Simile

"...Kiowa kept explaining how you had to be there, how fast it was, how the poor guy just dropped like so much concrete. Boom-down, he said. Like cement." Page 6

I think O'Brien utilizes this simile very well. He compares death to both concrete and cement. He emphasizes the comparison to cement by separating the phrase 'Like cement' into a distinct sentence. I think the purpose of this simile was to illustrate the finality and abruptness of death. He shows this in a couple of ways. The first is the comparison to the hard, heavy, and harsh objects concrete and cement. Cement and concrete are difficult to remove or destroy just as death is irreversible. The syntax also illustrates the abruptness of death. The last two sentences are short and sharp. They end the passage harshly just as death ends a life quickly and sharply. These details help to show the shock experienced by these soldiers. Of these details, I believe the use of a simile is the most important and effective.