@loremipsum, wrote "How to Tell a True War Story” (1990)
by Tim O’Brien
This is true.
I had a buddy in Vietnam. His name was Bob Kiley but everybody called him Rat.
A friend of his gets killed, so about a week later Rat sits down and writes a letter to the
guy’s sister. Rat tells her what a great brother she had, how strack the guy was, a number one pal and comrade. A real soldier’s soldier, Rat says. Then he tells a few stories to make the point, how her brother would always volunteer for stuff.
__________________
My take away from Tim O'Brien:
No wonder she did not reply. He could have written that her brother often volunteered to help, and left out "dangerous missions."