How to Tell a True War Story

Pages: 64-82
Group #: 3
Group members: Tyler Eldridge, Shannon Stockman

The Things They Carried

Tim OBrien

In the vignette How to Tell a True War Story, Tim OBrien

references the dierences between what actually happens in
a war and how wars are described in stories. This vignette
begins with Bob Rat Kiley writing a letter to the sister of
one of his friends who had recently died in Vietnam. Rat
puts a great deal of time and eort into the letter. OBrien
describes Rat almost bawling while writing it and how
touching it is. Rat waits for two months, and the sister of his
friend never responds. OBrien explains how a true war
story is never moral. It doesnt encourage virtue or suggest
models of proper human behavior. OBrien goes on to
describe how the death of the friend, Curt Lemon, occurs.
He describes how Rat and Curt are goong around during
the fatal incident. OBrien states how its dicult to
separate what happens from what seems to happen. He
describes how the angles of vision are skewed and how the
pictures get jumbled. Some stories, according to OBrien,
are just beyond telling. He hears a story from Mitchell
Sanders about a six-man patrol that goes up into the
mountains.

Their job is to spend a week up in the mountains and to listen for

enemy movement. While there, they start to hear voices and call
airstrikes in on the mountains. OBrien says you can tell a true
war story by the way it never seems to end. At one point, the
troops come across a baby water bualo high in the mountains.
Rat Kiley goes over to the bualo and shoots it many times. But it
isnt with the intent to kill the bualo, it is with the intent to hurt
it. Rat has a very dicult time dealing with Curts death, and he
takes his anger out on a defenseless animal. After he is done
trying to release his anger, the troops wait for him to get himself
together. He has to deal with the fact that his best friend is gone
and that he didnt get a response to his letter from Curts sister.
OBrien states how war is hell, but that isnt all of it. He says how
often in a true war story there is not even a point. The story that
still wakes him up is Dave Jenson singing Lemon Tree as they
retrieve the gruesome body parts of Curt Lemon that were blown
clear up into a tree during the explosion. Women would come up
to OBrien years later while retelling the story about the baby
bualo, and they would say that they dont normally like war
stories, but they like this one. He says its because it isnt a war
story, its a love story.

 Bob Kiley (Rat)- A friend of his gets killed in action,

and a week later he sits down and writes a letter the

guys sister. He almost bawls while writing it. The
letter was very personal and touching.
Curt Lemon- Crossed a muddy river and marched
west into the mountains, when they took a break
along a trail junction in the deep jungle, Lemon
started goong o and got killed by a booby trap.
Mitchell Sanders- Told the stories about the Water
Bualo that they found patrolling and the Mountain
music they heard when in camouage

 This chapter in the book took place in the jungle.

They slept on the other side of the muddy river and

crossed the muddy river in the morning and went into
the jungle. The Six man team, including Lemon and
Rat Kiley went in camouage and were order to stay
in one place and listen for any sounds that sounds
mysterious and suspicious.
Also, it took part in a small village that they found
while they were patrolling the jungle, where they also
found a Water Bualo.

 Tim OBrien uses a lot of imagery throughout the

vignette How to Tell a True War Story, he uses the

Water Bualo and the Mountain Music as some of the
examples of imagery.
Tim OBrien also uses ashback when he tells the
stories about the Water Bualo and Mountain Music.

 To be able to tell a true war story, the story must lack

moral. The real meaning is hidden behind

exaggerated experiences that probably didnt happen.
It will never end and it is usually more of a love story.
To add to this theme, after each individual story, Tim
OBrien gives a sentence or two as to how to tell a true
war story.

 Tim OBrien concludes that a true war story, like the

one about the Water Bualo and the village, are never
about war. To be able to tell a true war story it has to
embarrass you. Also, a true war story is about love.
Telling a true war story is hard and usually made up.
Most people make up war stories but to be able to tell
a true war story, it takes courage.

 The Water Bualo was a symbol of how the six

soldiers, including Lemon and Rat grieved. They shot

the Water Bualo in spots, like the knee, that they
know wouldnt have killed the Water Bualo. The six
man team was hurting because of Lemons death, so
they wanted the Water Bualo to suer like they are.
When the six man team was in the jungle they heard
mountain music, this could be a symbol that people
are close to them.

 What kind of booby trap did Lemon die from?

Why did Rat decide to send a letter to Lemons sister

after his death?

How old was Lemon when he was killed from the
booby trap?
How long has Lemon been in the Army?
Did Lemon get drafted or did he sign up to ght for
his country?
Whats the relevance of the mountain singing?
Was anyone injured for the booby trap that killed
Lemon?

 Rat Kiley and Curt Lemon were really good friends

before Lemon died when they were goong o during

their patrol break
Rat sent a letter to Lemons sister, the letter was
touching and personal and he almost cried while
writing it, Lemons sister didnt send a letter back
Curt Lemon died from a booby trap
You can tell a true war story if it embarrasses you,
also, a true war story is about someone you love