“The Last Mission”
The Last Mission is a book by Harry Mazer. This book is about Jack Raab, a fifteen-year-old Jewish boy who lies about his age so he can join the Army during World War II. Jack’s brother was unable to join the Army because of his rheumatic heart so Jack decided he needs to represent the Raab family to fight Hitler. He steals his brother’s birth certificate and is sworn into the Army. The “Last Mission” exposes the excitement of war versus the reality of war.
Jack was living in America and had wild ideas about being a hero and killing Hitler himself. ‘Ever since the war started Jack and his friends had been playing commando, dividing into two teams, the Nazis and the commandos. Jack was alwas a commando and when he got one …show more content…
When Jack met the pilot of the B-17 he would crew for he decided to learn everything he could about flying the plane. He thought if the pilots got shot up then he could bring the plane down safely. ‘We owe our lives to you, Jack Raab! Lieutenant Martin would insist the Air Corps make him a pilot. The newspapers would write up the story of the untrained Jewish kid who, alone, brought a B-17 down to a safe landing and saved his entire crew.’ (pg 15) The dream of being a hero glorified war. But the reality of the war would soon set it.
He soon realizes that war isn’t to be glorified. ‘It wasn’t the war he’d dreamed it would be back home in The Bronx.’ (pg 83) He had to be alert all the time, sleep was scarce. Men were dying every day and planes didn’t come home. That was the daily grind of war.
Jack Raab was a young boy who had a dream that he would have an impact on Hitler and WW2. He had a simple view of Nazi’s and the Allies and didn’t understand the daily realities of fear and death. Many young men want to go to war for the excitement they think war will bring. The reality is so much different. The Last Mission is an important book because it reveals the boyhood dreams for what they are. Just
The Last Mission is a book by Harry Mazer. This book is about Jack Raab, a fifteen-year-old Jewish boy who lies about his age so he can join the Army during World War II. Jack’s brother was unable to join the Army because of his rheumatic heart so Jack decided he needs to represent the Raab family to fight Hitler. He steals his brother’s birth certificate and is sworn into the Army. The “Last Mission” exposes the excitement of war versus the reality of war.
Jack was living in America and had wild ideas about being a hero and killing Hitler himself. ‘Ever since the war started Jack and his friends had been playing commando, dividing into two teams, the Nazis and the commandos. Jack was alwas a commando and when he got one …show more content…
When Jack met the pilot of the B-17 he would crew for he decided to learn everything he could about flying the plane. He thought if the pilots got shot up then he could bring the plane down safely. ‘We owe our lives to you, Jack Raab! Lieutenant Martin would insist the Air Corps make him a pilot. The newspapers would write up the story of the untrained Jewish kid who, alone, brought a B-17 down to a safe landing and saved his entire crew.’ (pg 15) The dream of being a hero glorified war. But the reality of the war would soon set it.
He soon realizes that war isn’t to be glorified. ‘It wasn’t the war he’d dreamed it would be back home in The Bronx.’ (pg 83) He had to be alert all the time, sleep was scarce. Men were dying every day and planes didn’t come home. That was the daily grind of war.
Jack Raab was a young boy who had a dream that he would have an impact on Hitler and WW2. He had a simple view of Nazi’s and the Allies and didn’t understand the daily realities of fear and death. Many young men want to go to war for the excitement they think war will bring. The reality is so much different. The Last Mission is an important book because it reveals the boyhood dreams for what they are. Just