Pgs: 213-221

I think it's interesting how this story is told. He talks of his first date, and true love and then you find out they were only nine. He talks about how he went on a double date and then you find out it was with his parents. Most importantly, I think, hes told this story and that she died but we still haven't found out how she died. The point of this story is to console the fresh new soldier, O'Brien. He is really comparing this little nine year old girl who died to an old man in Vietnam. It is almost a stretch to compare the two but it justifies the mans experience with painful death. Perhaps now that he has given himself some credibility he will attempt to use it to console the grieving O'Brien. It is also a little funny how he builds things up as if there was going to be a very important moment but then there isn't like when he says, “Nine years old, yes but it was real love, and now we were alone on those front steps. Finally we looked at each other. 'Bye,' I said. Linda nodded and said, 'Bye .'”