Fallen Angels

In Charlie Company, Perry is partnered with a young man named Scotty as the person who feeds his machine gun ammunition. As they are getting ready to move out, Scotty and Perry discuss their plans for the future, and Perry realizes that he has no idea what he wants to do after the war. Platoon four of the Charlie Company begins their patrol uneventfully. However, as they near the end of their patrol, somebody begins shooting at a person in the distance. The Lieutenant calls in an artillery strike of white phosphorus. As the Lieutenant yells for a ceasefire, Perry realizes that platoon four has just accidentally attacked platoon one; over 12 American soldiers are killed by friendly fire.

When Perry returns to his squad in Alpha Company, he is questioned by Monaco and Peewee about what happened. Later, Perry approaches Lieutenant Carroll about sending a knife in the mail for his younger brother’s birthday. Lieutenant Carroll gives Perry a silk jacket embroidered with the outline of Vietnam to send to his brother instead. That night, Perry is unable to sleep because of his memories of the chaos that he saw, as many of his fellow soldiers died needlessly due to a careless mistake. Perry sees Brew, a squad mate, praying next to his bunk, and he asks Brew if he can teach him the Lord’s Prayer; Brew allows Perry to borrow his Bible.

Corporal Brunner tells the squad that they are going on a pacification mission to another village. Tired of Brunner’s attitude, Monaco throws a fake grenade and scares the entire squad. In the village, the squad tries to convince the villagers that they are the “good guys” by giving them food and supplies. Perry struggles with the idea that someone could view the Americans as not being on the right side of the conflict, stating that he needs to believe that what he is doing is right. The mission is uneventful, and Peewee buys several homemade salves from the villagers.

When they return to the base, Perry notices that many of the other platoon members are furious that they will be served the same dinner for what feels like the millionth time. As his squad eats, Lieutenant Carroll tells them that they are going back to the village to continue their pacification mission, but he returns an hour later to state that the plans have changed. Peewee and Perry receive mail. Peewee reads a letter from Earlene who claims to be pregnant and still loves him, and Perry receives a letter from Kenny who claims to not have enough money to join the youth basketball team. Perry thinks about his role as a parental figure in Kenny’s life and how his dreams were often laughed off as a child. Lobel also gets a letter from his father, who expresses his disappointment in Lobel for being part of the “war machine.” Lobel is angered by the irony of the situation because he joined the army to prove to his father that he was straight, but his father hates him for being a soldier in what he believes is an unjust war.

The squad receives word that Echo Company had traveled to the same village that Alpha Company had visited and were ambushed; two men were killed, but they could not find the enemy combatant responsible. Alpha Company is being sent back to the village to show the villagers that they can be both peaceful and dangerous.

Perry’s squad is part of a platoon—Perry claims that it is only a platoon on paper and lacks a lot of men—that is being sent to ambush the Viet Cong soldiers who attacked Echo Company. The Viet Cong soldiers terrorized the people in the village that Perry’s squad had visited earlier as retaliation for working with the American soldiers. The platoon sets up an ambush outside of the village, and Perry feels extremely vulnerable. As they wait for the Viet Cong to show up, Perry thinks about how his brother would feel if Perry died and how he is still a virgin despite the stereotypes about African Americans and soldiers.

When the ambush begins, Perry fires blindly into the darkness, unable to see anything; the platoon kills two combatants. The Viet Cong return fire, and Lieutenant Carroll is injured. Sergeant Simpson yells for a helicopter on the radio as the platoon tries to fall back. Johnson and Walowick drag the unconscious Lieutenant Carroll along with them as Monaco and Peewee lay down cover fire. A helicopter comes to evacuate them and fires on the village, destroying it completely and killing many of the civilians they had discussed peace with days prior. The helicopter takes them to Chu Lai, where Lieutenant Carroll dies from his gunshot wound. Monaco leads the squad in prayer, repeating the one that Lieutenant Carroll would say about “angel soldiers” and death.

Lieutenant Carroll’s death leaves the squad shaken; this is the first time that they have lost someone whom they all loved and respected. Sergeant Simpson asks Perry to write a letter to Lieutenant Carroll’s wife, stating that this is what Lieutenant Carroll needs. Perry writes the letter, expressing that he respected Lieutenant Carroll and that Carroll died bravely. Perry wonders how his mother would react to receiving a similar letter; they have a complicated relationship because of her alcohol addiction. Later, Stewart calls Perry into his office where he and a translator are interrogating a Viet Cong soldier. Stewart asks Perry if he is able to type because his letter was so well written. Perry states that he can’t and leaves.

Lobel approaches Perry and admits that he feels responsible for Lieutenant Carroll’s death. He feels that if he had shot more or tried harder that Lieutenant Carroll might not have died. Perry tries to console Lobel by stating that he was firing in the dark and had no idea where he was shooting.

As a reward for their performance against the Viet Cong, each member of the squad is promoted to corporal, and Lobel and Brunner are promoted to sergeant. Perry tries to find a reason for Lieutenant Carroll’s death and why the war is happening in the first place. Later, the platoon gets a new Lieutenant named Lieutenant Gearhart, who has only been in Vietnam for two months. Peewee receives a letter from Perry’s mother stating that she is happy that Perry has a friend, and if anything happens to Perry, to tell him that she loves him. The squad watches TV and sees their news feature air. Perry notices how he looks much older and different. No one mentions Lieutenant Carroll, who is still alive in the recording.

The squad discusses the fact that some men back in the United States are burning their draft cards. Brunner states that this is the reason why their platoons are constantly short on men. Later, Johnson asks Perry about his opinion on the people who are protesting the Vietnam War. Both Perry and Johnson admit that they hadn’t thought about it much when they enlisted; Perry is no longer sure who the good guy is. Johnson tells him that there is no good guy and no meaning to find within this war. As Perry falls asleep, he wonders if people can be good or if they’re inherently bad. In the middle of the night, the squad is woken up by a rocket attack. While nobody is injured, Sergeant Simpson states that he is worried that Stewart is about to get them all killed. Later, Peewee and Perry try to set up netting around their beds to keep the bugs out.