Soldiers Chapter Summaries

This novel captured my interest and held it to the final chapter! I not only learned about the history of World War II, but also of the emotional impact it had on soldiers and their families. The Gunderman family was a family devoted to each other. The realization that their oldest son, Jimmy, had to fight for his country was devastating to them. The main character, Earl, was the younger half-brother. He described himself as the weaker of the two. He and Jimmy were close and enjoyed being together. He vividly detailed the emotional struggles they went through as a family during the war and how they overcame the struggles together by trusting in each other.
In chapter one through four, the author described his teenage life with his family and his brother’s friends. Unlike his brother, he didn’t have many friends. One event that Earl disclosed emphasized the bond he and Jimmy shared. When his mother locked Earl up for accidently chopping Mrs. Pritchard's leg with an ax while he was working at the family grocery, Jimmy helped Earl sneak out and took him fishing
Before they left for National Guard training, Floyd got married to his girlfriend Mary, and Jimmy got engaged to his girlfriend Molly. They promised their love to each other while they were a part. After the training, Jimmy and Floyd went overseas to the Philippines. John served in Europe and Louie was stationed on a ship in Hawaii. On December 07, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Louie died inside the ship that was sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. A few months later, Jimmy and Floyd’s families received the news that both boys were missing in action in the Philippines. This devastating news tried the strength of the Gunderman family, but they never gave up hope that Jimmy was still alive since his body was not