That was a pretty narrow viewpoint. It seemed to lack any consideration of Vietnam as a country or the Vietnamese people affected by his love of war. Do those fighting for their countries and lives share that love?

So I guess my takeaway of his point is: War is some special experience that Western Men have (and not women, Vietnamese, or anyone else), where they get to fulfil some kind of murderous power fantasy over people who don't matter?

Maybe this is the sort of story he has to tell himself to ignore the woman he betrayed, the desecrated bodies he laughed at, the utter disregard he held for everything outside himself and his band of brothers.