Fallen Angels: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

Lieutenant Doyle of Charlie Company tells Perry that they’re going on sector patrol to establish their presence in the jungle, not to get involved in a firefight or anything. The first platoon will lead, followed by the third and fourth (Perry’s) in another sector. Doyle assigns Perry to feed the machine gun for Scotty, an ashy white boy with darting, determined eyes. Scotty hefts his weapon and Perry grabs two bandoliers and a box of ammunition, which weigh a lot. While they wait for the choppers, the Charlie Company guys talk about their impending stand down. They can’t wait to get a break.

The choppers finally arrive. As they approach the landing zone, Perry can see muzzle blasts twinkling in the jungle below. Scotty assures him that if he can see the muzzle blast, the bullet missed. They hit the landing zone, take off through the tall sharp grass, and dig in at their assigned spot, a few dozen feet away from Doyle and the radio guy. Perry asks if they’ll stay there for the rest of the patrol, and Scotty says that Doyle doesn’t do more than the bare minimum to fulfil orders. He’s not invested in the war; he even dodged the draft and when the FBI caught up with him, he worked his connections to get into Officers Candidate School. Like Perry, Scotty volunteered because he had no other plans.

After half an hour of waiting, just as Doyle tells the squad to start packing up, the shooting starts. They’ve spotted someone 450 meters away in the jungle. As he opens the ammo box and Scotty starts firing, Perry realizes he isn’t scared. After what seems like a long time, Doyle calls a ceasefire; he’s radioing for Willy Peter (white phosphorous). That’s Doyle, Scotty says; they were probably shooting at nothing, but Doyle will still call in the artillery just in case. The platoon fires intermittently until the artillery shells land, sending streamers of fire and a terrible stench into the air. Just thinking of being hit by Willy Peter terrifies Perry. Then, the artillery barrage ends abruptly; in his foxhole, Doyle screams “cease fire!” into the radio. Scotty slumps as he realizes what happened: they just “shot the shit out of the first platoon.”

Perry and the rest of the fourth platoon walk slowly across the fields towards the first platoon’s position. Medics swarm between the trees, triaging soldiers. They load the ones they think they can save into the first medevac helicopters but tag those whose wounds seem fatal, leaving them to die alone. No one talks. Some soldiers cry. Scotty lights a cigarette for a sergeant whose blood soaks his own matches. Finally, they climb into a chopper to head back to base. Scotty tells Perry it was nice to meet him.

Lieutenant Carroll meets Perry when he returns to camp. He shakes his head over the tragedy. In the hooch, Perry tells Peewee and Monaco what happened. Monaco expresses horror that Perry “hit our guys,” and Perry protests that he didn’t—the platoon leader called in artillery. Monaco goes silently to his bunk and lays down with his face to the wall. Peewee asks how bad the first platoon got messed up.

When Perry goes to mail a birthday gift to Kenny, he finds Lieutenant Carroll drinking whiskey in the officers’ hooch. Carroll offers Perry a swig. At night, images of Charlie Company’s first platoon crowd in Perry’s mind, keeping him awake. He asks Brew where to find the Lord’s Prayer in the Bible. Brew shows him and tells Perry to borrow his Bible any time.