The Vietnam War In Fallen Angels By Walter Dean Myers

War has always carried an amount of uncertainty. The harsh truths about war have often been looked at through rose colored glasses. However, the harsh, unromantic realities of war always seem to dominate . Writers, media, and organizations have portrayed soldiers in countless ways. However, the roles which these men and women have played in the defense of our country cannot be so easily summed up.

Walter Dean Myers’ novel, Fallen Angels vividly illustrates the encounters of a young soldier in Vietnam. In writing the book, Walter Myers drew from his own experience in the Vietnam war, along with the experience of his brother who was killed shortly after enlisting. Myers and Richard Perry, the protagonist of the book, form many parallels, from their

This was the year that LeRoy Ratzlaff would enlist to the Marine Corps and left his home in the small town of South Haven, Kansas. L. Ratzlaff attended college for one year before enlisting to the Marines. He was dating a girl who he had jokingly told, “If we break up, I’m joining the Marines.” In a twist of fate they did break up, and true to his word, L. Ratzlaff enlisted and traveled West to San Diego, California. His first day in the service consisted of physical examination and later was later sworn in that day. The recruits lined up and stood on yellow painted footprints. Their drill instructor stood there screaming at them at them, persistently telling them how worthless they all were. Upon arriving to San Diego, all recruits received thirty-second haircuts. L. Ratzlaff recalls, “They had barbers waiting for us at three in the morning. I was left standing at the door waiting for a chair to open and a guy named Smoke went in ahead of me and when he came out he had blood all over his face. And I thought, oh my gosh, what are they doing to us? Smoke had forgotten to tell them that he had a mole on his head. They shaved that mole