The Ghost Soliders

This chapter was funnier than the last couple. It reveals that Tim O'Brien is sort of a mad man. To contemplate vengeance against Booby Jorgenson, who was new to the field and who was trying his best under mutual circumstances, is kind of crazy. Also, when O'Brien is extracting his revenge it's funny that he tries to recruit someone like Mitchell Sanders first who earlier in the chapter he describes as someone who "believed in the power of morals" so of course Sanders wouldn't want to morally obligate himself with O'Brien. So then O'Brien enlists Azar who is perfectly fine with what Tim is planning because Azar is obviously "just a boy."

It's eerie when Tim and Azar are playing with Jorgenson because Tim goes on to describe it as "I was the beast on their lips - I was Nam - the horror, the war." This is vaguely reminiscent of when Mary Anne Bell said "I just want to eat this place. Vietnam. [...] I just want to eat it and have it there inside me." It's something about this country and this time that has a profound effect on people, or that's how the author is describing it, that makes them want to feel one with the country: the landscape, the people, the violence. It's an odd connection that someone who is mentally sound would want but as one can read that at the end of the chapter, after all is said and done between Tim and Bobby, Azar wants to continue and goes as far as calling Tim "disgusting" because he's made his peace. I find it funny that Tim says to Bobby "Let's kill Azar."