Going After Cacciato

The soldiers move along the Song Tra Bong River, searching and sometimes burning villages, being hit alternately with sniper fire and mortars. In early July, it suddenly goes quiet—no attacks—and the men are able to relax. A resupply chopper gives them a basketball, and they play, squad against squad, until dusk. The Third Squad, led by Eddie, wins all their games.

They play again the next day, trying a new play Doc thought up where they pass the ball to Cacciato to take the other team by surprise. It works perfectly, but Cacciato misses the shot. They keep playing, and while things stay quiet, Paul grows uneasy. But he enjoys playing and strategizing with Eddie, Doc, and Oscar. He dreams about playing games with his father watching from the bleachers.

On July 13, it rains, and they can’t play. Buff says he smells something weird. They form a perimeter around camp that night; Paul tries to think about basketball plays but he can’t concentrate. The next day is dry, but the basketball game is full of errors, and they pack up immediately afterwards to continue marching east. Once, Lieutenant Sidney Martin orders them to search a bunker complex, and the men refuse, making pig noises led by Stink and Vaught.