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Morning EOD. Great book. Read it the first time in High School

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane he would have to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. “That’s some catch, that Catch-22,” he observed. “It’s the best there is,” Doc Daneeka agreed.

I think I have read it four times. I can identify every character in the book with someone I knew in the service. I have had several real life experiences like in the book. My favorite was when we were administring first aid to some wounded South Vietnamese, one of them bled all over my 1st Sgt so he took his clothes off. When we got to base, some COL started chewing on me because of Crockett's appearence. I explained to the COL, Crockett didn't want to wear his uniform because someone bled all over him. The COL becamed confused because I was plainly trying not to burst out laughing while I was trying to explain. He finally left us alone because he figured me and Crockett were nuts.

I also had a friend named Vince Sibel who had been in the Italian campaign during WWII in EOD. He said he didn't know Joseph Heller personally but know all about his unit on Corsica. He said they were a strange crowd and Hellar probably didn't have to make any of the book up.