When Your Thoughts Do Not Matter

            
             During war time, soldiers bear the burden of not being able to make their own decisions. They must demonstrate their loyalty to their country by following every order given to them at any time. These orders may go against their better judgment at times, but soldiers must do what they are ordered. Taking another humans life is hard enough when you want to, let alone when you are ordered to and the person has done nothing wrong to you. Soldiers must show no emotion when they are chosen to execute the wishes of ones country. Like General MacArthur said, " the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war". Both stories showed mans honesty and loyalty to its country and compassion for life. .
             Being around the prisoners of war, day and night, many soldier become fond of them. In "Guests of the Nation, the soldiers referred to their prisoners as, " our guests" (O"Connor 1258). These same soldiers, after given orders to go guard the prisoner, returned with, " what the hell we wanted guarding them at all for"(1260). These soldiers saw these two member of the opposing army as comrades. They found no need to guard them or even think of them as a threat to their security. At one point a soldiers referred to the prisoners as an, ". old dog that was going to the vet's, you"d try not to get too fond of him" (1260). This was another odd way to refer to the enemy. This shows that in wars, opposing forces do not hate the enemy that they are engaged with, but have a respect for them and what they believe in. In "Another Way to Die", the Japanese soldiers did not have as solid a relationship with their prisoners as did the Irish, but they still questioned the reasoning behind killing helpless prisoners. When the Japanese soldiers showed doubt with their orders, they were reminded "These are military orders, sir. You"ll just have to manage as you see fit" (Murakami 1270).