Opening
Co-author J. T. Molloy opens with a barroom dare turned mission of loyalty: in November 1967, John "Chick" Donohue—a 26-year-old Marine veteran and merchant seaman—vows to carry beer into Vietnam to find his neighborhood friends. The preface frames the tale as both legend and testimony, promising a wild, heartfelt journey that tests courage, friendship, and common sense.
What Happens
In an Inwood bar in New York City, grief and anger over the Vietnam War run high. Locals mourn lost sons and bristle at anti-war protests that, to them, blame the young men risking their lives. A neighborhood patriot—later revealed as George "The Colonel" Lynch—floats a bold idea: someone should go to Vietnam and hand-deliver beers to their buddies in uniform, a simple, tangible sign that the people at home stand with them. Chick, fueled by loyalty and bravado, volunteers on the spot.
Molloy sketches the scale of what Chick signs up for—an “odyssey” across war-torn South Vietnam. Chick plans to hop from the port of Qui Nhon to the DMZ, sweep through the Central Highlands, and wind down to Long Binh and Saigon, tracking multiple friends in active combat zones. The journey reads like a tribute to Friendship, Loyalty, and Camaraderie, and Molloy hints at looming chaos—“Things did not go exactly as planned”—seeding the theme of The Realities and Absurdities of War.
To show who would take such a mission, Molloy flashes forward to episodes that define Chick’s character. As a sandhog union man, Chick traps politicians in a tunnel elevator 700 feet underground until they promise to fund city infrastructure. During a newspaper strike, he arranges for a train full of scab newsprint to go “missing” in North Dakota. He organizes a union while studying at Harvard’s Kennedy School and once flies to Ireland with a mobster to act as bodyguard for his friend Frank McCourt. The portrait is clear: Chick is audacious, ingenious, and fiercely loyal—and the beer run becomes his ultimate test.
Character Development
Molloy positions Chick as a doer whose code is loyalty first, rules second. The preface establishes that the beer run isn’t a drunken stunt; it’s consistent with the way Chick lives—solving problems with nerve, humor, and a bulldog’s persistence.
- Loyalty becomes action: he accepts a life-threatening mission to back his friends.
- Resourcefulness under pressure: he engineers outcomes (elevators, trains, unions) when the system resists.
- Moral independence: he acts by his own compass, not institutional permission.
- Community identity: his working-class Inwood roots shape his sense of duty and pride.
Themes & Symbols
Patriotism and Support for Soldiers: The bar’s challenge distinguishes between the politics of war and the worth of the soldiers. A beer and a handshake become symbols of solidarity—tokens that say, “We remember you,” amid a divided home front.
Friendship, Loyalty, and Camaraderie: The entire premise is an extreme expression of personal loyalty. Chick risks his life not for ideology but for the men he grew up with, turning a neighborhood bond into a transoceanic mission.
The Realities and Absurdities of War: Molloy’s foreshadowing promises a journey where danger and ridiculousness collide. The beer—a domestic comfort—becomes a surreal artifact inside a combat zone, highlighting how war distorts the ordinary.
Key Quotes
“Things did not go exactly as planned.”
Molloy seeds tension and tone in seven words. The line primes readers for misadventure and improvisation, framing the beer run as a story where courage meets chaos and plans bend to reality.
“You get the picture. Chick is the subject of many an amazing story, but the one you are about to read is the best.”
This direct address vouches for the tale’s scale and stakes. It also cements Molloy’s role as a credible narrator, elevating the mission from anecdote to defining legend.
Why This Matters and Section Significance
The preface grounds the book’s heart: an outrageous plan born from community loyalty during a fractured moment in American life. By establishing Chick’s track record of audacious, values-driven action, Molloy makes the beer run feel inevitable—an ultimate expression of character. The section sets a tone that blends humor, danger, and devotion, preparing readers for a narrative that tests friendship against the surreal theater of war.