The Vietnam War was the longest war in United States history. Whether volunteers or enlisted, one in ten soldiers did not survive the war. With the average age of the men being only twenty-one, they were not adult enough or mature enough to deal with such tragedy and grotesque, indescribable encounters. During the twenty-four years that the United States contributed to the Vietnam War; 58,148 men and women died in combat. Families, friends and neighbors all fought for the same cause and each has their own story. Although some war stories seem similar, each of them has a different meaning and reflects the personal feelings of each individual. War, however long or short it may be, can have a profound 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 or heroism, but it contains the reality of misplaced anger and the inability of soldiers to deal with their feelings and the horrible experiences they had 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 in order to effectively tell a "true war story" while describing the betrayal of the war. chapter, the distinction between truth and fiction becomes constantly blurred. With each story being told how a soldier perceived it 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 the truth" (King). O'Brien uses hyperbole to exaggerate the war and the soldier...... middle of paper ......what O'Brien uses he creates the same effect. Whether through the use of hyperbole, polysyndeton or anecdotes; the betrayal of war and its effects on the soldiers, both mentally and physically, are portrayed by the audience. O'Brien effectively shows the reader "how to tell a real war story" through the soldiers' various stories. It is explained that the true story lies not behind the facts of what actually happened, but behind what each soldier felt and what appears to have happened.Works CitedKing, Rosemary. "O'Brien's HOW TO TELL A TRUE WAR STORY." Explanator 57.3 (1999): 182 Full Text Select Reader's Guide (HW Wilson).Web. February 4, 2014 O'Brien, Tim. “How to Tell a True War Story.” The things they carried. New York: Mariner, 2009. PrintSCOTT, A.O. “Expressing Vietnam”. Sunday Book Review. The New York Times, November 21, 2013. Web. February 4. 2014.