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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 shoots at the soldier?

2. Downs and his platoon return to which camp?

3. The platoon ends up in an area referred to as a _____ zone.

4. The soldier manages to dive behind a ____ to keep from being shot.

5. How is Downs spared from being caught and killed?

Short Essay Questions

1. How and why is Downs rewarded for his actions in the field?

2. Sells sends Downs and his men on a foot patrol. Where does Sells send the men? What change has there been in personnel?

3. What is the irony surrounding the major injuries sustained by Downs?

4. Explain what the author means by the genocidal aspect of the war. How does Downs justify this behavior?

5. Who arrives to assist the soldiers? What happens during the operation?

6. Explain the trip to the area around the Tam Ky province. What is the general atmosphere of the area.

7. The day after the conflict, there is another ambush. Who is ambushed? The recent events cause the men to have what realization? What is the reaction of the soldiers?

8. The American soldiers stumble upon a Vietcong camp. Describe what happens next.

9. What incident takes place involving the seven civilians? What is the attitude of the soldiers on both sides?

10. Discuss Downs' opinion of the base camp and area surrounding Pleiku.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the personal and professional lives of Sells and Downs. Which was more experienced? Which had sharper skills? What was the personal relationship between the two men? How did others view the men as commanding officers and experts? Do you think Sells and Downs are the type to maintain a relationship outside the military? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how Downs must have felt arriving back in the United States after being in Vietnam. How would you have felt in the same situation? Which would feel stranger to you - arriving in the States or going home to your house? Explain. Also, write about how friends and family might treat you differently after you returned home from war. What kind of treatment would one expect? Would it be different depending on amount or extent of wounds? Would it be different if the wounds were physical or mental?

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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