“I don’t have doubts about God...I’m just not that sure who I am anymore.” (Myers 45). Throughout the novel Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, the stories of many soldiers during the Vietnam War are told by a young soldier from Harlem, Richard Perry. When Perry arrives in Vietnam, he meets the leader of his platoon, Lieutenant Carroll. From the beginning of the story, Carroll is very well-liked by all the members of the squad. He is selfless, sympathetic, and respected.
Lieutenant Carroll is a very selfless person. He cares a lot about all of his soldiers and takes many risks for them. He does not think about how much danger he might be in when he is trying to save his men. (Myers 39). He willingly went out into open fire to try to save them. (Myers 39). Lieutenant Carroll would put his life on the line just so his soldiers could live. All of the soldiers see this characteristic of Carroll and they are grateful for his efforts to protect them and keep them safe.
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He understands that his men are not used to being overseas and being at war. Instead of getting mad at them or making fun of them, he helps them adapt to military life. He also tried to get to know his soldiers and relate to them. Of all the men in his platoon, Carroll related to Perry the most. (Myers 38). Although the men appreciated it, some characters in the story thought that Lieutenant Carroll was too sympathetic to his men because of everything he did for them. (Myers 37). The reader can tell he is sympathetic because he calls the soldiers who died in battle “fallen angels”. When Jenkins died, he said a prayer for him, which shows how bad he felt that he passed