How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
My biggest obstacle was plain and simple Army protocol, which of course the Colonel was a stickler for. (11.2)
We appreciate the fact that the Colonel is a rule-follower. As fellow rule lovers, we see the stability in that—and for the most part, Jamie respects this about her dad, too. That is, until she tries to bend the rules a little bit. She knows the Colonel feels it's his duty to follow every rule the army has, but that doesn't stop her from pleading Hollister's case to the guy anyway.
Quote #8
"An enlisted man has chosen the military, and he's responsible for fulfilling the duties of his enlistment agreement. It might be taken into consideration that his brother has been killed, but that doesn't mean he won't be sent if he's needed." (13.10)
When Jamie's talking to her dad about Hollister, he tells her that anyone who enlists in the army has a duty to serve because that's what he's signed up for. Fair enough. To Jamie, however, it's not that simple. She thinks Hollister should be able to reconsider his commitment because of what happened to his brother. Do you agree?
Quote #9
I couldn't quite take in the fact that the Colonel had tried to pull strings to keep TJ out of Vietnam. That went against protocol. It went against everything he'd ever told me about the Army way of doing things. Honor, duty, sacrifice, wasn't that what he'd been preaching to me all my life? (13.19)
What happens when you no longer agree with the rules you've promised to uphold? Do you still follow them? For the Colonel, the answer is yes…sort of. His sense of duty to the army and his own son come head to head when he has to figure out how to keep TJ from entering battle in Vietnam.