What They Forgot To Carry

A major part of the responsibility of being a soldier comes from what must be carried to and from the battlefield. Many carry things by choice, others do it by necessity, but the things that soldiers forget to carry often come back when they need it most. In The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, we explore the significance of the objects that the soldiers carry during their traumatic journey through the Vietnam war. As we follow a rag-tag group of soldiers prepared for any fight they might encounter, it is clear there is never a tool they need, but don’t have. It only becomes apparent to many that after the war, there truly is one thing many of Alpha Company forgot to bring; mental health. In the text it is clear that the men of Alpha Company suffer from self harm, violent tendencies, and even suicide which all stemps from their poor mental health.

Letters, photos, wrist watches, pocket knives, chewing gum, and miniature soap bars for maintaining cleanliness on the field are all important pieces to what Alpha Company thought to be useful in their time on the battlefield. Bob (Rat) Kiley, specifically chooses to carry the medical equipment for Alpha Company, as he takes on the challenging role of being the on field medical practitioner. Although Rat can confidently patch up all of the physical wounds that Alpha Company endur, he simply does not have the ability to care for their or his own mental calamity. Rat’s overwhelming mental health issues from seeing his dead war friends, and the wounds of the living, caused him to see himself the same way. This all began to overflow for Rat, and during a mental break, he relieved himself of duty: “He took off his boots and socks, laid out his medical kit, doped himself up, and put a round through his foot,” (O’Brien 212). His method of doping himself to cool the pain, and skillful preparation, shows that shooting himself is something Rat Kiley has been thinking about for a long time prior. Some might think that shooting himself in the foot is not a sign of poor mental health, and that Rat Kiley only does it to escape the war. This however is untrue, as a man like Rat is aware of all of the various draft dodging methods that soldiers have used in the past. Escaping war through medical diagnosis, or claiming various sexual preferences, would have achieved the same effect without unnecessary pain. However, Rat Kiley took himself out of the war the same way he lived through it; by patching bullet holes and using dope. Sadly for Alpha Company, self harm caused by mental struggle is a recurring pattern. 

Norman Bowker carried his diary, and the conflicted feelings of a soldier with nothing left to live for. Bowker truly gave his heart and soul to the Vietnam war, as devoting all of his mental capacity to fighting on the battlefield was the safest way for him and his allies to return home safely. Described as a gentle kid, Bowker was not the ideal man to be fighting in a murderous war of attrition. Despite this, he became one of the select members of Alpha Company to survive the Vietnam war, and make it home to his family. Similar to himself, throughout the course of the war, things had changed upon his return. The girl of his dreams moved on, his small town kept living, but Bowker still had his mind on war. Even after Norman Bowker had made it home, he still replicated the environment of the war, as he could only find comfort in the distressing environment of Vietnam: “The water felt warm against his skin. He put his head under. He opened his lips, very slightly, for the taste, then he stood up and folded his arms and watched the fireworks. For a small town, he decided, it was a pretty good show.” (148). Bowker being stuck in the past, he holds himself from living in the present. He sinks himself into the water similarly to the sinking field he dragged his dying friend Kiowa through. Wading into water fully clothed because it ‘felt warm’ shows that he is more comfortable in the warm stagnant water than the air conditioned truck. Unsanitary warm water, explosive noises, and flashing lights, all share similar themes to the land of vietnam. Reminding himself of the environment, and the metals he could have won, keep Bowker in Vietnam, and in turn keep him content. By coming home, Norman lost his will to live as he lost the environment, with the only thing close being miniscule reminders of a life lived long ago. By losing the Vietnam war, Bowker lost his will to live. Losing the will to live was not the only thing the Vietnam war took from Alpha Company, as it also took away sympathy from Alpha Company.

To shutter, flinch, or scream, are all appropriate responses to watching a man violently attack a baby animal. Infact, many would go as far to say that these types of responses are not only appropriate but expected and if one didn’t have these reactions they would be seen as abnormal. Alpha Company’s reactions, or lack thereof, further highlight the insane levels of violence many of these men have tolerated. Rat Kiley, after the unfortunate death of his close friend Kiowa, began shooting a baby water buffalo as an action to not kill, but to hurt. Despite this cruel act, no one in Alpha Company cared. As O’Brien describes Rat shooting the baby buffalo, he explains, “The rest of us stood in a ragged circle around the baby buffalo. For a time no one spoke,” (76). Alpha Company’s inability to intervene with the torment of a baby animal, regardless the circumstances make it evident that something within them is disturbed. Not only is Rat’s violence is wrong, but the silent viewing from the rest only sends a message of compliance. This proves that not only Rat has dangerous violent tendencies stemming from the loss of a friend, but the rest condone it, and may even suffer themselves. Alpha Company shows no sign of damage on the outside, on the inside, the men hurt.

Alpha Company has been put through more than many others ever will and suffered because of it. Their story is unique to the general public, but all too familiar for veterans of the Vietnam war. As a generation of veterans who suffered from the aftereffects of war, it is no surprise that the men of Alpha Company became void of mental security. With little fight left to patch up wounds, none at all to live, and enough pain to spread, Alpha Company returned home. With years past, and all their equipment off their shoulders, it is evident that they forgot to carry their own mental health home.