The title of the story is symbolic in that the literal things they carried with them were representative of their ranking. Jimmy Cross for example carries a different type of gun, maps, compasses, and the responsibility to secure his troops. Ted Lavender carried extra ammo, dope, tranquilizers, which proves him to not of made the most logical decisions. “more than 20 pounds of ammunition, plus the flak jacket and helmet and rations and water and toilet paper and tranquilizers and all the rest, plus the unweighted fear.”(116) Ted Lavender was an irresponsible character and is very much at fault for his own death. It could have been that the extra physical weight he beared caused him to not escape the enemy. Also, Lavender had a heavy supply
