The Vietnam War was the longest war in United States history. Whether they volunteered or were conscripted, one in ten soldiers did not survive the war. With an average age of just twenty-one, the men were not old enough nor mature enough to face such tragedy and grotesque, unspeakable encounters. During the twenty-four years that the United States helped fight the Vietnam War; 58,148 men and women died in action. Families, friends and neighbors all fought for the same cause and each had their own story. Although some war stories seem similar, each one holds a different meaning and the individual's personal feelings. War, no matter how long or short, can have a huge impact on a person's life because "what happens in combat can be grotesque, absurd, senseless and transcendent, sometimes all at once” (SCOTT). Surrounded by all the blood, tragedy and loss; a true war story does not involve courage and heroism but contains the reality of misplaced anger and the inability of soldiers to deal with their feelings and the horrible experiences they went through during the war. In "How to Tell a True War Story," Tim O'Brien applies rhetorical devices to his war stories, blurring the distinction between fact and fiction to effectively tell a "true war story" while depicting the betrayal of war. chapter, the distinction between truth and fiction becomes constantly blurred. In each story it was told how a soldier perceived this to have happened rather than how it actually happened; Tim O'Brien “emphasizes the importance of manipulating what actually happened to get to the essence of truth” (King). O'Brien uses hyperbole to exaggerate the war and the... middle of paper......ce of the soldier that O'Brien uses, creates the same effect. Whether through the use of hyperboles, polysyndetones or anecdotes; the betrayal of war and its effect on soldiers both mentally and physically is portrayed to the audience. O'Brien effectively shows the reader “how to tell a real war story” through the different stories of the soldiers. It is explained that the real story lies not behind the facts of what actually happened, but behind what each soldier heard and what seemed to have happened. Works Cited King, Rosemary. "How to Tell a True War Story" by O'Brien. Explicator 57.3 (1999):182 Reader's Guide Full Text Selection (H.W. Wilson).Web. February 4, 2014O'Brien, Tim. "How to tell a real war story." The things they carried. New York: Mariner, 2009. PrintSCOTT, AO. "Giving voice to Vietnam." Sunday Book Review. The New York Times, November 21, 2013. Web. February 4. 2014.