Ivan, Rudi, Morris & Beck made a pledge that if one of them was drafted into the Vietnam War then they would all go. Out of the four of them Ivan is the only one who is excited to go and fight. His father is a proud WWII veteran and Ivan has grown up listening to all of his war stories. He has always been one to stand up and fight for his friends.
When Rudi is drafted Ivan signs up with the Army. He is excited to get to Vietnam and start fighting for his country just like his dad. He has trained to be an elite sniper but he soon finds out that he cannot tell who the enemy is. It isn’t like the Civil War, in Vietnam they all look alike, North or South. Who is the real enemy? Once in the middle of the war he finds himself living in the suffocating jungle, participating in gruesome and bloody battles and watches as his fellow soldiers are killed in front of him. What he finds leaves Ivan questioning what he’s really fighting for and if he can even hope to help win this war. 187 pages
Recommended by: Joleen Waltman, Librarian, Idaho USA
