In A Rumor of War, Philip Caputo recounts the struggles he experienced in Vietnam. During his involvement in the war, Caputo struggles with his personal identity and discovers the meaning of war. With his desire to prove himself a man and the influence of Kennedy's challenge to "ask what one can do for his country," he enlisted in the army (p. xiv) . Although Caputo describes his excitement about defending his country, he warns the reader not to be fooled by the romanticism of war. War is death, and it's nothing like he imagined. Caputo's first experience of the world outside of school had been war. He learned and practiced the deadly craft, then taught it to others at Camp Geiger, a training base in North Carolina. The rigorous training provided by the drill instructors was to be their initiation test, both physical and mental. From four in the morning until nine at night, they walked and exercised, ran obstacle courses and hiked in 90-degree heat. They were insulted, kicked, humiliated and harassed. Instead of being called by their first names, the DIs called them "bastards", "idiots" and everything like that. Eager for danger and adventure, he and many others were excited to be sent to Vietnam. It was not until his first night there that he first showed nervousness about being hit by enemy fire. Although still enthusiastic about the adventure, it did not come as quickly as he would have liked. Caputo and the other men continued to wait for action to occur. Finally, on April 22, they got what they wanted when a company was attacked by a gang of VCs. As the “rules of engagement” gradually relaxed, Caputo’s frustration grew. At first, commanders limited return fire until ordered to do so, but... middle of paper ... the military wages war. Shortly after his trial, Caputo received an honorable discharge and returned home to America. Rumor of War is a book I would definitely recommend as it was an incredibly interesting perspective. Instead of just stating facts about the Vietnam War, Caputo describes his personal experience in Vietnam. The reader is able to visualize his struggles, as well as those of other Marines. Not only does Rumor of War help the reader understand the difficulties of the Vietnam War, but it can also allow the reader to expect the same problems that others experienced while fighting for our country. Caputo also puts into perspective that we are like the other fighting side. Each side risks their lives fighting for their country and each has a family back home. This shows that it was all about waiting, frustration, fear, anger and sadness..