Marine Corps Issue By David Mclean Analysis

In the Vietnam War, thousands of American soldiers were brutally tortured as prisoners of war. Imagine trying to forget every trace of the torture you've been through and to precede with your life as a normal person. This was the case with many POW's like Johnny"s dad. In the short story, Marine Corps Issue by David Mclean, Johnny's dad is like a turtle in a way because on the outside it's solid and rough, however, on the inside, the turtle is very fragile and vulnerable. His character presents people with a false intuition of being tough and hardcore but within him, he is really crying out for help to deal with the unfortunate moments that he endured.

Although Johnny's dad is a disciplined army soldier, he also displays a emotional and sensitive side to him. When his army buddy came over for a visit, they both laughed heartily and cried over the old war memories. They drank whiskey together reminiscing about their military days and acted as if his crippled fingers were a joke. It was the first time that Johnny had ever seen his dad cry or drink alcohol and a very surprising moment because he rarely smiled
He "finishes speaking, drops Joe onto the concrete floor, and strides quickly away." The time when Johnny screamed Boo!, he caught his dad totally by surprise and that triggered his instincts from the war. After realizing that it was just his son, he "melted, right there before me, his body slumping down like warm wax...He wouldn't look at me." His feelings overwhelmed him with sadness and terror from the days as a prisoner of war which he so desperately wanted to forget. The wooden locker boxes represent Johnny's father because all the memorabilia is stashed away in there and it is padlocked with a oily bronze lock accumulating dust in the tool shed. Beneath his gruff appearance and scarred surface, there is a cordial and gentle person trying to get his life back on