Friends

Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk have an odd relationship in the chapter’s Enemies as well as Friends. After they had gotten in to a fistfight Dave seemed to be nervous to face Lee.

 

“Like fighting two different wars he said. No safe ground: enemies everywhere.” (63)

 

He was not able to trust anyone because of what he had gotten in to with Lee. To finally make things right with Lee he decided to break his own nose to show that they were even.

After this Dave and Lee began to trust each other. So much so that they made a pact, if one of them should ever get injured badly enough they would take them out of there misery.

Lee and Dave might not have been the best of friends but they had tremendous trust and respect for one another despite how there friendship began.

 

Comments

[Emilie B.]

I think that this is really ironic. In a way it shows what being in a tragic situation like war, can do to two enemies. In a way, Lee and Dave almost had to be friends, just to get through the war. It would have been a lot harder for them if they had enemies on both sides.

"In any other circumstance it might've ended there. But this was Vietnam, where guys carried guns, and Dave Jensen started to worry." (62)

[Jamie S.]

I agree with this post and I feel like everyone at war who is on the same side, generally becomes friends with one another. These people already have enemies to fight against so the last thing they need is an enemy on their own team. At war since you can't be with family, friends are your only option so one must hold on to them and create solid friendships. They are with these people for so long that they end up becoming their family.