How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I kept my eyes away from the house we had searched. Over and over I told myself that the kid had used the rocket launcher, that he tried to kill Americans. Maybe even had already killed Americans, and he was the enemy. In a way I was cool with that. In my head I could deal with his being dead. But it had all happened so quickly. One moment he was alive and he was scared, as I was scared with him and for him. And then he was dead. (5.19)
Birdy is trying to justify the army shooting the kid in his head, but he can't manage to do it. Seeing the kid die was too hard to use logic about it.
Quote #2
I wanted to talk to him so bad. There wasn't anything special I wanted to say, just that I thought what he wanted for me was okay. Maybe that I loved him. I took out my pen and started to write a note to myself to tell my parents that I loved them. It was BS. The part about reminding myself. (5.121)
Not only does Birdy feel awful about disappointing his dad, he feels guilty for not telling his parents he loves them enough. His mind is having a total guilt-fest.
Quote #3
I don't know how much money we gave them. It looked like a couple of thousand dollars. I didn't feel good about it. Everything the Iraqis were saying was right. We couldn't buy an end to their grieving, or an end to their missing their kids. (6.90)
Birdy's guilt for being a part of the unit that gave Iraqis money for killing their kids is pretty understandable. Money can't bring the kids back.