APO 96225
Larry Rottmann
This makes complete sense. The minute people get bluntly what they asked for, they react as if they haven't been asking for it, and they're offended. It is a situational irony in the sense that the exact opposite of what the soldier's parents asked for was what they wanted: to be sheltered from the harsh realities of war. It is simply easier for loved ones back at home to cling to ignorance than to feel exploited to the cruelty of war.
The understatements made by the soldier writing home also reveal a truth about how soldiers are hardened to war. They say, "Dear mom, it sure rains a lot here," again at the end of the poem, giving readers the hint that ll of their descriptions about war are blatant understatements. When the soldier gives their parents a peek at the truth, soldier's lack of gravity is displayed. The soldier says with no emotion, "today I killed a man. Yesterday, I helped drop napalm on women and children" (846).
It most displays the irony of the situation when the parents respond offended, there is obviously a huge disconnect created here between the soldiers and the public- they only want to hear about the "beautiful sunsets".
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