War Stories

Trevor is devastated to realize that Jacob’s friend Freddie died. Daniel urges his son to reflect on this grief: “‘Makes you think, huh?’ Daniel Firestone said to his son. ‘Battles may look glamorous in movies and on posters, but this is what’s left over once the smoke clears away’” (84-85). He tells his son that wars destroy not only soldiers but also future generations of their families as well.

The Firestones land on Omaha Beach while Jacob searches for the spot where Freddie died. It’s now been paved over as a pedestrian crosswalk. The family continues their tour of war memorials in the area, including Freddie’s actual tombstone. Trevor notices a blonde girl about his age who seems to be following them from one tour site to the next. When they return to their rental car, they find a dead bird tucked under the windshield wiper.

As Daniel drives the rental car through the French countryside, Jacob forces him to pull over near a fence of hedgerows. The green shrubbery is centuries old, and Jacob recalls fighting through the area: “These hedgerows—they may look pretty in the aerial photographs, but they’re murder for fighting. You can’t drive a tank through them!” (89).