Journal 33: Universal Experience

The Vietnam War was unique because it was a civil war, between people of the same country. Most of it took place in the forests and thick jungles rather than in cities or open land. According to the story, they also walked through some rice paddies, which were fields where rice was planted, then flooded with water up to about waist level. Instead of fighting directly, many times soldiers would face landmines as well as other types of traps set up there waiting for the soldiers. A universal experience that is described in this story is the fear. If any of us were in his position, fighting in a war in a foreign and unfamiliar country, we would all be scared. Another universal experience is when he could not stop laughing over Billy Boy's death, even though it was a messed up thing to do. The other soldier kept telling him to stop it, but he just kept laughing. I think many people have had the experience when they can't stop laughing at an inappropriate time. If I were in Berlin's situation, I think I would have done the same, because it's actually pretty funny if you imagine it, a tough guy getting wounded in the field but dying of a heart attack.