Although it does not apply to everyone, these days, a lot of people are lucky enough to live in a world without war. However, one must not forget the sacrifices made by participants of any military events who served to protect other people. A way to understand soldiers’ struggles is by reading books such as The Last Stand of Fox Company. The book describes the American soldiers during the Korean war, with some of the main struggles being not even the battles but events in between.
The Last Stand of Fox Company consists of several sections, a prologue and epilogue, with dates marking the time of events and maps showing placements. As the book is narrated in the third person, the prologue informs readers that the setting starts in November of 1950 in the “Injun Territory” of North Korea (Drury & Clavin, 2009, p. 4). The main characters are the US Marines, Fox Company, who got attacked by Chinese troops at the beginning of the story (Drury & Clavin, 2009). During the long standoff, Marines witnessed their fellow soldiers getting injured and wondered if they had just participated in “the opening salvo of World War III” (Drury & Clavin, 2009, p. 6). From the start, the book shows that soldiers participated in intense battles during the Korean War.
The book suggests that aside from the dangers of the battlefield, people at war face other hardships. The first section narrates the struggles of the American soldiers on a hillside covered in snow, ice, and mud (Drury & Clavin, 2009). Their food was more “ice-cold” than nutritious and made the officers suffer from diarrhea (Drury & Clavin, 2009, p. 8). Their journey was repetitive to a certain extent, as they had to move from one place to another, with every area ceded to the enemy the moment Americans left (Drury & Clavin, 2009). Moreover, most of Fox Company were not experienced soldiers but simply “baby-faced” young men who left their homes for the first time in their lives (Drury & Clavin, 2009, p. 20). The book shows that battles were not the only threats to soldiers, a lot of whom were not properly trained to fight or even survive.
Furthermore, as the troops continue their journey, the story focuses on several characters, describing their lives prior and behaviors during the war. One was once a “precious student,” smart and helping, and then grew up to be a World War II veteran and a captain during the Korean war (Drury & Clavin, 2009, p. 21). Another one was a fan of war movies and had dreamed of “carrying a BAR since high school” but instead joined a Marine rifle company (Drury & Clavin, 2009, p. 28).
Another person used to excel in “biology, chemistry, and psychology” but dropped out of college and became a seasoning Marine, certain of his decision (Drury & Clavin, 2009, p. 52). Although the book describes many more people, a lot of them are pronounced dead by the end of it ((Drury & Clavin, 2009). The book shows how different people unite during the war in the face of a common enemy.
To summarize, The Last Stand of Fox Company describes the hardships of soldiers during the Korean war. While many people got injured and even killed on the battlefield, they all struggled during the freezing times without having enough rest or warm, healthy food. The book also makes one think of how the soldiers’ lives could have been different if it was not for the war.
Reference
Drury, R., & Clavin, T. (2009). The last stand of fox company. Atlantic Monthly Press.