Fallen Angels

Fallen Angels is a fictional story about the Vietnam War by Walter Dean Myers. The story centers around 17 year old Richie Perry, a

high school graduate from Harlem. Richie is the narrarator and protagonist of the book. His alcoholic single mother cannot afford to send him to college and he joins the army to escape an uncertain future and is sent to Vietnam and during his year there suffers numerous harrowing combat experiences and tries to grapple with the meaning of war, heroism, good and evil. During his time in Vietnam, Richie befriends Harold “Peewee” Gates, a slightly arrogant black man also from Harlem who disguises the horrors of his experiences with comical bravado.
My favorite part of the book was when Peewee leaped out of a helicopter to save Monaco, an Italian squad mate, from certain death. I think this was very brave of Peewee, considering that the helicopter was already taking off when Peewee saved Monaco.
One part that had a huge impact on me was when Lieutenant Carrol, the leader of the squad, was performing a funeral service for Jenkins, another squad mate who had stepped on a mine while out on patrol. Carrol said that Jenkins was a fallen angel because army gets boy as young and as innocent as angels to fight wars. This phrase has stuck with me ever since.