Fields of Fire (novel)

Fields of Fire is a novel by U.S. Senator Jim Webb, first published in 1978. It follows the lives of several Marines serving in the Vietnam War. It is told mainly from the viewpoints of three Marines: 2nd Lt Robert E. Lee Hodges, who comes from a long line of soldiers; "Snake" (no full name given), a squad leader in Hodges' platoon, a tough kid from the streets; and "Senator" (Will Goodrich), an impressionable and sensitive Harvard student who volunteers for service. The major themes are centered on loyalty, leadership, and the brutalizing effects on people of wartime.