Character Relationship Map: Friendly Fire

Characters

• Peg Mullen (played by Carol Burnett) — protagonist

  Peg is a woman from rural Iowa whose son, Michael, was killed by friendly fire during the Vietnam War. Working with her husband, Gene, she pushes past government obstacles to uncover the actual detail...

• Gene Mullen (played by Ned Beatty) — supporting

  Gene is Peg Mullen's husband and a World War II veteran. After their son Michael is killed by friendly fire in Vietnam, Gene works alongside Peg to overcome government obstacles and uncover the actual...

• Michael E. Mullen (played by Dennis Erdman) — supporting

  Michael is the son of Peg and Gene Mullen and an Army infantry soldier sent to South Vietnam. He was accidentally killed in February 1970 by a fragment from an exploding Army artillery shell while he...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Gene Mullen → Michael E. Mullen (Family Father And Son) — Gene joins Peg in seeking an account of how Michael was killed.

  The plot identifies Michael as the son of Gene and Peg, and says Gene works with Peg to uncover details about their son's death.

• Peg Mullen → Michael E. Mullen (Family Mother And Son) — Michael's death in Vietnam is the central loss driving Peg's effort to establish the facts.

  The plot identifies Michael as Peg's son and says that his death prompts her search for the truth.

• Peg Mullen → Gene Mullen (Family Spouses And Investigative Partners) — Peg and Gene jointly push past government obstacles in their effort to learn what happened to Michael.

  The plot identifies Gene as Peg's husband and says that they work together to uncover the details of their son's death.

Story Analysis

After Michael is accidentally killed by friendly fire in Vietnam, his parents Peg and Gene work to uncover the facts despite government obstacles.

Plot Progression

1. From Draft to Deployment — Michael is drafted after college and later sent to South Vietnam. He is assigned to the 198th Infantry Brigade.
2. A Death in the Night — While Michael and most of his platoon are asleep at a hilltop position, a fragment from an exploding Army artillery shell kills him and another soldier. His death is listed as a non-battle casualty.
3. An Omitted Casualty — The account notes that non-battle death totals and names are not included in the government's weekly public casualty lists. This reporting context accompanies the Mullens' effort to establish what hap...
4. The Mullens Seek Answers — Peg begins pursuing the actual details of Michael's death, and Gene works alongside her. Together they press on despite government obstacles.