What happens in Deceased?

The chapter titled, Deceased, is narrated from Ray's perspective. He looks at the picture of the girls from the school and knows that American sailors killed them. He knows they would continue bombing, even if they knew, just as the Marines continued to shoot. They hear a barrage of weapon fire and learn that Germany has surrendered and Hitler is dead. One Marine, a man named Zimmer, is surprised that everyone is not ready to celebrate. Ray and others know that it makes no difference to their situation. They stop for a mail delivery. Ray receives a letter from his mother that contains a photo of Ray and his father, happy and wearing silly pirate costumes at a fair. Ray considers that they are both different now, but believes they can be both different and the “happy people in the photograph” (Location 1095). One man received a letter from his sweetheart and another got a letter from the DMV with a threat of arrest for unpaid tickets. When they are later under fire, Big John writes “deceased” on the letter, saying the soldier “can sent that back to them in advance” (Location 1120).

They continue to march, meeting the soldiers returning from the front. One warns that they need plenty of grenades and Ray compares them with ghosts who are muddy and exhausted. He suddenly realizes that his father may have been trying to save him from this exact scene.