The Odd Angry Shot (1979) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Harry's refusal to acknowledge his Vietnam service reflects the hostile reception returning veterans actually faced. When a bartender asks if they've just come back from Vietnam, Harry's curt 'No' symbolizes the psychological disconnect and shame many soldiers felt, as public opinion of the war was largely negative and soldiers often encountered indifference or outright hostility rather than gratitude for their service.

• harry
• no
• vietnam
• return
• hostility
• veterans

Scott was mortally wounded during the section's first combat patrol in dense jungle shortly after arriving in Vietnam. The engagement was short but brutal, and while the squad managed to wound one Viet Cong fighter, Scott's injuries were fatal and he died from them.

• scott
• death
• jungle
• patrol
• viet-cong

Rogers lost both feet and suffered severe facial injuries when he stepped on a mine during a patrol. He was evacuated to hospital where his comrades visited him before he was sent home. In a darkly humorous moment, Rogers asked Harry to check if his testicles were still present, they were.

Foreshadowing: The constant threat of mines and booby-traps during patrols had been established from the early jungle engagements.

• rogers
• mine
• injury
• hospital
• amputation

Bung was killed by a Viet Cong machine-gunner while the squad was attempting to seize a VC-held bridge shortly before their tour ended. The unit successfully secured the bridge but was then ordered to withdraw, making Bung's death feel particularly senseless and unnecessary.

• bung
• death
• bridge
• achine-gunner
• withdrawal

During a quiet period at camp, the Australian soldiers organized an insect-fighting contest with an American unit. The contest escalated into a massive fistfight between the allied troops, showcasing the strange mix of camaraderie and volatility that existed between soldiers from different nations.

• insect-fighting
• contest
• fistfight
• americans
• camp

Bill received a thinly veiled breakup letter from his girlfriend back home during a quiet period at camp. The letter represented the personal emotional toll of the mission, as the distance and danger of the war created strain on relationships that many soldiers back home couldn't handle.

• bill
• girlfriend
• letter
• breakup
• home

Bung received devastating news that both his mother and his girlfriend had died in a car accident back home. This tragedy occurred mid-tour and profoundly affected Bung, deepening his grief and sense of futility about the war and his own survival.

• bung
• mother
• girlfriend
• car-accident
• death

Harry revealed to the group that he had once been a professional artist during a lull at camp. He also shared details about a painful marriage break-up. His growing cynicism about the war's purpose and the lack of gratitude they would receive upon returning home emerged through these personal revelations.

• harry
• artist
• marriage
• cynicism
• war-purpose

The night-time mortar barrage that hit their camp was the first real attack that shattered the soldiers' sense of safety. Several were wounded and lives were disrupted, marking the first concrete reminder that danger was never far away and that the war had now reached them directly.

Foreshadowing: The early weeks of mud, boredom and endless rain had established the soldiers' routine before violence directly struck.

• mortar
• attack
• camp
• wounded
• danger

The soldiers coped through a blend of dark humor, cheek, and practical jokes, along with copious quantities of beer. They engaged in drunken brawls, played tricks on the Padre, and maintained a running feud with the squadron cook about the food quality. This humor acted as a buffer against fear and grief.

• humor
• coping
• beer
• practical-jokes
• bonds

After successfully seizing the VC-held bridge in a major offensive, the section was ordered to withdraw almost immediately. This withdrawal despite their hard-won victory contributed to the emotional exhaustion and frustration felt by Harry, Bill and Dawson as they awaited their return home.

• bridge
• withdrawal
• offensive
• frustration
• orders

On leave in Saigon, Bung intercepted a young scam artist who had robbed two US soldiers. The group confiscated the stolen cash and teamed up with the Americans for a wild night with hookers. Bill participated as well, using the escapade as a temporary escape from the war's harsh realities.

• saigon
• leave
• hookers
• americans
• scam-artist