Major Major had been born too late and too mediocre. Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three. Even among men lacking all distinction he inevitably stood out as a man lacking more distinction than all the rest, and people who met him were always impressed by how unimpressive he was.

Heller later remembered the war as "fun in the beginning. A. I.

Joseph Heller (May 1 1923 – December 12 1999) was an American satirical novelist short story writer and playwright. The title of one of his works Catch-22 entered the English lexicon to refer to a vicious circle where an absurd no-win choice particularly in situations in which the desired outcome of the choice is an impossibility and regardless of choice the same negative outcome is a certainty.