A RUMOR OF WAR

A RUMOR OF WAR

A rumor of war is a book which was written in 1977 by Philip Caputo. He talks about his life in the United StatesMarine Corps (USMC), in the early periods during the war of the Vietnam. He states that his book is not about history nor is it about any historical accusations, but it is about his personal experience. This book is divided into major three parts:  The splendid Little War,

1. The splendid little war

This section describes Philip’s personal reasons for joining the USMC, training which followed after he joined and then his arrival in Vietnam. Caputo was a member of the Expeditionary Brigade of the USMC, which was the first troop unit sent to take part in the Vietnam war at a place called Da Nang.  Their major function was merely a defensive one. They were supposed to set a perimeter around an airstrip to ensure that arrival and departure of military goods and personnelis safe. They first encountered a North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong which made them believe that their earlier thinking that the Vietnam War was small and unimportant was not justified.

1. The second part of the book talks about theofficer in charge of the dead.

Lt. Caputo is assigned from his rifle company to go and work in the desk job documenting on the causalities. This promotion in the joint staff did not impress him because Capito was comfortable working in the rifle company duties such as in commanding infantry.Capito noticed that in his work as a senior officer were so much worried about trivial matters and not on strategy. He witnessed movies being played at night, risking the potentiality and devastating mortar attacks. He also witnessed corpses being treasured as hunting trophies and shown off to the major generals.

1. In the third part o.............