Headscratchers / The Greatest Beer Run Ever

• Why do the rewards of this beer run outweigh the risks? There's a fratboyish romance to beer, particularly in working class neighborhoods, I get that. But it's the cheapest alcoholic drink there is. Can't these people buy their own beer? And if you get yourself killed, you're not doing your family any favors.
  • It's not about the beer, it's what the beer represents. These working class guys who were barely legal adults were forced by the government to go halfway around the world and fight a war that they didn't fully understand. On top of the typical horrors of the battlefield, they had to hear all these news reports about how people back home were protesting their actions and calling them murderers, even though they had little say in the matter. The core of Chickie's mission, while definitely reckless and foolish (as the real guy would admit afterwards), was to show them that they still had the support of their families and friends in the neighborhood and they weren't forgotten. The beer would them a bit of a respite from their current situation and remind them of the fun times they had and will have again if they make it back to the States. On another note, it's mentioned in the book but not the film that Chickie specifically brought beers that the soldiers wouldn't have access to in Vietnam due to the military only providing big brands like Budweiser.
• I know it's Conflict Ball, but Chickie DID have military experience - even though he spent it in Massachusetts he did do basic training - however he's portrayed as a Fish out of Water in the military scenes. It's a head-scratcher him ignoring the obvious danger and hiding to surprise his friend on the front lines.