General D’Ambrosia, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, explains that while the U.S. Army certainly didn’t do their job and protect the people of America like they should have, they had to answer to both the government and the public. While the administration at the time was not sympathetic to a war effort, neither was the American public. They were weary from all the wars America had been fighting and would certainly not support another, either financially or by signing up to fight. Later in the novel, the narrator includes a second interview in which D’Ambrosia says that when the president decided to go on the offensive against the zombies, D’Ambrosia was concerned about his soldiers. He wasn’t excited to go into battle, as many readers might have expected. D’Ambrosia comes across as a thoughtful and considerate leader, which explains why the U.S. Army was better prepared to wage war against the zombies and was very organized when compared to other armies around the world that suffered drastic losses and were forced to fight in difficult conditions.
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Travis D’Ambrosia Character Timeline in World War Z
The timeline below shows where the character Travis D’Ambrosia appears in World War Z. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Blame
...begin to reanimate. The UN’s Northern Force performs their annual “Sweep and Clear” under Travis D’Ambrosia.
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...emerged from a bloody conflict, and there was a shortage of people volunteering to fight. D’Ambrosia says that the country was “too weak and vulnerable” to stop the zombies. He adds...
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Chapter 5: Home Front USA
...the military for the DeStRes, but was glad he didn’t have to, especially after Travis D’Ambrosia became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Sinclair trusted his advice. Also, soldiers began to adapt...
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Chapter 7: Total War
Aboard the Mauro Altieri, Three Thousand Feet Above Vaalajarvi, Finland. The narrator is with General D’Ambrosia aboard the Combat Information Center (CIC), Europe’s command and control dirigible. He tells the narrator...
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