Chapter One, Going After Cacciato Summary

Paul Berlin is an average American boy from the Midwest, who has been sent to Vietnam in 1968, and on his first day, a man in his platoon dies of fright. Paul Berlin begins to use his imagination to deal with the horrors of war, and a major split from reality begins when another platoon member, Cacciato, deserts and a squad is sent out to capture him.

It is October, 1968, in the Quang Vietnam, and Cacciato, a soldier in Paul Berlin's platoon, has gone AWOL. The squad is staying at a deserted pagoda, Lt. Corson is suffering from dysentery. Doc Peret comes into the pagoda and tells Lt. Corson that Cacciato has told Paul Berlin he is going to walk to Paris. Lt Corson does not comprehend the message right away, partly because he is sick...