Kenny is Richie’s younger brother. Kenny depends on his older brother, who acts as a father figure to him and enlists in Vietnam in part to help support him. Yet Richie seems to need Kenny just as much as Kenny needs him. Kenny’s dependence on Richie and his admiration and love for him act as Richie’s only solid link to the civilian world during the war and provide him with his only sense of purpose. Mabel is Richie’s mother, a depressive alcoholic who has barely functioned since her husband left her years earlier. Though Richie and his mother have never gotten along well, they realize how much they need each other while Richie is in Vietnam. They try to repair their damaged relationship through their letters. Hailing from the brutal streets of the Chicago ghettos, Peewee has learned to respond to fear with a brash humor that either disarms or infuriates anyone who meets him. When Richie first meets Peewee during the trip to Vietnam, Peewee seems arrogant, flippant, and even slightly insane. As the two boys share the …show more content…
He has a conflict between his duty to his country and the preservation of himself and his platoon. Simpson has a chance to leave Vietnam, but he is pressured into extending his stay for a month. He wants to make sure he lives but he also gains a bond of brotherhood with his men so he does not want to leave them behind. Simpson struggles with the conflict created by his loyalty to, and understanding of, his men and his Sergeant's persistent ambition that threatens their safety. Lieutenant Carroll is the leader of Richie’s platoon. A smart and sympathetic leader, Lieutenant Carroll is well-liked by the men under his command, and his death during combat leaves them all grief-stricken. Lieutenant Gearhart is the inexperienced leader of Richie’s platoon after Lieutenant Carroll’s death. Brew is devoutly religious soldier in Richie’s squad. Brew plans to join the ministry upon his return to civilian