The Ghost Soldiers by Tim O'Brien
"The Ghost Soldiers" by Tim O'Brien is a compelling narrative centered on the experiences of an American soldier named Herb during the Vietnam War. The story unfolds through Herb’s recollections of two traumatic incidents: the moments he was wounded in combat and the contrasting reactions of two medics. The first medic, Teddy Thatcher, provides crucial support and care, while the second, Jorgenson, freezes during a critical moment, exacerbating Herb's injuries and prolonging his recovery. This betrayal drives Herb to seek revenge against Jorgenson, leading him to collaborate with another soldier, Azar, to enact a series of psychological games that ultimately backfire.
As the story progresses, the themes of fear, guilt, and the psychological toll of war manifest powerfully. The setting in Vietnam serves not only as a backdrop but as an almost living entity that amplifies the soldiers' emotional struggles, suggesting that the true ghosts of war are the memories and traumas that linger long after the battles are over. The narrative culminates in a moment of unexpected empathy between Herb and Jorgenson, highlighting the complexities of human emotions in wartime and the often-blurred lines between victim and aggressor. This story invites readers to explore the deep psychological ramifications of war, illustrating how trauma can be both a defining and shared human experience.
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The Ghost Soldiers by Tim O'Brien
First published: 1981
Type of plot: War, ghost story, psychological
Time of work: The late 1960's
Locale: A jungle and an American firebase in Vietnam
Principal Characters:
Herb , an American soldier who is seeking revengeLemon , andAzar , soldiers in his companyTeddy Thatcher , andJorgenson , American medics
The Story
"The Ghost Soldiers" is told in the first person through the narrator's memories of his twelve months as a soldier fighting in the Vietnam War. The action of the story occurs at two distinct moments in time: when Herb, the narrator, is shot for the second time, and when he later tries to get revenge on Jorgenson, the brand-new medic who froze instead of immediately treating Herb. Like many of Tim O'Brien's war stories, "The Ghost Soldiers" is equally concerned with the environment of Vietnam and with what it was like psychologically for an American to be a soldier in such a strange, unfamiliar place.
The story begins with Herb's recollections about the two times he was shot. He compares the two incidents by focusing on how he was treated by the medic who was present at each firefight. When he was wounded the first time, medic Teddy Thatcher had kept Herb from becoming scared because of his wound, treated him properly, and made sure he was evacuated by helicopter as soon as was possible. However, the second time Herb is shot, medic Jorgenson, who is new to the platoon, freezes as the battle rages around him, allowing Herb to go into shock and seriously threatening his life. Jorgenson's delayed reaction makes the wound worse, and his mishandling of the treatment results in necrosis, which increases Herb's recovery time.
Once Herb recovers from his second wound, he begins to plot revenge on Jorgenson. He first turns to his friend Lemon for help, but Lemon rebuffs him by telling him that Jorgenson has since become a good field medic and that Herb's plan for revenge is unwarranted. Undaunted, Herb turns to another soldier, Azar, for help. Azar agrees, and the two set up a series of aural and visual deceptions to irritate and torment Jorgenson when he is on perimeter patrol later that night.
The twist of the story comes when the games being played on Jorgenson spook Herb as much as they do Jorgenson. As in many of O'Brien's stories, the landscape begins to come alive, and the ghosts of the dead who have fought and been slain in the jungles seem to come out as each of the ruses goes into effect. Herb starts to imagine what Jorgenson is going through, and he ends up working the revenge on himself. He comes to feel Jorgenson's distress and wants the plot to stop, but Azar will not let him. Azar is a sadist and insists that the scheme run its course. Azar ends up attacking and beating Herb while the latter curls up into a ball from the psychological agony he has unintentionally brought on himself.
The night finally ends, and Herb and Jorgenson later meet. They shake hands, and a sense of mutual understanding arises between them. Jorgenson had been scared by the harassments set up by Herb and Azar, and he ultimately feels that Herb has paid him back for his mistake during the battle. The story ends with a discussion of how they can both get back at Azar for what he had done during the night's events.
Bibliography
Bates, Milton J. The Wars We Took to Vietnam: Cultural Conflict and Storytelling. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996.
Heberle, Mark A. A Trauma Artist: Tim O'Brien and the Fiction of Vietnam. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2001.
Herzog, Tobey C. Tim O'Brien. New York: Twayne, 1997.
Kaplan, Steven. Understanding Tim O'Brien. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1995.
O'Brien, Tim. "The Vietnam in Me." New York Times Magazine, October 2, 1994, 48-57.
O'Brien, Tim. "You Can't Talk with People You Demonize." In Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides, edited by Christian G. Appy. New York: Viking, 2003.
Schroeder, Eric James. Vietnam, We've All Been There: Interviews with American Writers. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Press, 1992.
Smith, Patrick. Tim O'Brien: A Critical Companion. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2005.
Taylor, Mark. "Tim O'Brien's War." Centennial Review 29 (Spring, 1995): 213-229.
Vernon, Alex. Soldiers Once and Still: Ernest Hemingway, James Salter, and Tim O'Brien. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2004.