Marine Corps: Book Report

Philip Caputo’s A Rumor of War is considered to be one of the most aspiring novels ever written about war. Written in 1977, Caputo gives us a memoir of his experiences during the Vietnam War, which was one of the most controversial conflicts of that time. In the ear 1960, young Caputo decided to join the Marine Corps, driven by thrill and adventure-seeking. He sought to flee from his western suburb home in Chicago and the average American life he seemed to be held back by. Furthering his education at Loyola University in 1964, Caputo goes to the Officers’ Basic School at Quantico for a six-month training period before being sent on his first mission. Caputo soon finds a life of simplicity while being stationed on his first assignment in Okinawa, Japan in the year 1965. Soon enough, Caputo’s battalion is shipped out to South Vietnam to provide support for the South Vietnamese Army. In spite of that, the Marine Corps takes on the worst of the battle as they’re distracted from their main mission because of hidden conflict between the Marine Corps and the South Vietnamese Army.

Caputo’s description of (the) war would come across to the reader differently than expected; which it did for me to say the least. The ferocity of the war was shown in brief moments, while the waiting in between such events was occupied with annoyance and conflict from nature itself. Yet, in the prime of the war, Caputo witnessed the terrible effects men would pay as a result of conducting war. Soldiers’ bodies are mangled, Caputo’s following soldiers have lost their sense of self, and life has been furnished with moments where men see nothing but red. After a time, Caputo’s assignment changes direction and takes him to the regimental headquarters. Here, he’s given the administrative duty of reporting the deaths of those in the Viet Cong as well as members of the Marine Corps. This leads to Caputo questioning the war - not just Vietnam, but also the “good” in war. Through Caputo’s eyes, there doesn’t seem to be any good: It was not fair for the war to take such good people away in exchange for his sacrifice that he was also beginning to question if it was enough. Unsurprisingly, Caputo, motivated by the guilt of not fighting arm-to-arm with his brothers and living outside of the horror, asks to be removed from his duty and carried back to the battlefields. As the war moves on, moments intensify as momentum shifts - more losses appear on the American side than for the enemy.

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After witnessing the North Vietnamese Army enter the city and the South Vietnamese surrender, Caputo leaves Vietnam in distraught. The conflict may have been over, but Caputo’s hopes weren’t: The war seemed all for nothing. Caputo’s style of writing, paired with the enraged emotions from reading the book is what convinced me of something pivotal about war. Through Caputo’s eyes, we see heartbreak, terror, and rage: No military conflict weighed heavier on Caputo and his peers than the Vietnam War. Caputo’s memoir gave a narrative that proceeded with honesty and insights into the hearts and minds of those in combat. As powerful as I would have expected this novel to be back when it was published, A Rumor of War perhaps is the best memoir written about the Vietnam War due to Caputo’s changing perspective on the dynamic of war and military conflict. Reading A Rumor of War gave a memoir of a problematic time, and it went the furthest in terms of coming to grasp the magnitude of the conflict.

Philip Caputo’s aim for A Rumor of War was to tell the story of one man’s abuse throughout the Vietnam War. Although Caputo writes the story like it’s a commentary, there’s a subtle link to Caputo’s denial of any responsibility held against him and his actions in the war. Caputo is as clear as glass from the beginning. His personal knowledge paired with the historical account of the war gives the novel context. However, A Rumor of War is far beyond the soldier’s story. It’s a singular piece that redefines the morality of war and questions the good in men as a result of it. For example, Caputo takes on the question of when it’s justified to kill, especially when it’s paired with the complication of the United State’s intentions. Caputo inscribes the morality of war in the context of a soldier who doesn’t have a clear purpose or a defined enemy (it was difficult to distinguish the Viet Cong from the South Vietnamese, whom they intended to assist). Caputo’s thesis in picturing the ambiguousness of the Vietnam War is what makes the war purposeless, which made the sacrifice of giving up one’s life for another’s freedom nearly unjustifiable. Despite the motives of the Marine Corps, Caputo can’t escape his involvement in the war.

Caputo realizes that his heart is filled with anger and murder, and because of his involvement, he desired to transfer his enraged emotions onto men. It caught my attention that Caputo was fulfilling the promise of the novel in those moments of the story. At the beginning of his memoir, he wished to experience “savagery”. The Marine Corps succeeded in helping him discover and bring about his violent impulses, but in Caputo’s mind, they were there even beforehand. At the end of his memoir, I discovered the direct relationship Caputo shared with the military: To survive in his own stint, his personal values must submit to the United States. So, Philip Caputo never found the answer to whether it is justifiable to kill and when. In substitute, he tells the story of times in his life when he thought the killing was justified. In each violent moment, his motives are aligned with the military - carrying out what he believes to be the will of the Marine Corps. However, Caputo’s sense of morality falls when the US’s plans do not carry out accordingly. As a result of losing the war, Caputo drew the inference to be alone because there’s no absolute truth in determining morality. I think this book is the best in its style, but I don’t believe it fits within the “Vietnam War” genre.

To call A Rumor of War the best book about war would diminish its meaning. This is a story not about one man’s suffering throughout the Vietnam War, but rather an entire philosophy that is broken down within the lives of armed men, and that’s where I believe this book belongs. In my opinion, Philip Caputo wrote his memoir with a subtle meaning: When it comes to war, morality becomes as clear as mud and cannot serve as justifiable reasoning for man’s actions when experiencing the intensity of violence and brutality. It took my attention by surprise to read the psychological breakdown of Caputo and his idealism of morality. Before starting the book, the only expectations I had were that I would take away something I didn’t know before about the Vietnam War. Because the novel’s a memoir, I hoped to gain some introspective insights from Caputo that would help me understand the flurrying emotions soldiers deal with while at war. In return, I gained an unprecedented story of honesty that makes this book unique from other war novels. Philip Caputo effectively surpassed my expectations. His story kept my attention keen. I think Caputo left a very defined mark in this genre of literature. I’m not sure that I would have any negative responses towards the book, and it would be rude to question the ex-Marine’s experiences. However, Caputo’s memoir gave me a powerful reading that gave insights into the hearts and minds of men in combat, and there’s no denying the underlying truth that makes the book as influential as it is today.