A Rumor of War Characters

The man who leads Caputo and other aspiring lieutenants in close-order drills at Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. Caputo describes McClellan as “a nervously energetic” black man “whose muscles looked as hard and wiry as underground telephone cables.”

The 2nd squad leader in the 2nd platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion of the 3rd Marines. Caputo describes him as “thin and almost delicate-looking, with a shy, diffident manner.”

A car enthusiast who joined the Marine Corps to save enough money to buy a faster car than his “chopped Chevy.”

A seventeen-year-old radioman whom Caputo describes as “reedy” and “sandy-haired.” To Caputo, he looks more like a basketball player and has the “irritating and unbreakable habit of addressing officers in the archaic third-person.”

A pair of friends from North Carolina who are “natural infantrymen.” Caputo recalls their ability to “walk forever and through anything.” They also tend to “feel nothing but a cheerful contempt for physical adversities.”

An officer whom Caputo mentions as one of the Marines who discovered in his “bottommost depths a capacity for malice they probably never suspected was there.” Caputo uses him as an example of how war in “a geographical wilderness” can bring out the worst in a person.

Caputo describes Gordon as “a short, pink-faced career marine.” They are sitting in the platoon command post on the afternoon of the third day of his platoon’s manning of an outpost some distance away from C Company’s lines. Gordon talks to Caputo about fear and bravery.

The Marine Corps commandant who issues an inspection tour of Vietnam. When addressing a group of Marines, he tells them that their only mission is to kill the VC.

Nicknamed based on his “advanced” age, White is twenty-nine and helps to kill nearly a dozen VC positioned along a ridge, including an enemy soldier of about eighteen or nineteen, who is hit twice in his stomach.

A machine-gunner who suffers from heatstroke one day while out in the field. His body temperature reaches one hundred and nine degrees, and the navy doctor determines that, if he survives, he will probably suffer permanent brain damage. Powell is evacuated back to the United States.

C Company’s only casualty during the firefight that leads to the destruction of Giao-Tri, a hamlet near Hoi-Vuc. He is grazed on the hand by a bullet from an AK-47.

Loker leads a patrol that runs into Caputo’s platoon after the latter burned down a base camp. He tells Caputo a story about catching a marine named Hanson cutting the ears off of dead VC.

A Korean War veteran whom Caputo describes as having “a face as seamed as a well-worked mine shaft.”

The first squad leader in place of Sergeant Gordon.

The driver of Peterson’s jeep. He takes Caputo, McCloy, Peterson, and Sergeant Loker to Da Nang for a liberty period.

The owner of a bar and brothel bearing her name. She is an “adventuress” of Thai, Cambodian, and French descent. Simone was born in Bangkok. Her ambition is to marry an American and go to the United States.

The company executive officer. He lectures Caputo about demonstrating more competence after Caputo foolishly lights a cigarette during a training exercise in Okinawa. He also encourages Caputo to take command more assertively from Sergeant William Campbell.

A platoon commander in Charley Company, or C Company.

Charley Company’s gunnery sergeant. Caputo describes him as “a broad-chested cheerful man” who keeps the company alert by predicting possible attacks.

The skipper, or captain, of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Marines. Caputo describes Peterson as “tall” and “boyish-looking.”

A platoon commander in Charley Company, or C Company of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines.

Caputo’s roommate in Okinawa. In August 1965, he loses half of his platoon at the Battle of Chu Lai. He is later brought in from 3rd Battalion to replace Caputo as assistant adjutant at regimental headquarters.

Murph McCloy’s platoon sergeant. He once tells Caputo that he is going to make every marine look at the first man who is KIA, so that they can understand the seriousness of war. He changes his mind about this after Sergeant Sullivan dies.

The two marines whose foxhole Caputo jumps into while he is doing nighttime patrols of the platoon lines. They are nervous when he enters because they have nearly been hit by sniper fire on the company’s first night in Vietnam.

The battalion motor transport officer who nicknamed the Vietnam War the “splendid little war” during the Expeditionary Brigade’s first few weeks in the country, which are rather peaceful.

A marine from southern Indiana who is the platoon radio operator, replacing another marine named Christwell. Widener has a “shrill, twanging voice,” reminding Caputo of a disc jockey for a country music radio station.

A grenadier in Glen Lemmon’s platoon who kills a VC under dubious circumstances. He shoots the man in the face with a pistol but registers confusion at his own actions.

Caputo identifies him as “the point man.”

The driver for adjutants, or officers who are assigned to administrative tasks. After Caputo returns from training in Japan on June 15, Kazmarack picks him up from the airfield in Da Nang, Vietnam.

The officer whom Caputo replaces when he assumes administrative duties. Schwartz is happy to leave headquarters in exchange for taking command of a rifle company in the 2nd Battalion.

A corporal in the 1st platoon who runs out onto the LZ during a fire-fight with the VC and guides medevac helicopters in so that they can land and collect casualties.

One of the regiment’s battalion commanders. He steps on a booby-trapped 155-mm shell during combat and his body is blown apart.

One of the assistant operations officers at regimental headquarters.

The executive officer at regimental headquarters. He is a bald and stocky man whom the other troops have nicknamed “Elmer Fudd” due to his resemblance to the cartoon character.

A general from Military Assistance Command Vietnam, which is General William Westmoreland’s headquarters.

A clerk who helps Lance Corporal Kazmarack take the corpses of dead VC to an enemy cemetery in Vietnam, and then brings them back for Colonel Wheeler to show off to General Thompson.

A “thin and cheerless” man who confronts Caputo in the mess hall with questions about the morality of the war.

The medical officer. Caputo describes him as “heavyset and jolly.” He is present during Chaplain Ryerson’s lecture in the mess hall about the morality of being in Vietnam.

The chief clerk at regimental headquarters.

A twenty-one-year-old squad leader in A Company who is mortally wounded in an ambush on July 11. He receives a posthumous medal for continuing to lead his men under enemy fire until he finally died from his wounds. Later, the regimental HQ camp is named for him.

A college football star who trips a mine that puts him in a wheelchair for nearly two years, permanently ending his football career.

A squad leader in C Company who finds the bodies of Devlin, Lockhart, and Bryce, soldiers from Caputo’s old platoon.

Major Burin’s assistant. He is put in charge of Colonel Nickerson’s “horseshoe pit.”

The 1st Battalion adjutant who reports to Caputo about the death of First Lieutenant Walter Neville Levy.

A black officer who was Caputo’s classmate at Quantico. He is killed during an ambush of his twenty-eight man patrol. His body is later found in the river.

A sergeant whose sense of humor helps Caputo keeps his spirits up. Hamilton also suffers constantly from gastroenteritis.

The commanding officer in the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines.

The skipper of C Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. He is a wiry man with bleak, pale blue eyes and “taut, thin lips.” He reminds Caputo of a stern New England schoolmaster.

The second squad leader in C Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. Like Caputo, he has been recently transferred from another battalion.

A “big, bull-chested,” mustachioed soldier who kicks and violently shakes a marine who begins sobbing and rolling in the mud out of exasperation with fighting the war.

One of the marines who is part of a patrol that Caputo organizes, along with Lonehill, Lance Corporal Crowe, and two riflemen, to capture two VC who have been making mines and booby traps.

The platoon guide. He has just arrived in Vietnam and, in response to an attack from the Viet Cong near the Song Tuy Loan, behaves as though he is “a little bewildered by the invisible [shots] crackling in the air.”

A small man, nicknamed “Little Jones,” who is the radio operator for C Company in the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines.

A sergeant in 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, C Company who is with Caputo during a shrapnel attack that severely injures Sanchez, Rodella, and Greeley.

The corpsman who tries to save Corporal Rodella after a piece of shrapnel tears a hole in one of his lungs.

A machine-gunner whose left arm is blown apart, leaving only “a few strands of muscle” where the limb was. Caputo contrasts Corporal Rodella’s sorrowful reaction, similar to that of a child, with Greeley’s indignant fury. He recuperates in a hospital and then is evacuated out of Vietnam.

A marine whose face gets sprayed with shrapnel during an ambush-detonated mine attack. Caputo recalls that his face looks as though he has been clawed by a beast.

An intelligence officer who goes with Caputo to the division hospital to interview the survivors of “friendly fire,” after the U.S. military bombed a dozen villages to attack enemy positions in the hills.

Caputo’s defense attorney during the Marine Corps’ murder investigation. Rader wins Caputo’s admiration because of his precision with language and attention to the facts.

A twenty-four-year-old marine who is one of the witnesses to Caputo’s order to capture or kill the two members of the Viet Cong who initially eluded capture by pretending to be students.

The intelligence officer in 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines.

The assistant intelligence officer.