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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Upon what ship is Joe Howard on that is heading towards Wake Island?

2. Where did Pickering and Stecker serve together?

3. What happened at the beginning of the event that made Neville think it started badly?

4. What is the name of the hotel chain Pickering's father owns?

5. In what capacity will Howard work for Jack Stecker?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Ellen Feller work and in what capacity?

2. What happens with Howard and Barbara when they go for dinner?

3. Why is PFC Koffler AWOL? What will he begin at Lakehurst and with whom?

4. In what service is Joe Howard, what award did he win, and what is his next assignment?

5. What was Charley determined to do during his first few years in service?

6. Why is Neville going to Lakehurst and what happens when he first arrives? What does he tell the pilot of the plane?

7. What happens when Galloway, Ward and Schneider are headed to Lakehurst?

8. What happens when Koffler returns home to see Dianne?

9. Who is Franklin Neville and on what subject is he an expert? What has he written on the subject?

10. Describe Koffler's visit home the first day.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Joe Howard is what they call a mustang, an enlisted man who came up to be an officer. Often there is tension between an enlisted man who becomes and officer and a college graduate who starts as an officer.

1. How do you think a mustang might handle command differently than a regular officer? Use examples from Counterattack to illustrate your answer.

2. Other officers resenting those who did not go to college is not uncommon in other institutions. There are many situations in which a person is qualified to do a job without formal education and those with formal education might resent that person. Discuss what you believe are the interpersonal and personality dynamics of this type of situation. Use examples to support your answer.

3. Throughout history, as long as there has been rank in the military or classes in the social sphere, treatment of people have been unequal. Officers have always had better quarters and food. Kings sleep in better homes than carpenters. Do you think inequality of people is good or bad? Could it motivate those in the lower hierarchies to work harder or just make them resentful? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of unequal status among humans.

Essay Topic 2

Even though Koffler decided he didn't want to be in parachute school and did not volunteer for a dangerous mission, he ended up parachuting behind enemy lines to take a radio to Reeves. This is courage, doing something in spite of fear.

1. What is courage? It is defined in the dictionary as: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. How is courage demonstrated? Given what you have seen of Koffler, why would one call him courageous? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. Discuss two situations, one during war and one during peace, in which a great deal of courage would be needed to endure the situations.

3. Discuss the two sides to the following: Courage can be learned. One is either born with courage or not.

Essay Topic 3

Pickering is looking for his place in the war effort and is having a hard time finding it. He refuses the job offer from Donovan because it is only an adviser position, which he feels is too low, but tells McInerney that he is willing to do anything, even at a low rank, in the Marines. Pickering doesn't know what it is that he wants to do, which is why he is having such a hard time. The one thing he knows he doesn't want to do is to sell his remaining ships to the Navy, even though they want them.

1. With research, discuss the steps one can use to make a decision and how these steps might benefit Pickering.

2. Do you think Pickering actually wants a job helping the war effort, or do you think he just thinks he should want one? Why or why not? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

3. Discuss why or why not you believe Pickering refusing to sell his ships to the navy makes him a bad American. Use examples from the book to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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