The author, Tim O'Brien did a wonderful job of giving us insight into all the different objects each individual carried during the Vietnam War and probably all wars. For those of us who were not there, we hear stories of how bad the war was, but we forget how their bodies must have been so tired and worn out from sleep deprivation, stress from losing friends to death or injury, stress of not knowing if you are going to be killed yourself at any moment, and then to top it all off, having to carry huge amounts of gear around that weighs a lot. Wow, what harsh conditions to experience.
At the end of the story when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross began to burn the love letters and pictures sent to him by Martha, I could feel and understand why he felt he had to do that. He had to let go of the world thousands of miles away so he could focus and lead his men as his position demanded. If he continues to lose men on account of his lack of dedication, he realizes that it will haunt him for the rest of his life. He also realized that the men under his care are counting on him to pay full attention and keep his head in the war for all their sakes. I believe he also realized that if he made it back to the states alive, he was going to be a hardened person inside and may not be capable of giving the love to Martha that he thinks she deserves.
I thought the author did a very good job describing the different objects that the GIs carried in the Vietnam war. His descriptions of their particular jobs were quite amazing as well. I like your evaluation of what was going through Lt. Cross's mind when he burned his letters from Martha. Having done two tours in Iraq, I know the importance that Lt. Cross demonstrates here in keeping your mind free of distractions and concentrated on the mission(s) at hand. I think it goes without saying but those were some very tough and courageous men, Semper Fidelis.
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