Lieutenant Colonel

several young American soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War on the outskirts of a small village, Than Khe. The soldiers are under the command of the main character, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Through his storytelling, O’Brien describes the multiple weights and burdens young men of war carry in order to survive. The soldiers in Lieutenant Cross 's platoon carry more than just tangible burdens such as: weapons, gear, and other essentials. O’Brien explains to his readers that the heaviest…

heaviness of their hearts and minds, but also the knowledge that “…there was at least the single abiding certainty that they would never be at a loss for things to carry (O 'Brien).” which in itself strips these weary soldiers of hope. Fortunately, Lieutenant Cross decides his men- and he himself- “…would get their shit together, and keep it together… (O 'Brien)”, further demonstrating his determination to prevent history from repeating itself. The narrator does a brilliant job of showing the…

The short stories, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and “The Fireman’s Wife” by Richard Bausch have resonated with me after reading them this semester. I am able to draw similarities from what I’ve read and associate them with the story. Doing so made what I read capture my full attention and transport me into the story. Also, I discovered and tackled flaws in my own character in the process. I found both of these short stories to have been thought provoking and an interesting read as…

Lincoln On Leadership Over the years I have been fortunate enough to attend several leadership courses. Some were really helped me to relook at the way I do things, while others were only marginal. In one way or another, they were all built around how to influence others to get the mission completed. Prior to reading Lincoln On Leadership by Donald T. Phillips I had never realized that Lincoln was truly an amazing leader. Phillips explorers Lincoln’s life through his anecdotes and his…

Things They Carried,” First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is torn between the love he deserts at home and the troops he is assigned to protect in Vietnam. Under multiple circumstances Lieutenant Cross is found daydreaming about his “love” for Martha rather than focusing on the task at hand. Lieutenant Cross is blind in thinking that Martha returns the love that he endures for her; however, she still seems to remain in the forefront of his mind. Ted Lavender, one of Lieutenant Cross’s men, dies in the…

The door is locked. The mother knocks twice, but there is no answer. She knocks four more times, each rap on the wood with her manicured nails more intense than the last; the sinking feeling in her stomach deepens. Knocking turns to banging, banging to screaming, and screaming to destruction as the mother breaks down the door. Her son lies on the floor, white capsules surrounding his cold body. The rest is a blur. In the following years she does not sleep at night, guilt haunting her as a ghost…

John MacDonald was the son of Alexander MacDonald of Genaladal and Margaret MacDonald of Scotland; John had three siblings Donald, a younger brother, and sisters Helen and Peggy. John, his brother and sisters went to St. John’s Island in May of 1772 aboard the Alexander bringing with them 210 settlers. Things would get harder for the MacDonald’s, John and Donald went off to war leaving Helen in charge of their estate. The situation on St. John’s Island would only become worse with proprietors…

describing the regiment of birds, “She is the honorary colonel of the regiment. And as for Cully, well, he is a colonel too, even if he is infantry, so you must mind your p’s and q’s” (White 70). This quote demonstrates what he learns because even though Cully is of lower status, he still respects him. He also learns to trust his knowledge and instincts in difficult situations. This lesson can be seen when he is being tested by the honorary colonel and he is not sure of the right answer, “‘What…

Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) has four to twenty years experience being a leader and is the backbone of the U.S. Army; meanwhile, the Second Lieutenant is fresh out of college with no experience being a leader. The Lieutenant will hold higher rank, have generally higher pay grade, as well as be put in charge of protecting the lives of the NCO’s plus the junior enlisted. A 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army is known as a "Butter Bar", a reference to the gold bar rank insignia worn on the uniform.…

XI. The Removal of Colonel Reb as the Mascot The progression of the University’s image began in 1997 with the ban of the Confederate flag in the football stadium by, then Chancellor Robert Khayat. This was the result then Athletic Director, Pete Boone and student leaders who approved a resolution asking Ole Miss fans to stop waving Rebel flags at athletic events. In an interview Boone stated that the flag hurt recruitment (Cabell, 1997). "I mean, we 've got a great university here, a great…