The solution employed was to use a 'systematic flashback technique, whereby Jonathan's recall of his and his friend's induction to the Army is framed by his record of his last few days of service", this technique having been borrowed, subliminally, from Graham Greene's The Quiet American.
The story utilizes a technique called 'systematic flashback', where Jonathan's memories of his and his friend's military enlistment are interwoven with his final days of service. This method was inspired by Graham Greene's novel, "The Quiet American."