Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary

In the autumn of 1967, the Vietnam War was spreading its long shadow across America, just as Lewis left behind the carefree college life at William and Mary to join the U.S. Marine Corps. When Lewis was traveling from the tiny town of Saluda to nearby Richmond to enlist, the war still seemed a distant conflict. At school he and his fraternity brothers had whiled away their free hours in pursuit of food, drink, and pickup bridge games. Lewis was not unaware of the young men fleeing to the safety of Canada or seeking an additional college deferment, but he was more worried about the impact his last name would have on his Marine recruiter. He was granted a waiver for his poor vision and accepted at Officer Candidate School.

His older sister Virginia's husband was already serving a tour in...