"THE THINGS THEY CARRY"

First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried letters from a girl named Martha. She was not in love with him, although he was in love with her. I have saw this happen a lot with guys in the military. They need something to hold on to and low and behold a female fits that need. I do believe that a man's family is about the best thing to hold on to because you already know where they all stand with you and you can trust those relationships more than a hopeful woman.

Each man in this group carried items of necessity. To carry something was referred to as "hump it". Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps.
He would day dream about her along the march in Vietnam. As dangerous as it was in war, that was hardly the place to fantasize about a relationship with the opposite sex, but people are human beings. Humans have the natural desire to be loved!

Ted Lavender was shot and killed. Lieutenant Cross felt the pain. He blamed himself. He was grieving for Ted Lavender but mostly it was for Martha and for himself. War is a hard thing. The feeling are loneliness, fear, and cold. I believe that Cross wanted to know that this woman loved him, but he did not have this assurance. He felt also that it was his duty to protect Ted Lavender and he was killed. These factors all together can be confusing for anyone.

The Lieutenant's in some deep hurt. They were waiting for the chopper to pick up the body of Ted Lavender. The rest of the troupe carried all the emotional baggage of men who would die. They carried these things in side. The things that the men carried inside were items needed to stay alive, fear of being the next one dead, and was being in Vietnam fighting a war was the place to be at this time. The things they carried!

On the morning after Ted Lavender died. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross burned Martha's letters and her photographs. Lavender was dead he could not burn the blame. He took out his maps and began to plan the day's march. From that point on when he thought about Martha, it would be only to think that she belonged elsewhere. She was not in a war in Vietnam, Cross was.
Cross needed his whole mind to be there at all times, his men depended on it.

On the march Johnny Cross would impose strict field disciple on the men. He would accept the blame for what happened to Ted Lavender. Cross would not tolerate laxity from the men. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross reminded himself that his obligation was not to be loved, but to lead.

In this piece of literature I really saw what being in war in another country is like for soldiers. I will carry the right type of respect in the future of our men!