The twelve short accounts in this book enlighten both civilians and military people on life as a soldier. In spite of the fact that all of them are about the same topic, they are all unique. The majority of them are dedicated to the USA’s presence in Iraq in 2003, but some of them take us to Afghanistan and even Vietnam. In spite of the fact that each story has a different protagonist, there is a feeling that these people are close, that they understand each other perfectly, and can relate to everything that is said by their comrades.
The first story – Redeployment – is written from the perspective of sergeant Price. He and his fellow Marines return home. In spite of initial gladness to be back and the fact that Cheryl – his wife – is actually happy to see him, the man can’t forget about the war. He still remembers vividly how they shot dogs, fought with insurgents, and just tried to survive. Price looks at his own old dog and sees the ones he shot. The story ends with a disturbing scene that depicts how the man shoots his dog. He doesn’t want to pay a vet and make him do the dirty job. It takes him a lot of strengths to pull a trigger this time.
Frago immerses readers in fears. The squad of marines is ordered to “drop the fucking house.” The operation leaves them all drained, exhausted. They find people who were severely tortured, so that the terrorist could videotape them later. The scene is so disturbing that some of them will need psychologists’ help.
After action report is a story that shows how difficult it is to accept an idea that you have done a wrong thing. Timhead accidentally shoots a boy who played with a rifle. It is his friend – a fellow Marine – who makes him talk about the whole situation.
Bodies shows that side of any war that people doesn’t even want to think about. Fights result in deaths and that means that someone has to clean up after that. This Marine serves in the Mortuary Affairs. The experience is so horrific that he doesn’t tell anyone about it. Those who are nosy enough are rewarded with even more terrible stories invented by him to teach them a lesson.
OIF is the story about a real war hero, a proud owner of Purple Heart, who desperately wishes that his friends were alive.
Money as a weapons system is one of the kindest stories. The Marine fights to keep his project afloat. Unfortunately for him, the investors don’t seem to be interested in spending their money on women’s clinic.
In Vietnam they had whores explores a theme of a physical need and a war.
Prayer in the furnace is a story of a priest who tries to find a way to encourage soldiers with PSTD. There are moments when he starts losing faith himself. Psychological operations are a dialogue between a young female who becomes a Muslim and a young veteran. He tells her about his life, for she is the only one person who hasn’t even had any kind of respect for him. On the contrary, she accuses him of killing his own people.
War stories depict a scene in a bar. Three veterans – one female with an injury, a perfectly healthy male and a male with destroyed face – and a young actor discuss how war has changed their lives.
Useless it’s a sucking chest wound is a story of a young veteran who gets out of Afghanistan and tries to rebuild his life.
Ten Kliks South describes a fight and aftershock that two Marines experience.
