Minor Characters
Kenny
Kenny is Richie Perry’s younger brother, who still lives at home with Mama in Harlem. Perry writes and receives letters from Kenny during his time in Vietnam, through which he begins to contextualize and think about his experiences in the war.
Mrs. Liebow
Mrs. Liebow is Richie Perry’s high school English teacher, whom he remembers in flashbacks. She gives him a working definition of heroism which he carries with him to Vietnam.
Walowick
Walowick is a soldier in the same squad as Richie Perry, Peewee, Johnson, Brunner, Brewster, Lobel, Monaco, and Sergeant Simpson. He’s a Polish-American kid with dimples and a toothy grin.
Stewart
Captain Stewart commands Alpha Company when Perry and Peewee arrive in Vietnam. He risks his men’s lives in order to get a high enough body count to earn a promotion before his tour of duty ends.
Doyle
Lieutenant Doyle leads a Charlie Company platoon to which Perry is briefly reassigned. Short and nervous, his reliance on radio communication leads to a deadly friendly fire incident where his platoon opens fire on another platoon from the company.
Scotty
Scotty is a machine gunner from Charlie Company with whom Perry goes on one patrol.
Earlene
Earlene was Peewee’s girlfriend back in his hometown of Chicago, who breaks up with him by letter shortly after he arrives in Vietnam.
Gearhart
Lieutenant Gearhart replaces Lieutenant Carroll after Carroll’s death. Less beloved than Carroll, Gearhart eventually earns the respect of Perry, Peewee, and the rest. He follows Captain Stewart’s orders but doesn’t expose the men in his platoon to unnecessary risks.
Nate Turner
Nate Turner is a Black soldier from the American South who joins the squad with Perry, Peewee, Johnson, Brunner, Brewster, Lobel, Monaco, and Walowick. He dies from injuries he sustains on his first patrol when the squad comes under fire.
An Linh
An Linh is a young Vietnamese girl who lives in a hamlet near to the squad’s firebase; Peewee and Perry befriend her and her grandmother on their pacification mission and save her after Vietcong forces overrun the village.
Mrs. Carroll
Mrs. Carroll is Lieutenant Carroll’s wife; after his death, Perry writes a letter to her explaining the circumstances.
Father Santora
Father Santora is an army chaplain who visits Alpha Company after Brewster has died. He convinces Perry of the power of prayer to provide comfort in times of trial.