Chapter 17 Summary

It is the morning after the night in which Kiowa was lost in the field of village sewage, and the men, especially Lt. Jimmy Cross, are determined to find his body. Lt. Cross doesn't think it's right that such a good man be lost in such a field. He wishes the rain would let up, then realizes that it just part of the war. As they all search, he looks out and sees a young soldier who seems to be looking for something he dropped in the muck. Lt. Cross feels he made a mistake by camping in this area.

Out in the field, the men search for Kiowa. Azar tries to make his usual jokes, but Mitchell Sanders and Norman Bowker are having none of it. They know there is nothing they can do for Kiowa now, and tensions are high as...