Michael Herr
Michael Herr is the author of the collection, and in the fashion of the New Journalism movement, he is the protagonist and the narrator. Herr was a war correspondent writing for various publications such as Esquire. He views the traditional journalists skeptically, and suggests that they are distanced from the events that they cover, and that they all copy one another’s sentiment. Rebelling against this notion, Herr engages in the front lines of the war. He is posted at Khe Sahn and the battle for Hue. He is in close proximity to the soldiers and the combats. Unlike other journalists, he is respected by the soldiers, and they trust him with their stories though they are in disbelief that he chooses to stay in the war zone when he could leave. Along with fellow journalists Sean Flynn and Tim Page, Herr partakes in the culture of drugs and rock and roll, smoking marijuana and listening to the music of Hendrix, and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Herr is also skeptical of the war effort, and attempts to provide a humanizing face for the North Vietnamese Army. While all the events of the novel are filtered through Herr, it is also important to note that they are not all factually correct. Characters such as Mayhew and Daytripper may not have actually existed, and if they did, facts about their lives were created or exaggerated. In this sense, Herr does not aim to capture a completely accurate portrayal of the war, in fact he suggest that this is impossible. Rather, he attempts to capture the moods, emotions and ironies of the war, and to do so employs a level of artistic latitude.
Sean Flynn
Sean Flynn is the son of famous actor Errol Flynn. After working as an actor on several productions, Flynn is in the war zone working as a photojournalist. Herr pays frequent attention to Flynn’s physical form. He is incredibly handsome and charismatic, and is well-liked by both the soldiers and fellow journalists. Herr suggests that Flynn did not like being known as the son of Errol Flynn and attempts to distance himself from this fact. With Herr, Flynn engages in the drug and rock and roll culture of the era. He is known as an incredible risk-taker, and will go wherever possible to document the combat. As the novel ends, it is revealed that Flynn and journalist Dana Stone disappeared while riding on motorcycles to a press conference in Saigon in 1970. Herr suspects that they were apprehended at a North Vietnamese checkpoint. Their bodies were never found, and Herr deeply mourns the passing of his friend.
Tim Page
Tim Page is a British photojournalist also covering the war with Herr and Flynn. He is portrayed as a crazy, wily character with little regard to his personal safety. He is shot at, hit with shrapnel, wounded, but still he remains to cover the war. Because of his tenacity, several of the journalists view him as a liability and a dangerous character. Like Herr and Flynn, he consumes drugs, though at a far larger, and more passionate scale than the others Later, he is hit in the head with shrapnel and seriously wounded, and is forced to leave the war zone for treatment. Born in 1944, he is the youngest of the journalists, and the only Brit. Though his character is absent for much of the novel, it is revealed that he was in the United States following the rock group The Doors and was arrested for drug possession.
Dana Stone
Dana Stone was an American photojournalist who worked for CBS and was posted with Herr, Flynn and Page in Vietnam. Like Flynn, he is a risk-taker and dedicated photographer. Of the Herr’s main friends, he is featured the least throughout the novel. In 1970, he disappeared with Flynn while riding a motorcycle to Saigon.
Mayhew
Mayhew is a young American soldier, known for his rambunctious attitude. He is only briefly featured, in conjunction with his friend Daytripper. He is an energetic character, and his company-mates belief he will die as a result of his lack of safety. His character is left as he re-enlists for another tour of duty. Along with Daytripper, Herr admitted that he was completely fictionalized.
Daytripper
Daytripper is an African-American Marine, and friend of Mayhew’s. He often chides his friend for his foolish behavior, and criticizes his wish to re-enlist. He expresses sympathies for the Black Panthers. Herr admitted that he was a fictionalized character.
