Fable/ Plot Summary; G.R. Pont

G. R. Point is set in 1969 at a small U. S. Army base somewhere near the Vietnam – Cambodian boarder. G. R. Point is short for “graves registration point” in other words it’s a collection area for dead bodies and their personal effects. G.R. is staffed by lower level enlisted personnel(either Privet First Class or a Specialist) with only two non-commissioned officers; a corporal, and a sergeant(pay grade E-5) who is the NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge). The officer in charge is a First Lieutenant. The a’ fore mentioned characters are of different races; black, white, latina, the sergeant “Deacon” is a black man, and the lieutenant “Johnston” is a white man. All of them range from late teens to mid twenties. The main character Micah Broadstreet is a white male from New England, Ivy League educated who was drafted into the Army after college. Upon being drafted he enlisted to avoid assignment to the Infantry. He is assigned to G.R. to assist in the cleaning, documentation, and transportation of bodies from their base to the main morgue in Saigon. His fellow soldiers (with the exception of Deacon and Johnston) welcome him in their group by smoking weed in there tent. As the time passes Micah witnesses Deacon rape “mama-san” (a Vietnamese woman who works for the soldiers doing odd jobs on base) but does nothing about it after being talked out of killing Deacon because “their on the same team.” He also has to deal with killing another human and death of fellow soldiers in front of him after the base is overrun by Vietcong one night. The morning after the fight it is said the “Broadstreet pilled up two hundred mother fuckers after the bunker next to him got greased.” After this he of course has a hard time dealing with the fact that he wants “things to go back how they were,” but he also loved the thrill of killing “I came in my pants!” He begins to buy pictures of the dead from Deacon so he can relish/wallow in what he has done. In the end Micah receives a Red Cross message that his mother had died, and that he is being released from his service obligation. He is somewhat reluctant to go back to “the world” due to the fact of what he has done in Vietnam. He is not the same person he was then, and he will never be the same again.

Summary

G.R. Point is set in a small Army post in southwestern Vietnam, November 1969. The play begins with Tito and Straw working on a body while SGT. Deacon berates them from behind his desk. This is also where we are introduced to the main character of SPC 4 Miach Bradstreet who reports for duty with the "Movements Control Team." Micah meets the rest of his platoon mates who ask him to smoke marijauana with them as a way of "poping his cherry." It is here where Micah is brought up to speed on the dangers, and the people around him. He also learns about his platoon mates backgrounds and tells them some about himself. It is during this act the base come under attack from the North Veitnamies Army. Micah "loses his cherry" of being in combat, where his actions are retold with war hero status. But the fact that he has taken life distresses him. He hates himself for killing, but loves the rush from killing.
In act two we are given back ground on the character of Mama-san, and why she does odd jobs on base. Deacon starts selling pictures of the dead(American and enemy alike) to his fellow soldiers. Micah buys a set to perpetuate his missplaced feelings about what he has done, seeing him in pain Mama-san has sex with him. Micah continues to buy more picutres from Deacon and begins to masterbate to them. Tito and Zan are killed by friendly fire when a tank blew up the bunker they were in. This brings death much closer to home for Micah, Straw, K.P, and Shoulders who are the last of the enlisted men in the platoon. They have to help each other cope with the death of their friends, how the Army dealt with those who killed them, and how their own command refuses to do anything about it. Micah's mother has a stroke back in the states so he is told to pack his gear for the next flight home. He bids farewell to his mates, though he is afraid of going back and not having the ability to cope with what he has done and seen. He is told by K.P. to "count the living, not the dead." Fade to black.