Prompt: Assume the role of a soldier driving and recount the Poem about the Windowless Platoon
1. Outline
2. Sample Essay 1
3. Sample Essay 2
4. Sample Essay 3
Role-playing as a soldier driver recounting the Poem about the Windowless Platoon
I. Outline of Assuming the Role of a Soldier Driving Recounting the Poem about the Windowless Platoon (Standard)
1. Introduction
Assume the role of a soldier driver to narrate the story.
2. Body of the Essay
- Depicting the extraordinary windowless vehicles on the battlefield.
+ Illustrating the unique features: windowless, lightless, no car hood, scratched truck bed.
+ Primary cause attributed to shockwaves and vibrations from bombs shattering the glass.
=> The devastation of war.
- Recollecting the intense combat years on the harsh battlefield.
+ Challenges and hardships faced without vehicle windows.
+ How soldiers coped with difficulties.
+ Strong camaraderie among the soldier drivers.
+ The noble fighting purpose and ideals of these soldiers.
3. Conclusion
Express emotions and reflections on the challenging years at the battlefield.
II. Sample Essay Assuming the Role of a Soldier Driving Recounting the Poem about the Windowless Platoon
1. Assuming the Role of a Soldier Driving Recounting the Poem about the Windowless Platoon, Sample 1 (Standard)
I enlisted in the army in 1964, serving as a soldier driver along the Truong Son trail. During that period, our country was in resistance against the U.S., with hardships and dangers present. However, we, along with the windowless vehicles, remained optimistic, embracing life and radiating confidence in victory.
Our vehicles are carefully camouflaged with branches and leaves, yet sadly, they still suffer damage to the point of having no windshield in the driver's compartment. Originally, no vehicle is without glass, but the ferocity on the battlefield, with bombs exploding, shakes the glass to the extent that no vehicle emerges unscathed. What glass doesn't shatter, lights are damaged; what lights remain intact, the vehicle lacks a hood, marked with scratches. That's war for you, it has a devastating power.
Without glass, we - the soldiers, have to face numerous difficulties. Sometimes, the wind blows fiercely, stinging our eyes, and when we embrace, dust rushes in, each one of us ending up with a dirty and messy face. And so, we jokingly call ourselves the elderly bunch. Then, on a clear day, everything is fine, but on rainy days, sitting in the vehicle is no different from being outside; it's all the same when it's pouring. I remember Duat, the export literature major, turning it into a poem:
'Without glass, indeed, clothes get wet
Rain pours, drenching like outside'
Then the whole bunch laughs. Dust? Rain? We don't mind the hardships, the toils on the battlefield. Without glass, there's a silver lining - sitting in the driver's compartment leisurely, casually driving while gazing at the sky and the earth, experiencing it firsthand. What could be better than immersing oneself in nature, the land, the sky? We're not bothered by rain, wind, or scorching sun; we only need to fulfill the mission. Even if the sky pours heavy rain and the wind blows strong, at most, our clothes get as wet as if we're showering in the rain, no need for a change while sitting in the driver's compartment, covering hundreds of miles with the wind blowing in, and it dries up like nothing.
The glassless vehicles formed a small squadron, where fellow drivers became comrades, and wherever we went, we met friends. Just a handshake through the broken window: 'Hello, comrade!' and we were bonded. During breaks, we set up a makeshift kitchen right in the forest, cooking together, sharing meals, becoming a family. When tired, each of us hung a hammock between two tall trees and slept, closing our eyes for a while before starting again. Life on the battlefield is like that, going through hardships and shortages together, overcoming bomb rains and bullet storms. Bullets and bombs can destroy the vehicles, but they can't stop our footsteps. As long as there's breath, there's a fight, and the vehicles will continue to roll on the Truong Son road to reach the vital South.
It's the indomitable, defiant, and resilient spirit that makes people call us the heart of the glassless vehicles. Despite lacking everything, the glassless vehicles keep running because their burning hearts are alive and full of passion.
2. Playing the role of a soldier-driver recounting the Poem about the glassless vehicle squad, model 2 (Standard)
Throughout the Truong Son trail, shrouded in bombs and bullets, we - the driver soldiers, were young people full of enthusiasm and youth. Back then, for us, the glassless vehicles were our companions, our fellow travelers; we not only did not complain but also cherished and were optimistic about the glassless vehicles.
It's not like these glassless vehicles were born that way; it's because the battlefield bombings were so fierce that in each bomb rain, the tremors shook the earth and the sky, making the glass of any car unbearable. For driver soldiers like me, whether there's glass or not doesn't matter. The more carefree we are, the more we merge with the nature of trees and grass, enjoying the clear sky and the scenic roads, flowers, and trees. It seems like when the wind blows, the stars, and the birds all rush into the driver's compartment. On starry nights, driving feels like cruising through the sky of freedom; it's a strange feeling, challenging to put into words. We, these young men, stand tall, looking forward.
Of course, without glass, how can one avoid dust? The dust on the forest road is dense, making everything hazy, even turning our hair completely white. I remember the literature majors, looking at each other, hugging their stomachs, laughing: 'Are we any different from the elderly!'. Nevertheless, no need to worry, no need to wash; in such moments, we light up a cigarette, puffing away the dust and laughing at each other with dusty faces. Every time it rains heavily while driving, people think we should stop and avoid the rain, right? Not at all, the heavier the rain, the faster we run, running to cool off, and most importantly, to quickly complete the mission. Wet clothes dry up as we drive a few hundred kilometers; the wind blows and dries the clothes naturally without the need for washing or hanging.
It's not just one or two glassless vehicles; there's a whole squadron. We, driver soldiers, are close-knit; when we meet on the road, we casually shake hands through the broken windows: 'Hello, comrade,' 'Comrade, how have you been lately?'... The road is long, sometimes we have to rest, eat, and let the engines cool down. Each of us has a task, Hoang Cam sets up the kitchen, gathers firewood, cooks rice. When it's time to eat, we sit together at the communal table, sharing a bowl, sharing chopsticks, just like a family. Resting is not difficult for driver soldiers; the safest is to hang a hammock on a tree in the middle of the road. The more we continue, the bluer the sky, the more we feel faith and hope right in front of us. Going through the long road of bombs, even with glassless, lightless, hoodless vehicles with scratched bodies, the vehicles and driver soldiers still together complete the mission. Despite lacking everything, the vehicles still run smoothly on the road because inside them beats the heart of a soldier, a heart heading to the South, aiming for peace and national independence.
Many years have passed, but I still remember vividly my fellow drivers and each glassless vehicle. Those challenging years have passed, bringing both joy and sorrow. It's not easy to achieve peace and freedom like today. Therefore, I hope that the younger generation is aware of this and strives to preserve and protect the nation's independence.
3. Portraying the role of a soldier-driver recounting the Poem about the glassless vehicle squad, model 3 (Standard)
I used to be a driver in the military, engaged in combat on the Truong Son trail during the years of resistance against the U.S. Reflecting on those heroic times, I yearn to sit in the driver's seat and steer those glassless vehicles through the bomb-ridden, rain-soaked forests once again.
Tasked with driving essential supplies to the front lines in the South, I realized the importance of this mission. Alongside me on that mission were many others, and together, we were known as the 'Glassless Vehicle Squad.' The name comes from us being driver soldiers, steering vehicles without glass. The reason for the lack of glass is simple: the horrendous bomb blasts and shocks caused the glass to shatter. Who said without glass, you can't drive? In those times, a functioning engine and a driver were all a vehicle needed to transport everything.
Sitting in the driver's compartment is like being outdoors, spacious and relaxed. Suddenly, I feel that if there were glass, it would only be a nuisance. Vehicles with glass require wiping and cleaning when it gets foggy or dirty. Without glass, we feel immersed in the scenery on the road, experiencing driving that is authentic and vivid. I just look at the ground, the sky, straight ahead. The winds, the stars, the birds, and the road, everything seems to rush into the driver's compartment.
