body?

Short Essay Questions

1. When is the platoon moved from the area? Where are they taken to set up a new base camp?

2. How do the soldiers in the battalion refer to the Vietnamese and the Vietcong?

3. What is Downs' rank? Where does Downs go on his first assignment?

4. What is the plan for the base camp once the soldiers arrive on site?

5. Describe the area around the base camp and how it is different than Downs expected.

6. Describe the others at the camp, including Downs' meetings with other soldiers and superiors.

7. What difficulty do the soldiers have when it comes to landing the helicopter? What is the solution to the problem?

8. Downs comes to what realization during this time?

9. Discuss Downs' first mission and the sights he witnesses.

10. How does Downs deal with one of the soldiers that has proven to be lazy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the level of participation in Vietnam by each branch of the military. Which was most involved? Why? What might have changed the face of the war? In your opinion, should the US have been involved in Vietnam? Explain. How did Downs' feel about the US involvement in Vietnam during and after his tour?

Essay Topic 2

Closely examine the various types of weapons used and mentioned throughout the story. What types of weapons were most commonly used? Which were the most popular for snipers and scouts? For soldiers? For members of the infantry? Which weapons were found to be ineffectual? Which weapons might still be used today in a military operation? How do the weapons used in the military compare to those used by individuals?

Essay Topic 3

Downs was among a long line of other soldiers wounded in the line of duty. Examine and discuss various types of wounds that are mentioned in the book. How were the majority of the wounds inflicted? What is the standard treatment of a non-serious wound? What is the standard treatment for a potentially fatal wound? Who attends to the soldiers when they are wounded? How common is it for doctors to be present and to take care of the wounds? When doctors are not around, who performs the work?

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