– “They Carried Ghosts” Essay, Research Paper
Vietnam Soldiers – “They Carried Ghosts”
Essay submitted by Tavia
The relationship between the soldiers of the Vietnam War was different from the
relationships with people from home. The soldiers felt as if they could not tell the whole
truth about the war through their eyes to their loved ones at home. The soldiers that
they were with all the time understood the pain and confusion each other felt, yet no
one talked about it. War changed how people had relationships with others. War could
bring people closer or tear them apart.
The relationships between the soldiers and their families grew or forced them to
become distant. The soldier did not want to worry his parents at home and knew that
they would not understand what he was going through. In the Documentary Dear
America: Letters Home from Vietnam, directed by Bill Couturie, showed these
relationships change. One soldier writes to his mother and tells her that for a second,
he felt as if he was on vacation because it was so beautiful in Vietnam. One had to
think that this man wrote this to his mother only for her to worry less. He did not want
to tell her the whole truth on what was really going on inside of him. Would anyone
from the outside world understand? “P.S. tell mom not to worry, there is nothing I can’t
handle.” The soldiers could handle the physical horrors that were happening to them,
but the mental status of many the soldiers were becoming breakable. How could you
tell someone not to worry about you, when you do not even care what was going to
happen to yourself. The soldiers were all prepared to die, but waiting was what was
driving them crazy. They did not want to tell their 17-year-old girlfriend at home this
because she would never understand. How do you tell someone that you love that you
are loosing your mind and do even know who the enemy is anymore? Downplaying the
whole war situation to your loved one was the only way to keep yourself sane and not
make them worry too much about you. All of the men were scared, yet did not know
how to show it. They could not show it to their families in letters because that could
do nothing but make your mother worry that you were not going to make it. “We all
scared, one can see this emotion in each individual, some hide it with their mouth and
others hide it with their actions. There is no way around it. We all scared.” The soldiers
of the Vietnam War were terrified only because they did not want to die. Humans are
not born killers, and do not know how to play the role of one. The soldiers tried to play
this role as best as they could, but some failed. The families and loved ones of the men
of the war did not know the role playing was taken place because the soldiers did not
want to share it with them. What could someone at home do make them less
frightened? The soldiers did not want people at home worrying about them. “Don’t
worry about me, it wont do anyone could.” Having people who love you worrying about
you all the time only puts more pressure on the soldiers than they already had. The felt
they were forced into a job they did not want to do but must do it anyway. “I’m
scared, not scared enough to quit, I am a marine.” The relationships between the
soldiers and their loved ones changed to do the fact that the experiences of war could
not be demonstrated onto a piece of paper. Their families were not there and did not
experience what the soldiers did. The loved ones of the soldiers grew closer to the
soldiers only out of worry. The soldiers grew closer to their families because they did
not want to die. “Vietnam can kill me, but it can’t make be care.” is the Poster slogan
of the movie Full Metal Jacket, directed by Stanley Kubrick. The men who were send to
train to go to the Vietnam War shared a special relationship between each other that
no one from the outside world could understand. They were all scared, yet did not
know what they were in for. They knew they could die, but that was not a huge worry
for them at that moment. The pain and sadness of going to war was shared with all the
men in this camp. Full Metal Jacket showed how the Vietnam War made different
relationships between the men fighting in it. They all shared different bonds with each
other over different reasons. Some of these marines did not want to show their fear to
anyone because it would make them look weak. Private Joker was someone who was
terrified of war, but did not want to show it to anyone else. Private Pyle represented
the fear and anxiety in all of the soldiers in the war. Private Joker felt the same fear in
Pyle and tried to help Pyle and himself overcome the fear. Joker did not want to admit
that the insecurities Pyle had were feelings he shared. This was why he hesitated and
then hit Pyle five times with the bar of soap and towel, four times more than everyone
else. Pyle was his friend but he did not want to admit he was like Pyle. These men
where trained to be kill the enemy. Pyl
The relationships between Joker and Pyle were the bond of terrifying anxiety.
Joker became a close friend with Cowboy because they both shared fear but did not
show it. Cowboy and Joker were both laid back and afraid. They shared the connection
of not showing your fear, but still having a conscience. They both did not want to be
there and questioned why they were in war. Joker and Cowboy shared a friendship that
was honest and authentic only because the understood what each other was feeling.
They shared a conscience that would not let Vietnam get the best of them.
Staying sane was one of the essential survival tips during the Vietnam War. Rafterman
was close to comparison with Pyle. He was a quiet person, who wanted to be in
combat like everyone else. He was assigned to take the pictures for Joker’s articles.
Joker did not want Rafterman around because Rafterman acted as Jokers
subconscience. Joker did not want to realize that Rafterman was him. Being scared was
a feeling Joker did not want to show. The bond Rafterman and Joker shared was the
feeling of fear. Joker did not comfort him when he was scared only because he did not
know how to comfort himself in the situations of war. Rafterman wanted to be on the
field, but when he was faced with that situation he panicked and did not know how to
handle it. He did not want to kill, nor did Joker. They shared the fear of feeling like a
killer. Not showing human emotions during the Vietnam War was what Animal Lover
symbolized. The Marines wanted to turn all of its men into killers. Animal Lover
represented how playing the role of a killer could turn you into one. He did not listen to
orders and was responsible for Cowboy’s death by bringing him in the sniper’s range.
Animal Lover and Joker did not have a healthy relationship because Animal Lover could
see Joker’s conscience. Animal Lover did not have a conscience. He let Vietnam take all
of his human qualities away from him and turned in him into a monster. Joker did not
want to let that happen to him. Animal Lover and Joker did not get along only because
Joker keep the faith that this dreadful real life nightmare would be over soon and to
make the best of it as much as you can. Animal Lover turned his life into Vietnam. War
turned the soldiers’ emotions into one big roller coaster. They were not sure how they
should feel or how they should react to other soldiers who were going through the
same predicament. In The Things They Carry, by Tim O’Brien, showed the emotions and
fear of these men, who did not know how to handle it. “War is nasty war is fun. War is
thrilling war is drudgery. War makes you a man war makes you dead.” (p.87) The
soldiers were not sure how to feel about being in war. Each man felt this way and felt
each other’s confusion. “They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a
silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.” (p. 9) The soldiers did not
want to admit to each other the pain they were carrying around. They were always
together, yet they all felt alone.
The soldiers were thrown into war and where forced to become close with people they
never knew before. “They carried their own lives.” (p. 15) Each soldier was responsible
for all of the men in their unit, yet they had to worry about themselves first. They grew
to trust and love each other. That was relevant in war. It did not matter who you were
and where you came from they were responsible for each other.
Seeing people that you grew close with die right in front of your eyes felt painful scars
on these men. “You win some…and sometimes you settle for a rain check. It was a
tired line and no one laughed. (p. 12) Death of a close friend was something that could
not be joked about. The relationships of these soldiers grew to such tight bonds, that
they would go mad if a friend of just a few days ago were killed. Trying to image how
this would feel is unobtainable by anyone who was not in the Vietnam War.
The soldiers of the Vietnam War had a silent love for each other. It might have not
been expressed, but it was there. People who where in the war could never image the
bonds the men shared with each other. The families grew more attached to the soldier
because they were frightened. The soldiers were more scared than anyone could
image. No one knew how they should feel about the war. The soldiers and the families
were confused. Some relationships grew stronger while some weakened. Love was
something that kept the soldiers from insanity. The men felt they had to kill because
that was why they were there. Human nature does not teach someone to kill, but to
love. The Vietnam War showed a lot of people the true meaning of love and made
secure relationships for life.
Works Cited
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. Directed by Bill Couturie.
Full Metal Jacket. 1987. Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
O’ Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Penguin Books, 1990.