Although the overall tone of the essay illustrates Hockenberry’s implied thesis that Hockenberry accepts, and even admires, the work of milbloggers, he also identifies a few downfalls of the ability to post in real-time without the direct ability of the Pentagon and Commanding Officers of units to control it. In a few circumstances, casualty information was given out, which violates privacy rules set in place for families of the injured or deceased, as it could upset next of kin. However, steps are being implemented to better control jeopardizing operational security rules. The
“In a true war story nothing is ever absolutely true” (O’Brien 78) In the chapter, “How to Tell a True War Story,” O’Brien eloquently argues that the absolute and objective truth of a story is irrelevant when compared to the visceral reaction it provokes. Most importantly for O’Brien, a war story most closely approaches truth if it disgusts, horrifies, muddles, and forces one to consider some deeper, darker element of human nature that most would prefer remain unexplored. O’Brien bolsters his rationale in his retelling of a Hollywood, romanticized story of a man jumping on a grenade to save his fellow friends: Although the second version of this story, in which the grenade kills the entire group despite the jumper’s sacrifice, quite possibly never have happened, it may “be truer than the truth” (O’Brien, 2009). Like a true war story, it induces discomfort, uncertainty and is unclear in its greater purpose or lesson. This added human element of embarrassment and distress is what makes the second story truer the first.
War. It is a pretty broad subject, especially in books. In fact, it is what Ender’s Game, written by Orson Scott Card, was written entirely about. But what is war? According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, war is described as “a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism; a state of usual open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations; a struggle between opposing forces or for a particular end.” This is a logical explanation, but it brings up a question.
He did not have a choice and therefore he hated everything about serving other than the friend he made and the good times they shared together. Telling stories is what helps him find peace where there was none to be found. “How to Tell a True War Story” evaluates the relationship between war experience, storytelling, and friendship as a soldier’s insight is manipulated by the Vietnam War. Kiley’s reaction to his best friend Lemon’s death results to a strong representation of cruelty and suffering. “War is nasty; war is fun.
Unfortunately this was too late for those who served in the Vietnam War. When the soldiers came home, they were given the cold shoulder. People were even blaming the service member for the war. These soldiers did what the President told them to do; protect the US from communism. For this these service members had no place in society in follow Americans eyes.
The choice is yours. If you believe that the media is right so be it, but if you think they are wrong look into it. But if you think they are right, you can tell all the war veterans and current soldiers that what they did as a living is wrong and is a disgrace. See what they have to say to you. They put their life on the line to protect the sorry Americans who are to caught up in what they drive and how they look to look at the big picture.
Ryan Roszko English 1302 Ms. Davis 10/09/09 How to Tell a True War Story The essence of a true war story can strike beautiful and dark feelings of despair and triumph in the pit of one’s soul. The beauty comes from the detail and the reality of the images hitting your mind like a bullet hitting another bullet in mid flight. The darkness comes from the realization of the gut retching truth in the story. All aspects come together in Tim O’Brien’s How to Tell a War Story. Tim O’Brien writes his short story How to Tell a War Story in 1990, giving him plenty of time to reflect on his past experiences in Vietnam fighting alongside his buddies.
He is honest of what he is saying. And also he is reflective because he has use himself as an example to show how much he dislike it, which is a great example to explain why he doesn’t like it. “In a job like that you see the dirty work of empire at close quarters.” * The reason why I choose “C. lugubrious and regretful” is because I’m totally guessing at that time. Well, he is kind of sad about his life by doing the thing he doesn’t like, which is kind of lugubrious.
Veterans needed to write in order to give themselves closure of some sort. The veterans expressed how they felt and what happened in the war through the literature. They needed that outlet but the American public was not quite ready for it. Tim O’Brien states, “She’ll explain that as a rule she hates war stories, she can’t understand why people want to wallow in all the blood and gore.” Most literature written was uncensored, the Vietnam veterans didn’t hold back with what actually went on. But the American public wasn’t ready for that type of exposure.
So how are a tale and the truth distinguished? In “How to Tell a True War Story,” Tim O’Brien gives a certain criteria to a true war story that allows the reader to determine whether the story is true or not, based on morality, exaggeration, difficulty, meaning, and more. “It doesn’t suggest proper human behavior,” states O’Brien. In “Sweetheart of the Song of Tra Bong,” Mary Anne displays strange behavior. From the story Rat Kiley is telling, she goes from a beautiful sweetheart, to an ugly land loving creature.