In every portrayal of a war that depicts combat, soldiers usually form an intensely powerful bond in incredibly brief periods of time. Men who may not have never met under normal circumstances, form a brotherhood, tempered by the harsh realities of combat. The men in “Everything We Had” are no exception. “It wouldn’t have mattered if you came to my platoon tomorrow, if we got it, I would go out and try and save your ass” (115) While out on patrol, these men that were once strangers had to rely on each other for survival; therefore it is only natural that the desire to protect his comrades, regardless of how well he knew them, ran so deep in Lt. Santos. This sort of “instant bonding” (115) was commonplace, and extended to enlisted men as well
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From enlisted men to officers there were soldiers from every branch of the armed forced and although they all had unique experiences, they had highly similar attitudes. Those who were stationed in near major cities, or deep in jungles, saw the more graphic events and they usually saw it with greater frequently. Members of all branches witnessed horrific events, the main effect difference between them was whether they saw people getting killed from the air, land, or sea. Muir and Childress served in the Marine Corps and Army respectively and shared a small portion of the irrational deaths they witnessed. Muir was avoided the use of an interpreter due to methods of questioning, “Their method of questioning people was to slap them upside the head with a revolver” (25) until they admitted to whatever they were being accused of, at which time they were quickly executed. In the span of two day watched three children die from their own artillery, and the civilian “Chrome Dome” get shot point blank, “For a fucking stick of gum” (63). Men across the armed forced had similar attitudes because for many in-country senseless deaths were a regular occurrence. Officers and enlisted men were no different, both groups understood, “at the nitty-gritty it was only survival”
From enlisted men to officers there were soldiers from every branch of the armed forced and although they all had unique experiences, they had highly similar attitudes. Those who were stationed in near major cities, or deep in jungles, saw the more graphic events and they usually saw it with greater frequently. Members of all branches witnessed horrific events, the main effect difference between them was whether they saw people getting killed from the air, land, or sea. Muir and Childress served in the Marine Corps and Army respectively and shared a small portion of the irrational deaths they witnessed. Muir was avoided the use of an interpreter due to methods of questioning, “Their method of questioning people was to slap them upside the head with a revolver” (25) until they admitted to whatever they were being accused of, at which time they were quickly executed. In the span of two day watched three children die from their own artillery, and the civilian “Chrome Dome” get shot point blank, “For a fucking stick of gum” (63). Men across the armed forced had similar attitudes because for many in-country senseless deaths were a regular occurrence. Officers and enlisted men were no different, both groups understood, “at the nitty-gritty it was only survival”