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Part 1, p. 1 – 39

• Kien, a former platoon commander for the North Vietnamese Army (1960 to 1970) during the Vietnam War, is settling down to rest in a hammock strung in his transport truck. We learn that Kien is now a body collector, tasked with retrieving and identifying the corpses of recent battles.

• Kien hears a shriek from the Jungle of Screaming Souls and remembers why the forest is called by that name.

• Kien remembers the awful battles that took place here in his time as a platoon commander.

• In particular, Kien reminisces about the last playful card game he shared with members of his squad.

• Kien remembers his encounter with Can, the guilty soldier who tried to desert.

• Kien remembers a time when his platoon visited the farmhouse of three beautiful girls who were later slaughtered.

• Thinking about the farmhouse allows Kien to introduce his memories of Phuong, the great (idealized...

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