Vietnam was a much debated war among the citizens of the United States. This war was unparalleled in how it affected people on the home front. In past wars the people of the United States mostly supported the war and admired the soldiers for their courage. During the Vietnam War, US citizens in the past had a contradictory view. This dilemma of not having the support of people originates from culture and time period. During this time it would be the fourth time the Americans went to war that century, which made it difficult for the Americans to give their support (Schlesinger 8). Most Americans did not know why the country was involved in Vietnam and what the U.S. agenda was. This dilemma connects to the short story "On the Rainy River", which is a passage from Tim O'Brien's book The Things They Carried. He talks about the time in his life when he was ashamed and describes it as a kind of confession. of being a coward. The reason for the confession is that he debated and almost avoided the draft for the Vietnam War. “Certain blood was shed for uncertain reasons” (O'Brien 38). The uncertainty that enlisted people had regarding the United States' war agenda was disconcerting. The context of O'Brien's fictional writing in the story has a certain context that is important to the story and with this background you can see Tim O'Brien's supposed cowardice in a different way