In the chapter “On the Rainy River”, Tim tell a story that he's held hidden inside of him for two decades, buried by embarrassment and shame. He was only twenty one when he received a letter that he was being drafted into the Vietnam War. Tim was devastated. He felt as if he had his whole life planned out. He had a full ride scholarship for grad studies at Harvard. He knew he was not military material. Tim stated “. I remember a sound in my head. It wasn't thinking, just a silent howl. A million things all at once - I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, too everything. It couldn't happen. I was above it” (173). He firmly believed that there was no reason for him to go to war, and through this quote the reader can infer
