Use of Microsoft Copilot for Validation

Microsoft Copilot was used in preparing AGAINST THE WAR v2 to cross-check on errors and issues identified in David A. Willson’s 2016 review of the original version of the novel. Initially, the main areas of concern were rank difference protocols and what Willson refers to as “anachronisms.” These checks eventually extended to all military details as well as to related characters such as Jim Morris’s fellow pilots.

See the following table for a list of the dialogues conducted. Use the associated links to read and/or download the respective PDF files of the dialogues. Note that the later dialogues are chapter-specific.

Dialogues

ATWv2_aaa	58. Morris and Ellen, enroute to Mexico, hear of Tet
ATWv2_aab	Tour of duty for Army nurse arriving as newly commissioned 2nd lieutenant circa 1969
ATWv2_aac	Nursing student in Chicago for 1968 DFL convention then in Vietnam in January 1969
ATWv2_aad	LPN warrant officers as nurses in Vietnam War
ATWv2_aae	Plausibility of RN program accelerated to be in Vietnam by July 1968
ATWv2_aaf	Detailed hospital program based on real 1960s MN institutions
ATWv2_aag	Actual hospital in Minneapolis that would have offered this program
ATWv2_aah	How many medical bases in Vietnam had medevac units circa 1970?
ATWv2_aai	General concerns in AGAINST THE WAR v2. Sample chapters checked
ATWv2_aaj	Ranks and timing of promotion medic circa 1970
ATWv2_aak	Could college grad with private pilot license enlist pass OCS wind up as Army courier pilot circa 1969?
ATWv2_aal	Possible formal yet familiar Lt and medic address
ATWv2_aal	What percentage of young men drafted during the years 1967 to 1971 wound up in Vietnam?
ATWv2_aan	Process established to check individual files
ATWv2_aao	41. Morris, coached by Tom Pitt, overcomes a crisis of self-doubt
ATWv2_aap	57. Morris recommits himself to his ideals while missing Ellen Kass
ATWv2_aaq	39. Combat trainee Morris follows the national debate on the war
ATWv2_aar	40. Morris warms to a fervent description of Air Force ideals
ATWv2_aas	58. Morris and Ellen, enroute to Mexico, hear of Tet
ATWv2_aat	60 Morris and Ellen return; Morris is assigned to combat duty
ATWv2_aau	61. Morris and Ellen separate, but Ellen makes her own arrangements
ATWv2_aav	73. Morris follows the war while growing ever fonder of Ellen
ATWv2_aaw	74. Morris, in isolation training, hears about the “inner home” concept
ATWv2_aax	93. Morris and Pitt attend an intelligence briefing on the war
ATWv2_aay	94. Morris, with Pitt as flight leader, flies his ninth mission
ATWv2_aaz	95 Morris on his way to rescue Pitt downs a MiG 17
ATWv2_aba	96. Back at Takhli, Morris and Pitt hear Sardo is dead
ATWv2_abb	112. Morris and Pitt react to the election in Takhli, Thailand
ATWv2_abc	113. Morris inadvertently fires on a village killing women and children
ATWv2_abd	114. Morris wards off troubled thoughts as Pitt fetes Souphana Xayaphong
ATWv2_abe	120. Morris meets Ellen in Bangkok for a week of R&R
ATWv2_abf	121. Morris and Ellen find romance in Bangkok, and “allies,” also
ATWv2_abg	122. Morris spends an evening with intelligence officer Orin Brown
ATWv2_abh	123. Morris re-states his concern about leaving behind a fatherless child
ATWv2_abi	140. Amidst ambiguous war, Morris reassures Pitt that Vanna wants love
ATWv2_abj	141. Pitt gets hit, returns to base in a crippled plane
ATWv2_abk	142. Morris is best man as Pitt and Vanna get married/a>
ATWv2_abl	154. Morris and Pitt hear about the great irony of Laos
ATWv2_abm	155. Morris and Pitt fly on their ill-fated last mission together
ATWv2_abn	156. Morris, reeling from Pitt’s death, writes a letter to Steward
ATWv2_abo	157. Steward reads Morris’s letter and reacquaints himself with the war
ATWv2_abp	167. Morris, in Takhli, Thailand, watches the Apollo 11 moon walk
ATWv2_abq	168. On his 98th mission, Morris goes down in northeastern Laos
ATWv2_abr	169. Morris plans and executes an escape plan that goes awry
ATWv2_abs	179. Morris is moved, meets another POW, Ellwood Erland
ATWv2_abt	180. Erland, before being killed, warns of the “collection apparatus”
ATWv2_abu	190. Arrival of new prisoner alerts Morris to try an escape”
ATWv2_abv	190. Arrival of new prisoner alerts Morris to try an escape”
ATWv2_abw	190. Arrival of new prisoner alerts Morris to try an escape”
ATWv2_abx	208. Morris resorts to his “inner home” as Sam Neua changes”
ATWv2_aby	209. Morris listens as Xuan Than talks about “contention” and “egalitarianism”
ATWv2_abz	210. Xuan Than describes the “French War” and the “American War”
ATWv2_aca	211. Morris accepts refreshments at his last meeting with Xuan Than
ATWv2_acb	233. Morris speculates on the war as bombing approaches Sam Neua
ATWv2_acc	234. Morris is relocated from Sam Neua to a Lao village
ATWv2_acd	235. Morris observes daily life in the village of Ban Hatbay
ATWv2_ace	256. As Morris is moved around, he hears tidbits of news
ATWv2_acf	257. Morris, back at Ban Hatbay, looks for Mayral and Soutsadas
ATWv2_acg	278. Morris sees Ban Hatbay bombed; tries to help Soutsada; fleess
ATWv2_ach	280. O’Rourke is on hand as escapee Morris reaches Allied lines
ATWv2_aci	282. Morris fights “dullness” as he is processed by Orin Brown
ATWv2_acj	283. Morris reunites with Ellen but everything feels distant and unreal
ATWv2_ack	287. Morris attends a therapy session with social worker Gary Hansard
ATWv2_acl	288. Morris confronts impotence and a growing sense of war guilt
ATWv2_acm	306. Jim and Ellen fly home to Minnesota for Jane’s funeral
ATWv2_acn	307. Morris reels from the Pentagon Papers and Ellen’s accusations
ATWv2_aco	307. Morris reels from the Pentagon Papers and Ellen’s accusations
ATWv2_acp	311. With Ellen left behind, Morris visits Steward, not knowing why
ATWv2_acq	312. At Scott’s Bluff, Morris struggles to regain the old ideal
ATWv2_acr	313. Morris returns to the family house for the last time
ATWv2_acs	314. Mary flies home to console Ellen as Ellen blames herself
ATWv2_act	314. Mary flies home to console Ellen as Ellen blames herself
ATWv2_acu	181. Medic Bill O’Rourke arrives in Vietnam for his tour of duty
ATWv2_acv	182. O’Rourke starts as a triage medic at Chu Lai hospital
ATWv2_acw	182. O’Rourke starts as a triage medic at Chu Lai hospital
ATWv2_acx	196. O’Rourke corresponds with nurse Carpenter, arranges flight to see her>
ATWv2_acy	197. O’Rourke flies to Binh Thuy for a friendly welcome from Barb
ATWv2_acz	198. O’Rourke romances with Barb, ending in a meeting of eyes
ATWv2_acz2	215. O’Rourke takes part in Orin Brown’s “medical civic action program”
ATWv2_ada	216. O’Rourke sees Xuan Than being withheld treatment to extort information
ATWv2_adb	217. O’Rourke and Brown discuss whether Xuan Than was treated properly
ATWv2_adc	227. O’Rourke resolves to make decisions about Barbara Carpenter and combat
ATWv2_add	228. O’Rourke volunteers for combat and woos Barbie at China Beach
ATWv2_ade	229. Chance encounter moves O’Rourke a step further toward combat duty
ATWv2_adf	236. O’Rourke reports to 101st Airborne, is briefed by Orin Brown
ATWv2_adg	237. O’Rourke begins his combat duty at Fire Support Base Ripcord
ATWv2_adh	238. O’Rourke carries a wounded soldier down a dark jungle road
ATWv2_adi	238. O’Rourke carries a wounded soldier down a dark jungle road
ATWv2_adj	244. O’Rourke hears rumors of an imminent attack on the firebase
ATWv2_adk	245. O’Rourke moves out with Charlie Company to secure Hill 902
ATWv2_adl	247. Convalescent O’Rourke gets visited by Brown, Forland, and Barbie Carpenter
ATWv2_adm	247. Convalescent O’Rourke gets visited by Brown, Forland, and Barbie Carpenter
ATWv2_adn	262. O’Rourke receives a Silver Star and a combat medic badge
ATWv2_ado	263. O’Rourke, his mind made up, weds Barbie in Hong Kong
ATWv2_adp	271. O’Rourke heads for Khe Sanh, meets his CO Art Steward
ATWv2_adq	272. No action in Dewey Canyon, but O’Rourke hears from Barb
ATWv2_adr	273. O’Rourke shares beer and conversation in a bunker with Art
ATWv2_ads	279. O’Rourke takes part in a chaotic medivac drop in Laos
ATWv2_adt	281. O’Rourke goes down, shoots an enemy soldier, and is shot