Tim O’Brien, an American novelist, once said “Fiction is the lie that helps us understand the truth.” The soldiers lived through things that we could not fathom. In relation to Vietnam, the movie Forrest Gump snuck its way into my mind. Tim’s style of writing is why I am a fan of his stories, like Where Have You Gone Charming Billy? in particular. As a result, it made this book a real page turner. Soldiers in the Vietnam war carried an astonishing amount of items with them. I remain in awe of how much they carried. In certain circumstances, I can relate to them carrying such an abundance. My gym bag weighs in at about forty pounds and I carry it around when it needs to be hauled from one place to another. Although, unlike the people in the
