Traumatic Brain Injury & Purple Heart

• Matt suffers from Traumatic Brain Injury.
• He experiences memory loss, confusion, headaches, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating after the injury.
• Matt is unable to recall the events that led to his injury.

Matt's Feelings about the Purple Heart

• He has mixed feelings about receiving the Purple Heart.
• The Purple Heart is meant to honor his service and sacrifice.
• Matt feels uncertain about whether he truly deserves the award.
• He struggles with guilt and has unanswered questions about the incident that led to his injury.

Justin's Character and Friendship with Matt

• Justin is a young soldier and one of Matt's closest friends.
• Matt and Justin bonded over their shared experiences in the war specifically a mission where their unit was attacked where Matt was hurt.
• Justin tells Matt that he was injured during a mission when their unit was attacked.

Matt's Family and Motivation

• Matt's family is supportive but struggles to understand what he is going through in Iraq.
• They are relieved that he is alive but do not fully grasp the mental and emotional impact of his experiences.
• Matt is in Iraq because he enlisted as a soldier, likely motivated by duty, patriotism, or personal reasons.

Ali and Matt's Fear

• Ali is an Iraqi boy whom Matt befriended before his injury.
• Matt is scared when he thinks about Ali because he begins to suspect that Ali may have been involved in his death.
• As his memories return, he is haunted by guilt and uncertainty about what really happened.

The Green Zone

• The hospital is located in the Green Zone
• The Green Zone is a heavily fortified area in Baghdad where U.S. military and government officials operate.
• The Green Zone is relatively safe compared to the rest of the war-torn city.
• The Green Zone is also called “America on the Tigris” because it is like a miniature version of the U.S., complete with familiar food, entertainment, and security
• The name “America on the Tigris" makes it feel separate from the realities of war outside its borders.

Matt's Reaction to Caroline's Letter

• Matt feels hurt and disconnected after reading Caroline's letter.
• Caroline is distant, making it clear that life back home is moving on without him.
• It reinforces Matt's sense of isolation and the feeling that people who haven't experienced war can't truly understand what he's going through.

Matt's Memory of the Alley Incident

• Matt's memories are triggered by small details, conversations, and dreams.
• Over time, he remembers the incident in the alley involved a firefight and that Ali, the young Iraqi boy, was killed.
• He struggles to comes to the painful realization that he may have played a role in Ali's death.

Matt's Reluctance to confide in Dr. Kwong

• Matt does not fully open up to Dr. Kwong because he fears the consequences of admitting his doubts and trauma.
• He worries he might be seen as weak or unfit for duty if he tells the truth.
• He internalizes the pressure to act tough and suppress his emotions like many soldiers do.

Francis's Impact on Matt

• Francis is hospitalized for injuries from combat.
• Francis's story makes Matt reflect on his own situation and the randomness of survival in war.
• Matt begins to question what really happened to him and whether his injury and Ali's death were avoidable.

Matt's Doubts about Justin's Story

• As Matt's memory slowly returns, he notices inconsistencies in Justin's version of events.
• Justin's account doesn't fully align with what Matt begins to remember.
• It makes him question whether Justin is hiding something or altering the truth to protect himself or Matt.

The Meeting in Lieutenant Colonel Fuchs's Office

• Lieutenant Colonel Fuchs discusses Matt's injury and his return to duty.
• There seems to be underlying tension, with certain aspects of the incident in the alley are either avoided or downplayed.
• The conversation suggests that the military may prefer to keep things quiet rather than fully investigating what happened.
• Leaving Matt feeling uneasy and conflicted.

Interview in Lieutenant Brody's Office

• Lieutenant Brody questions Matt about the alley incident.
• Brody refers to Ali's death as "collateral damage" which means an unintended but acceptable loss in war.
• Matt feels terrible because Ali wasn't just an accident — he was a child Matt personally knew.
• This highlights how the military sees civilian deaths as unavoidable, while Matt sees it as a personal tragedy.

Matt's Anger and Meaghan's Salute

• Matt is initially angry at Meaghan because she and Dr. Kwong approved his return to duty, even though he still feels mentally unfit.
• He thinks she doesn't care about him.
• Later he realizes she was just doing her job.
• Meaghan salutes Matt as a sign of respect, even though privates don't usually get saluted.
• This salute acknowledges his struggles and sacrifices.

Matt's Readiness

• Matt is not truly ready to return.
• He still struggles with guilt, PTSD, and confusion about what happened in the alley.
• He reacts with frustration and doubt, but ultimately accepts the decision since he feels he has no choice.
• This shows how soldiers are often sent back to war, even if they are not mentally prepared.

Why Matt Gives the Purple Heart Away

• The Purple Heart is supposed to be a symbol of bravery and sacrifice, but Matt doesn't feel like a hero.
• He feels guilty about Ali's death and believes he doesn't deserve the medal.
• By giving the Purple Heart to Father Brennan, Matt is rejecting the idea that he should be honored for what happened.

Matt's Return to his Squad

• When Matt returns, his squad treats him differently.
• They joke with him but it feels forced.
• He feels like an outsider as if he no longer belongs.
• Justin acts cold and distant, avoiding Matt.
• This behavior might be because Justin is hiding something most likely the truth about Ali's death.

Introduction of Charlene

• Charlene is a new female soldier assigned to the squad.
• The male soldiers mock and disrespect her because they don't take her seriously.
• Matt realizes she is tough and capable.
• Matt respects Charlene more than the others do.
• Highlights sexism in the military and the extra struggles female soldiers face.

Matt's Return to the Alley

• Matt returns to the alley because he wants to remember the truth about what happened.
• He discovers that Ali was actually a spotter for insurgents.
• This shocks him because it means Ali was helping the enemy.
• However, this does not erase Matt's guilt and he sees Ali as a kid caught in a terrible situation.

The Squad and the Movie Rambo

• The soldiers use Rambo as a way to escape the reality of war.
• The movie glorifies violence and makes war seem heroic.
• However, Matt realizes that real war is nothing like the movies.
• This contrast shows how soldiers cope with war by pretending it's a game while Matt now sees the dark truth.

Justin's Delay in Revealing the Truth

• Justin is afraid of how Matt will react.
• He does not want to admit that Ali was working with the enemy.
• Justin also feels guilty for keeping the truth from Matt.
• When Justin is wounded, he finally confesses suggesting he can't hold it in any longer because he fears dying with the secret.
• Matt is shocked and furious and feels like he was betrayed by Justin for keeping the truth from him.

Reflections on Ali's Actions

• Ali became a spotter because he had no choice.
• In war, children are often forced into dangerous roles.
• Matt does not regret being friends with Ali because he realizes that Ali was just trying to survive.
• This makes Matt understand that war is not about good guys and bad guys it is about survival.