A Narrow Escape - Paper

Throughout the story the theme that actions have serious consequences is evident. In the moment the sniper is ready and eager to shoot at the enemy. But after the moment is over, the sniper realizes just how awful his actions are.

In the poem “The Man in the Dead Machine,” Donald Hall uses vivid imagery and alternative scenarios to emphasize the sheer overwhelming specter of death that loomed over those serving in the greatest conflict known to man. The hook that Hall uses to initially provoke the readers interest is the mentioning of the Grumman Hellcat, a fighter plane used by Americans in World War II. Specifying the model of the fighter plane allows the reader to be knowledgeable about the setting of the poem. The meaning of this poem focuses on the destructivity wartime causes on the life of those in service. The main focal point Hall emphasizes throughout his poem is the uncertainty of life and death. However, other important targets of this poem are suicide

In the story “When Engaging Targets, Remember” by Gavin Ford Kovite. Represents the idea that modern warfare puts young men in an impossible situation. This story also tells that people who are serving their country and putting their lives first to protect others. Throughout the story, the narrator has made a really difficult decision on a car that is moving closer to the shipment and he has to make a decision that water to shoot or to let them go.

The speaker's life before war is left far below and even feels like an illusion. Like a "dream," it is gone. When the speaker “woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters”, he woke up to his worst nightmare, enemy fighters approaching the bomber. If we take a close look at lines three and four together, there is a stark contrast. Line three is very peaceful and serene, the words “dream”, “life”, and “earth” usually have positive connotations; while line four is certain death, with words like “nightmare” and “black flak”. The last line of the poem is very straightforward, and is almost prose. It tells us exactly what we need to know. When the bomber got back to the base, they cleaned the speakers remains out of the turret with a hose. If we continue the metaphor of the bomber being the mother, we can conclude that the speaker is being born into death through the womb of “the State”.

"We didn 't think much of them. With all the ships, we felt secure," Orval Hasty stated about Japan. Just before 8 in the morning, this statement changed. Orval heard planes from barracks so he went outside. There were explosions and gunfire. "It was a furious deal. The sky was filled with planes, flames, smoke and dust," Orval said. He was scared, but he quickly joined the battle. "I was too young to do much thinking," Orval added. Orval was ordered to distribute information about the attack to the officers. He got in a truck and headed off. Near the

Thus, Smith was a very proud and boastful man. Before reaching 25, he battled in many areas, such as the Netherlands and Hungary. He fought at sea off the Atlantic coast, where he was captured as a slave. As a slave, he was rough and beaten. The Indians that captured him brought him to their leader named

Before the narrator was deployed his mother told him that no matter what happened, he that must always look after his brother. Then she proceeded to tell him a story about his father and his father’s brother. She said that one Saturday night his father and his father’s brother were coming home and they were both a little drunk. They were headed down a hill and beneath them was a road that turned off from the highway. So, his father’s brother, being kind of frisky, decided to run down this hill. Then his father heard a car motor not too far away, and that same moment, his brother stepped from behind the tree and started to cross the road. So, his father started to run down the hill and when he looked at the car he noticed that it was full of drunken white men looking to have a good time. When the men saw his father’s brother they let out great whoops and hollers and aimed the car at his father’s brother, running him over. So, as a result of hearing that story the narrator promised to his mother that he would always look after his brother and the narrator kept his promise, but in the end he just pushed his brother further and further

In this book, Tim O’brien reveals all his experiences in detail about the war; as well as stories about his fellow soldiers, and makes a true, but over the top about them. He explains how he feels through stories that are difficult to clearly identify as “true.” This book has a lot of themes, death and violence is one of the major themes.

During that summer he took many different back strengthening exercises, and in September he was accepted by the Navy. In March 1943, as a lieutenant he took command of a PT (torpedo) boat in the Solomon Islands. On the night of August 2, his boat was cruising west of New Georgia it was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. He rallied the survivors and managed to get them to an island after being thrown across the deck onto his back. He then towed a wounded man three miles through a rough journey through different seas. He was a very brave man, for several days he risked his life repeatedly, swimming into dangerous waters hoping to find a rescue ship. He finally met up with two friendly islanders and sent them for aid with a message that he carved on a coconut. Back home he received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and the Purple Heart, but his earlier back injury had been aggravated, and unfortunately he contracted malaria. After an operation on his back, he was discharged early in 1945.

As the plane lands in Atlanta, Georgia two hundred others and I are escorted by Drill Sergeants to the buses. Several hours go by and finally I arrive at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. I glance at my watch, it’s three o’clock in the morning. The Drill Sergeants are screaming “MOVE PRIVATES! WE DON’T HAVE ALL DAY!” I run as fast as I can to formation just to stand at the position of attention for three hours. The morning sun is beating me in the face and the Drill Sergeants are still yelling.

Through the overcast skies appeared a silver bomber, the largest aircraft anyone had ever seen. It was the Boeing B-29 Dinah Might, crippled in a raid over Tokyo, seeking an emergency landing on the island's scruffy main airstrip. As the Americans in the vicinity held their breaths, the big bomber swooped in from the south, landed heavily, clipped a field telephone pole with a wing, and shuddered to a stop less than 50 feet from the end of the strip. Lt. F. Malo and his 10-man crew were extremely glad to be alive, but they did not stay long. Every Japanese gunner within range wanted to bag this prize. Mechanics made field repairs within a half-hour. Then the 65-ton Superfortress lumbered aloft through a hail of enemy fire and headed back to its base in Tinian Island. The Marines

Yossarian’s squadron is thrown into extremely brutal combat and bombing runs for seemingly no other reason than to take actual pictures of the explosions. The squadron is required to fly more and more of these very dangerous missions, no one is ever sent home, and Yossarian insists than millions of people are trying to kill him.

As I stood in the gunner’s hatch completely focused with a firm grip on the 240B machine gun that was mounted on top of the Stryker I was assigned to. I listened to all the radio traffic that was being sent across the net hopeful and eager that maybe there was a chance we could recover the Soldier that had been taken captive. My heart was racing and the anticipation was high that night as it was pitch black and all you could see was the gun fight’s that were ensuing all throughout the Area of Operation (A.O.). As I scanned the surrounding area we were assigned that night to block off, all that kept running through my mind was we have to get this guy back.

He charges out to the front lines, along with other soldiers. The gun trembles in his hand and he wills himself not to drop it. Above him, aircrafts beat their heavy wings, whirring as they drop bombs down below. Jimin bites back his tears and his fears, and surrenders himself to the mistakes of his country.