Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 3 rewinds to July 4th, 1946, Ron Kovic's birthday. His birthday was celebrated by the country. He started playing baseball as a kid and became good at it, playing as much as he could, and shared his excitement over baseball games with his friend Richie. Ron and his friend Kenny Goodman would often play baseball at Parkside stadium, pretending they were their baseball heroes. They played baseball whenever possible. Every Fourth of July brought Kovic much pride to have been born on the day.

Ron and his neighborhood friends were raised watching television together. Kovic reviews the shows they watched. He was devoutly religious, praying to Jesus, Mary and the saints every night, often praying to make the major leagues. On Saturday night, he would go to confession and leave feeling refreshed. His father would cook breakfast after Church.

Kovic's father was...