Chapter 16, Wise Endurance Summary and Analysis

Captain Johansen, the revered leader of Alpha Company, finishes his last days as company commander in Vietnam. O'Brien respects Johansen. He views him as the only living example of a hero he has ever known. Johansen at times engages O'Brien in conversation or a chess game, having grown as close as officers can with the enlisted because O'Brien carries the radio for him, and is always at his side. Before his departure, Johansen suddenly remarks to O'Brien that he would rather be brave than anything else. He asks O'Brien what he feels about that. Johansen realizes that O'Brien is sensitive, pensive; while not the best soldier, he dutifully carries the radio behind Captain Johansen. This close proximity to the company commander and the antennae of the radio make O'Brien an attractive target for the Viet Cong. O'Brien...