Fallen Angels explores the significance of friendship and camaraderie among soldiers through Perry’s experience fighting in the Vietnam War. The wild and raging war serves as the backdrop to dive into the deep bonds that form between soldiers in the face of adversity. The novel portrays the soldiers relying on friendships that solidify as they try to navigate the horrors that they encounter during combat and in their day-to-day lives.

Perry forms strong friendships with the members of his squad: Peewee, Monaco, Johnson, Lobel, Walowick, and Brunner. These friendships, while formed abruptly and out of necessity, become life lines between the characters that provide them with support and a sense of understanding and belonging in the midst of a violent and confusing world. For example, after contemplating the morality of killing a Viet Cong soldier, Perry cries, unsure of whether he’s done the right thing. Peewee reassures him that if he hadn’t killed the soldier, Perry would be the one who had been killed. Peewee, noticing that Perry is still deeply upset, wordlessly lays with him in his bunk and holds him until they both fall asleep. Peewee’s actions illustrate the depth of care and intimacy that exists between soldiers.