The Marines of Autumn

      Guideline Questions-Chs.3 & 4

 

1.                  When Verity picks up the names of Lin Piao and Peng he daydreams about meeting either of them under a flag of truce and drinking a little Old Forester.  What does this tell us about the relationship between or among warriors?

 

2.                  What New England terrain, familiar to Verity comes to mind as he travels north toward the Port of Wonson?

 

3.                  “Enemy advancing, we retreat; enemy entrenched, we harass; enemy exhausted, we attack; enemy retreating, we pursue.”  What can we learn by understanding these Maoist fundamentals of strategy?

 

4.                  What does MacArthur tell Truman in his ninety-six meeting on Wake Island?

 

5.                  According to the Marine Colonel who meets with Verity at Wonson, what ability does X Corps have to communicate or come to the aide of 8^th Army?

 

6.                  Reference is made to Gunnery Sergeant Tate’s lack of confidence with women?  What is the explanation for this quirk of personality?

 

7.                  How does James Brady describe Tom Verity’s religious views?  How are these views contrasted with those of Corporal Izzo?

 

8.                  Marine Captain Bo Bjornsen is described as a Mustang?  What is the meaning of this term?  Do you think this helps or hurts Bjornsen’s credibility as a leader among his enlisted Marines?

 

9.                  On page sixty, Brady characterizes MacArthur’s aura.  He says the General is both revered and feared and that both soldiers and Marines are obsessed by him.  Why do you believe this is the case?

 

10.              Verity is said to be a “reluctant warrior” and questions his own true identity on page sixty-one. Discuss this in terms of the citizen soldier.

 

11.              On page 63, Verity reports what he has learned thus far by monitoring the radio traffic of the Chinese Army.  What does he report to the division intelligence officer (G-2)?

 

12.              What do we learn on page 64 about Korean history over the past one-hundred years?

 

13.              On page 66, Maggie Higgins says, “The best stories come from enlisted men, from platoon leaders, and company grade officers.  No one knows the war the way thy do.  No one else tells the truth.”  Discuss this statement.