Description
Here, Joe Hallen is confronted by two members of his black community for being a sell out for enlisting in the army.
Because of this rejection from his community and limited job prospects, Hallen returns to Vietnam for his second tour of duty. This was the reality for many black GI’s who enlisted in service (Graham 26). Hallen’s decision to re-engage in the tumultuous lifestyle of a soldier is founded in his desire to access the economic security of being a soldier, even if that financial security comes at the price of physical security. Ultimately, he must go back to war in order to support himself and his family, even despite the way his fellow back men label him an Uncle Tom.