In Myers's portrayal, the military serves as a great equalizer across race and class. Therefore, they must rely on their other senses to direct their attacks. Perry and his squad mates are often firing blindly in the general direction of an enemy they cannot see. Additionally, experts and historians often cite the VC's guerrilla tactics as the reason for the American failure in Vietnam. The sounds become increasingly intense during high-stress situations, making it hard for Perry to prioritize the mission over his human instinct for survival. First of all, the noise often serves to interrupt Perry's introspective narrative he cannot ignore the deafening artillery fire, the wails of dying soldiers, of the slashing chopper blades.

These aural descriptions function on many levels. Myers often uses sound as a way to engage the reader in Perry's wartime experience. Ultimately, each soldier in the novel must create his own version of reality in order to avoid the questionable morality of the American mission in Vietnam. Perry also struggles to distance himself from the atrocities unfolding around him, but his pensive and thoughtful nature does not allow him to hide behind denial. Lieutenant Carroll exchanges letters with his wife to work out the details of their life after his return to ‘the World,' which is his way of holding onto his other reality. Lobel approaches this disparity by repeatedly insisting that his experience in Vietnam is a Hollywood movie. The jungles, temporary barracks, monotonous food, and constant barrage of enemy fire makes it nearly impossible for them to believe that Vietnam and the United States exist on the same planet.

When Perry and his fellow soldiers arrive in Vietnam, they are completely unprepared for the stark change from their civilian lives and being in the military.

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