[Sample B: Approval/Signature Sheet] - George Mason University

Shellburn had tried to achieve recognition within the Marines, but he has as little
success as Oswald. He enters a contest in which he must give a speech, in which he
implores his fellow Marines to act appropriately toward the Japanese and other peoples
where they are stationed. Shellburn urges his audience to ask themselves “’Have I ever
endorsed Communist propaganda by my actions?’ Actions, gentlemen, speak much
louder than words. What about your conduct on liberty?” 337 Shellburn’s last illusions
are shattered when he finds that his Marine buddy Mike Cervata, whom he considered the
best Marine he knew, is heavily involved in the black market. Shellburn becomes more
lackadaisical and sloppy. He writes to a former buddy that he has found “The Great
Universal Truth” – his version of Murphy’s law. “’Jack, I’ve found it; it’s the smell of
vomit on board ship when the sea is rough. It’s the smell of a fart the guy in front of you
lets out when you’re at attention in formation. It’s the cry of an old man when he’s made
the victim of a cruel joke…The Universal Truth, Jack, is the great dragon of reality.” 338
Back in Japan, he is drawn to the Japanese pacifists. He rages against his countrymen:
“Blundering dolts! Whole country full of incompetents! Defenders of the status quo!
Defenders of the status quo, your time has come!” 339
In the final chapter, the reader learns that Shellburn has defected to the Soviet
Union. Thornley had struggled with the ending of his novel, and Oswald’s defection
provided him with a ready-made solution. Various people who knew Shellburn offer
their thoughts on why he defected – most of them reflecting their own viewpoints and
337 Warriors, 79.
338 Warriors, 139.
339 Warriors, 189.
151