Colonel Craps System
One of the first things that every player notices about the game of craps is that there are plenty of betting options to choose from. This is both exciting and confusing as rookies often do not know which bet is the best to make. The truth is that players need to look both at the payouts and the house edge of every craps bet. This way they will be able to determine which option imposes the least amount of risk and gives players the biggest advantage.
As there are different sections on the craps table layout, you will notice that one of the wagers that can be made on both sides of the table is the Field bet. It is definitely a popular option among craps fans. This is due to the fact that the Field can be won by rolling quite a few numbers on the dice.
Despite the attractive points of this bet, many craps experts advice players to never put their money on the Field since it has a pretty high house edge. If you are not sure whether it will be worth it to make a Field bet, you can get familiar with its specific features and decide for yourself.
The Field Bet Explained
- FAST Roulette System 2 1. Belief System We live in a world in which we have learned to separate our external environment from our internal processes; we view our ‘external’ circumstances, behaviors, failures and successes through a detached mentality that confuses cause and effect in the most bizarre way.
- Colon spasms can feel like gas or bloating. During a colon spasm, the muscles lining the colon tighten or contract in an unorganized way. They're often associated with IBS and can be painful, but.
Those below the rank of colonel do not have the same influence; therefore, they are expected to dutifully follow orders. Boambee John #3749568, posted on February 7, 2021 at 4:03 pm. Your Colonel's bet program included placing craps bets in the 'field' section of the stool game. From Harrah's, your area wager seemed to be some sort of single-roll wager plus it taken care of receiving comes associated with (2, 3, four, 9, 10, 11, 12).
The Field is a bet, made on a single roll of the dice and it allows players to place their money on the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 which can be seen on the table layout at the Field betting section. Players lose this bet if the dice roll 5, 6, 7 or 8 which seem like a bet that will totally give players who bet on the Field the upper hand. However, the numbers which will lead to your loss of the bet cover 20 out of the 36 combinations of the dice. When you look at the odds from this perspective, you will quickly realize that the house has the actual advantage in this case.
You do not need to memorize all the winning numbers as they are always displayed on the table felt in the Field area. It is possible to see tables that have switched the places of 5 and 9 and consider a 5 as a win and a 9 as a loss of the bet. After all, the combinations of both 5 and 9 are four which means that either one of the two numbers has the same odds. As a result, the change in the Field numbers does not make any difference when it comes to the estimated winning chances of players.
If we take for an example a situation in which the player who approaches a craps table before a new game begins and places a $5 bet in the Field. The come-out roll is a 7 which is the reason for the cheering of most players who have bet on the Pass Line. However, the person who has made a Field bet loses as 7 is among the losing numbers for this type of craps stake.
When you make a Field bet it is important to follow the game and remember that you can place or remove your chips at any time. If you get distracted, however, your winnings and initial bet can easily be accepted as a parlay until you lose the Field bet.
Odds and Payout Options of the Field Bet
As it was mentioned earlier, many players enjoy placing their money on the Field. This is due to the fact that they believe that they are in an advantage due to the fact that the winning numbers are more than the those that will cost you your bet. However, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are formed from 20 of the total 36 dice combinations on craps. This is better than the chances in the Field which cover only 16 combinations. This gives the house a bigger advantage and gives players fewer chances to enjoy a win.
As it was said earlier, when it comes to determining whether a bet is advantageous, we should take into consideration both its payout and house edge. When it comes to the Field bet, there are three payout options.
Players will always receive even money if the dice rolls 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11. The different payouts are for when the dice roll 2 or 12. The first option awards players who have made a Field bet a double payout (2 to 1) if either 2 or 12 roll. The second variant of craps pays 2 to 1 when the dice roll a 2, while the payout for a 12 is 3 to 1. The third and rarest case is when players are paid triple for either a 2 or a 12. The third payout option is also known as “zero expectation” due to the fact that the casino has no advantage.
While you will often hear the advice to avoid the Field bet, if you find a table that offers a 3 to 1 payout for either 2 or 12 or even better – 3 to 1 for both the numbers – make sure to test your luck and make a Field bet. As good as those payouts sound, the majority of casinos utilize the first payout option for a Field wager.
Offering a different payout will also affect the house edge of this bet. If we are taking a look at the first payout variant, the house advantage is estimated to be 5.56%. The great thing about tables that pay 2 to 1 for a 2 and 3 to 1 for the dice rolling 12, lower the house edge to 2.78% which is a much better situation for players. Even if the payout is tuned the other way around ( 3 to 1 for a 2 and 2 to 1 for a 12), the casino advantage is still 2.78%. As it was mentioned earlier, the third option of a 3 to 1 payout for both 2 and 12 is the best option as it gives the casino a 0% advantage.
Attractive Points of the Field Bet
The variety of betting options on craps rates this game among those that offer some of the best bets, as well as some of the most disadvantageous ones. There are also some bets which fall into the category of neither bad nor good wagering options. One of the bets that belong to this category is the Field.
Despite the fact that the winning numbers inside the Field are more than those which are outside, the odds are still in favor of the casino. This is due to the fact that the combinations which are not included in the Field are 20, while those which are inside the Field are only 16. You may be wondering why would players then choose to place their money on this bet. The simple answer is that they simply are not well aware of their winning chances.
Even though most casinos will offer a payout of 2 to 1 for the numbers 2 and 12, there are some craps tables which will pay out triple the bet for rolling 2. You may encounter a game of craps which may offer the payout of 3 to 1 for throwing 12. This lowers the house edge to 2.78% which is better and may attract more players to test their luck and make a Field bet. After all, a house edge of 2.78% is much better than the casino advantage of other single-roll bets on craps.
For those who prefer fast-paced games, Field is a great betting option since the outcome of this wager is determined in a single roll of the dice. It may be a risky bet, but those who are fans of thrilling casino games will definitely appreciate this betting feature of craps.
Is the Field Bet an Option You Should Bet on?
Even though there are some attractive points to betting in the Field, you may be still uncertain whether this is a good bet to make on craps. The truth is that it all depends on your style of playing and whether you are on the lookout for the lowest possible house edge. If you are trying to place your money on a bet that offers the casino the least amount of advantage, then the Field stake is not for you.
Even though Field is great for players who enjoy the thrill of fast-paced wagers, most gamblers prefer to play while having a good chance to sweep great payouts. If you are playing a craps variation which offers a payout of 2 to 1 for rolling 2 or 12 when players have made the Field bet, the house edge is 5.56%. This is definitely not a profitable bet and you have much better chances to rack up great payouts if you stick to the Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come options, especially if you can make Free Odds bets.
The reason why betting on Field is considered as a bad wagering option is the fact that the dice combinations outside the Field outnumber the ones which will bring players a win. Let us look at the Field numbers first. There is only one combination for 2 and 12 which is why the payout for the two numbers is higher than the even money that is won for the rest of Field numbers. The dice can roll 3 or 11 in two ways, while 4 and 10 can be made in 3 ways. Lastly, there are 4 dice combinations of 9. If you combine all of these dice combinations, you will get 16 ways to win a Field bet. This does not sound so bad until we realize that there are 36 combinations in total in the game of craps. This means that the remaining 20 are outside of the Field and are reserved for the 4 ways to get 5, the 5 combinations of each 6 and 8 and the 6 ways to roll 7.
Inexperienced players might be fooled by the big number of winning numbers and make a Field bet. In reality, however, the losing combinations are outnumbering those that will bring players a win. This is why you are not advised to make this bet, at least not regularly. Even with the double payout for 2 or 12, players cannot overcome the disadvantage of betting on only 16 possible winning combinations.
You can make a Field bet on the side but you are not advised to make this wager on every roll of the dice. Being a single-roll bet may award fast payouts to lucky players but the odds are definitely not in your favor. Even with a payout of 3 to 1 for one of the two least expected numbers (2 and 12), the Field bet is still not considered a suitable option for players who are on the lookout for lucrative gambling.
Field Bet Craps Strategy
Although Field is not considered the best bet you can make on craps, there are several strategies that may actually boost your bankroll by betting on this specific option. We will show you two tactics which can definitely give you a better advantage when you are making a Field bet on craps.
The first strategy is known in the craps field as the Iron Cross Craps System. It is a fairly easy tactic to learn but it may require a few games to get used to it. You may also encounter the same system with a different name – the No Seven System. This is due to the fact that players who utilize this strategy cover all numbers, except for the 7. As you should already know, players who bet on the Pass Line are hoping for a 7 on the come-out roll. Since this is usually the bet that the majority of craps players bet on, you may want to wait so that you do not play against the majority of players at the table. This is why usually the Iron Cross system is used when there is an established Pass Line point. When the timing is right, you simply put a bet in the Field section of the table, as well as on 5, 6, 8. This will mean that you have covered all possible numbers, with the exception of 7.
If you are just starting to use this strategy, you are advised to start with a small stake. Let us assume that you are making a $10 bet in the Field section. As you should already know, Place bets are those that are made on specific numbers. In this case, we will presume that you are placing $10 on 5, $12 on 6 and $12 on 8. You place your Field bet yourself, while for the 5, 6 and 8, you should tell your dealer that you want them covered for $34 in total.
If your Field bet wins, you will win $10 for 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11, while 2 and 12 will reward you with $20, or even $30 on craps with a payout of 3 to 1 for 2 (or for 12). Meanwhile, your Place bets will remain in the game. On the other hand, if the dice roll either 5, 6, or 8, you will win $14 and lose your $10 Field bet. This is why you should replace it with another $10 from your winnings and continue playing with this system.
Colonel would wait for three non-field numbers to roll before he starts applying his system. He would then used the well-known Martingale method of doubling his Field bet until he would win the bet or would give up the game.
If you want to try this strategy, you can place $5 on Field once there have been three rolls of non-field numbers. If you lose the Field bet, you should double your wager and bet $10 on Field. If the upcoming rolls of the dice continue showing non-field numbers, you should continue raising your stake until you can afford it or you win the bet. If you are lucky enough, you may win double or even triple your stake and enjoy a fruitful craps game.
The following is a list of characters in the 1961 novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.
Significant characters[edit]
- Yossarian
Captain John Yossarian is a fictional character in Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 and its sequel Closing Time, and the protagonist of both books. In Catch-22, Yossarian is a 28-year-old Captain (later Major) and the bombardier of a North American B-25 Mitchell in the 256th Bombardment Squadron of the Army Air Corps, stationed on the small island of Pianosa off the Italian mainland during World War II. Yossarian's exploits are based on the experiences of the author; Heller was also a bombardier in the Air Corps, stationed on an island off the coast of Italy during World War II. Yossarian is described as a tall, broad, Assyrian man, who frequently causes vast amounts of panic by starting rumors or orchestrating events that either keep him out of direct battle or somehow usurp authority. Examples of these exploits include: poisoning the mess hall with bath soap, accepting an award for his achievements without clothing, and moving the bombing line so his squadron won't have to fly.
- Chaplain Tappman
Tappman (also called R. O. Shipman in some editions) is a naïve Anabaptist minister from Kenosha, Wisconsin. As he is extremely timid and terrified of authority, the chaplain is tormented throughout the novel by his rude, manipulative, atheist assistant, Corporal Whitcomb. Easily intimidated by the cruelty of others, the Chaplain is a kind, gentle, and sensitive man who worries constantly about his wife and children at home. He is described as a man of 32 years of age with tan hair, brown eyes, and a narrow, pale face. His sister is a Master Sergeant in the Marines.
- Colonel Cathcart
A full colonel, Chuck Cathcart is a group commander at the U.S. Army Air Corps base in Pianosa and is obsessed with becoming a general. As such, he does whatever it takes to please his superiors, in particular, by repeatedly raising the number of missions the men have to fly to complete a tour of duty beyond that normally required by other outfits. Ironically, this provokes no reaction from the generals, who are apathetic to the war efforts, but becomes the bane of Yossarian's and Hungry Joe's lives. He is a 36 year old man with short graying curly hair, a tall yet beefy build, extremely pale skin, and a huge host of self-confidence issues. He is described as mildly conceited, and yet is found to be constantly comparing himself to others, often finding himself displeased with the conclusions he reaches. Cathcart is also obsessed with forging and maintaining a public image of extreme masculinity, most likely due to his apparent insecurity.
- Doctor Daneeka
Dr. Dan Daneeka is the squadron flight surgeon and a friend of the novel's protagonist, Yossarian. Doc Daneeka's main motivation is for his own welfare, whether that be making money or protecting his own life. He generally forgets his moral duty as a physician except in the most extreme of circumstances. Doc Daneeka feels the military is responsible for him being drafted into the war effort and putting him in harm's way, because they were distrustful of him when he lied on his drafting papers about his health. He is constantly scared of upsetting his superiors who may see fit to then ship him off to the far more dangerous South Pacific. Already he sees it as military cruelty to have been assigned to the Air Corps even though he is scared of flying. His catchphrase could be seen as 'You think you have it bad? Well what about me?' since his self-centeredness ensures his thoughts are constantly centered on himself.
- Milo Minderbinder
First Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder is the mess officer at the U.S. Army Air Corps base and he becomes obsessed with expanding mess operations and trading goods for the profits of the syndicate (in which he and everyone else 'has a share'). Milo is a satire of the modern businessman, and beyond that is the living representation of capitalism, as he has no allegiance to any country, person or principle unless it pays him and profit is generated. Milo even begins contracting missions for the Germans, fighting on both sides in the battle at Orvieto and bombing his own squadron. He is capable of extreme self-justification by means of his own personal virtues or morals; in a way, his personality is almost sociopathic.
- Lieutenant Nately
Nately's family originally enlisted him to serve in the Air Corps, believing the war would be over by the time he finished his training and that he would mingle with 'gentlemen.' Therefore, Nately could gain the pride of enlisting without actually having to fight. Instead, he mingled with Yossarian and Dunbar, and was sent overseas. He lives in a tent with McWatt next to Havermeyer's tent. His most notable contribution in the book is his involvement with a whore, 'Nately's Whore,' who is for the most part uninterested in him until he saves her from a sleepless night with generals, thus giving her an opportunity to get some sleep. He is often filled with American optimism, shown by his desire to marry his whore and send her kid sister to a respected college in the United States. He is killed on a mission when Dobbs flies his plane into Nately's. Nately's Whore blames Yossarian and spends the rest of the book trying to murder him.
- Orr
A bomber pilot in the squadron who is continually being shot down and having to crash land in the sea. Described as 'a warm-hearted, simple-minded gnome,' Orr is the only person in the group considered to be crazier than his good friend Yossarian, with whom he shares a tent. Orr appears to take great joy in thoroughly confounding those around him by being completely nonsensical, however this is later revealed to most likely be a part of his escape plan. He is declared 'missing in action' halfway through the novel after crashing his plane in the Mediterranean, but by the end it's revealed that he had rowed to the neutral zone in Sweden to escape the army. That’s why is name is “Orr” (oar). At this point, Yossarian realizes that Orr's constant crashes had been part of his plan and his survival inspires Yossarian to finally flee the army.
- Snowden
Snowden is a radio-gunner, a member of Yossarian's crew; when their aircraft is hit by anti-aircraft fire and Snowden is wounded, Yossarian attempts to treat his visible wounds, but misses a terrible, fatal, wound hidden by his clothing. This incident is generally referred to in the novel as 'the death over Avignon'. Snowden's death acts as the catalyst for the change in Yossarian's mentality.
- Captain Aardvaark
Captain Aardvaark (called Aarfy) is the navigator in Yossarian's B-25 bomber (but only when Yossarian is flying in the lead ship – hence Aarfy's sporadic appearances in the air in the novel). He is oblivious to incoming flak, repeatedly gets lost on missions, and always smokes a pipe. Yossarian comments that Aarfy is just not intelligent enough to be afraid of the war. He befriends Nately in the hope of working for Nately's wealthy father after the war. Aarfy sees himself as moral and protects well-connected women from the sexual advances of other officers, but he ends up raping and murdering the innocent maid Michaela. When asked by Yossarian why he didn't simply hire a prostitute, he repeats his common admonition that 'Old Aarfy has never paid for it.' He shows no remorse for these crimes until he begins to worry that he might be brought to justice for them.
- Lieutenant (later Colonel and eventually General) Scheisskopf
Scheisskopf is the training unit commander for Yossarian and Clevinger, and takes a particular dislike to Clevinger. Even though Clevinger is just as serious about parades as Scheisskopf, and his ideas help the squadron win multiple parades, Scheisskopf still considers him a 'wise guy', and someone that needs to be 'brought down a peg or two.' He is also described as being at constant odds with his wife's masochistic libido as his severe love for parades leaves him too busy to pay any attention to her. Scheisskopf is an ambitious and humorless man who is absolutely in love with war and is only happy in life when the opposing side is losing.
Other characters[edit]
- Appleby – A fair haired, young pilot from Iowa. He is described as being 'as good at shooting craps as he was at playing ping-pong, and he was as good at playing ping-pong as he was at everything else.' Appleby's character appears to represent those who thrive to a certain extent within a bureaucratic system and feel threatened by others who do not play along as much as they would like them to. He follows regulations without question and does everything he is supposed to do, managing to succeed with minimal effort at whatever he does. He believes in God, the Motherhood, and the American Way of Life.
- Captain Black – Because of the lack of risk involved in not flying missions, Captain Black wanted to take over Major Duluth's position as squadron commander when the Major was killed over Perugia. He was thwarted in this by the appointment of Major Major to the position. Captain Black also constantly mocks his fellow countrymen at the Pianosa airbase when they are faced by dangerous missions, by constantly telling everyone to 'eat your liver.' Since he is the camp's intelligence officer, he is not on combat duty and can therefore maintain his gleeful attitude to the men risking their lives in the air. Black is a paranoid anti-Communist and pressures all the men to take loyalty oaths, but out of personal spite prevents Major Major from taking one. He is also notable for deliberately seeking out Nately's Whore on his visits to Rome, and gleefully describing these meetings to Nately.
- Colonel Cargill – Before the war, Cargill was a successful, though completely untalented, marketing executive who was well known for being completely terrible at his job. In the Air Force, Colonel Cargill provided his legendary lack of skills as General Peckem's troubleshooter.
- Clevinger – A highly principled, highly educated man who acts as Yossarian's foil within the story. He is a Harvard graduate whom Yossarian characterises as having 'lots of intelligence but zero brains'. Clevinger is very unmoving in his own opinions and is further described as such: excessively philosophical, politically a humanitarian, lacking in social tact, and a person of all facts but no passion. His optimistic view of the world causes Yossarian to consider him to be a 'dope,' and he and Yossarian each believe the other to be crazy. Yossarian also comments that Clevinger crusades against bigotry by balking in its face, proving Clevinger to be an extremely submissive character. During basic training he is brought to trial and found guilty on phony charges by Lt. Scheisskopf. His plane mysteriously vanishes in a cloud and he's never seen again.
- Lieutenant Coombs – The previous assistant intelligence officer. He also dies in the same plane crash that kills Kraft.
- Nurse Cramer – Nurse Duckett's best friend. She is a shapely, pretty, young girl who refuses to have any relations with the men at all, so Yossarian dislikes her. After Nurse Duckett starts a relationship with Yossarian, puritanical Nurse Cramer stops speaking to her.
- Major Danby – The fighting group operations officer. An intellectual college professor with a passive and somewhat melancholic yet serene outlook on life who sees himself as a poor match for the armed services due to his lack of aggression. He briefs the airmen on upcoming missions and often acts as a mediator for disputes between enlisted men and as a confidant to most of the officers.
- Mrs. Daneeka – Doc Daneeka's wife. When the doctor is mistakenly declared dead after listing himself fraudulently on a flight manifest for a doomed flight, she finds herself suddenly rich and widowed, and moves away, leaving no forwarding address.
- Major —— de Coverley – Major —— de Coverley has a terrifying visage in the Biblical tradition, so much so that men will do his desires without his even saying a word, and no one dares ask his first name. The exact nature of the Major's duties within the bomber group is uncertain. He is Major Major's executive officer, but at the squadron base in Pianosa his only official duties are pitching horseshoes, renting apartments for the soldiers on rest leave, and kidnapping Italian laborers to help around the base. He also rapidly put an end to Captain Black’s 'Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade' by demanding that he be “given eat” then demanding that they “give everybody eat”. His frequent appearance during the fall of major cities makes him an object of interest to intelligence agencies on both sides, neither of which can identify him.
- General Dreedle – The commander of the U.S. Army Air Corps base in Pianosa, Dreedle is an exceedingly blunt, ill-tempered, simple, no-nonsense man. He is an archetypal no-nonsense military man who does not care what the men under his command do as long as they fight and die unquestioningly when given orders. Despite this, he is generally apathetic to the war effort (having lost all drive after he was made General and he found he had 'nothing more to aim for') and now mostly busies himself with harassing his son-in-law, Colonel Moodus. He despises Moodus simply because he hates weddings and does not wish to attend another one. His arch-rival is General Peckem, head of Special Services in Rome; the two men frequently have their disputes mediated without their knowledge by the desk clerk, ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen.
- Dobbs – Originally a healthy young man, the effects of excessive combat missions have shot Dobbs' nerves, and when the narration of the book begins he is emotionally unstable and physically spent. He is described as being one of the worst pilots in the corps and his mid-air panic leads him to snatch the controls of the plane away from Huple, when Snowden is killed. He plots to kill Colonel Cathcart but will only do it if Yossarian tells him it's a good idea, which Yossarian never does. He dies in the mid-air crash that kills Nately.
- Nurse Duckett – At the start of the novel Nurse Duckett does not like Yossarian but later on she has a relationship with Yossarian which jeopardizes her friendship with Nurse Cramer. She breaks off her affair with Yossarian when she decides to marry a doctor, and realizes she should not jeopardize her chances by carrying on openly with Yossarian.
- Dunbar – An airman stationed at the same base as Yossarian, on the island of Pianosa. He and Yossarian seem to have similar personalities, and so they make fast friends. Like Yossarian, Dunbar's chief goal is to prolong his life to whatever extent possible, often by cultivating boredom. He frequently accompanies Yossarian in the hospital, faking injuries to stay out of combat like his friend does. He is later 'disappeared' by the army when he becomes rebellious and unstable.
- Major Duluth – The previous squadron commander. He was killed over Perugia.
- Dori Duz – Scheisskopf's wife's close friend. A lively “tart” who has relations with all the men in the company once as she refuses to sleep with anyone she finds to be mediocre again. Thus, she sleeps with Yossarian once and he spends a small part of the novel pining after her since he knows she doesn't want him.
- Captain Flume – Captain Flume is the squadron's public relations officer, until he moves out of the trailer he shares with Chief White Halfoat after Halfoat jokingly threatens to slit Flume's throat open from ear to ear. He spends most of the book living like a hermit in the woods, which gradually drives him insane.
- Giuseppe (the soldier who sees everything twice) – A delirious soldier who creates a panic in the hospital by shouting, 'I see everything twice!' Yossarian imitates him (by seeing two fingers regardless of whether a doctor holds up one, two, or none) and later impersonates him when he dies. The soldier's family does not notice that Yossarian is not their son.
- Gus and Wes – Doc Daneeka's two orderlies, whose main activity is to paint airmen's gums and toes purple with gentian violet solution. They are extremely efficient and have a list of steps on determining if someone is sick so that there will be certainty when diagnosing. Daneeka hates them because they refuse to declare him ill so that he can go home.
- Havermeyer – Havermeyer lives in the tent next to Yossarian's, and according to Colonel Cathcart he is 'the best damn bombardier we've got.' This was because he insists on flying his plane dead straight to, over, and past the target despite any anti-aircraft fire he receives. Yossarian despises him because of his insistence in putting his (Yossarian's) life at stake. He is also slightly unstable and enjoys shooting mice at night with the gun he stole from the dead man in Yossarian's tent. He and Appleby are the most hated enlisted men in the company. However, despite their love of duty, even Havermeyer begins to hate the constant raising of the number of missions and even considers going on strike with Yossarian by the end of the novel. He also shows a dislike of Appleby himself.
- Huple – A fifteen-year-old pilot who lied about his age to get into the Army. He shares a tent with Hungry Joe on the wrong side of the railway tracks and is shy, nervous but is a thoroughly idealistic patriot, which is why Yossarian feels sorry for him; he feels he'll probably die too young. He has a cat that constantly sleeps on Hungry Joe's face. He is the pilot flying when Snowden dies over Avignon.
- Hungry Joe – A perverted soldier who is noted for constantly trying to photograph women nude, claiming to be a photographer for Life magazine (which, ironically, he was before the war, although none of his pictures developed correctly). He is the only pilot who consistently finished the required number of missions (but was forced to continue flying as his paperwork was always delayed until the flight limit was elevated) and has screaming nightmares until he's ordered back onto combat status. He enjoys randomly choosing diseases to worry about at will. He dies when he's suffocated by Huple's cat.
- Sergeant Knight – The turret gunner on Yossarian's plane; he accidentally begins a panic prior to the Bologna operation when he brings extra flak jackets, causing everyone to think the target is deadly.
- Corporal Kolodny – Captain Black's despised assistant. He erroneously reports that Bologna has been captured by the Allies after Yossarian surreptitiously redraws the lines on the battle map. Kolodny is forced to sign hundreds of loyalty oaths in Black’s name each day.
- Lieutenant Colonel Korn – Colonel Cathcart's intellectual assistant and right-hand man. Korn appears along Cathcart throughout the novel and it becomes clear to the reader that Korn does most of the thinking and most of the work for Cathcart, who only takes the credit. Korn is portrayed as much more relaxed and less ostentatious than his superior, but much more sadistic and cynical. Much like Cathcart he has ambitions for higher military ranks but chooses to be below Cathcart and remain outside the limelight so that, if something goes wrong, Cathcart will take the fall instead of him.
- Kraft – A man killed at the bombing of a bridge at Ferrara. Yossarian blames himself, as he ordered the planes back after they missed the first time. He was a skinny, harmless kid from Pennsylvania who only wanted to be liked. It is later revealed that his death was actually Aarfy’s fault because he didn't accurately navigate them.
- Luciana – A woman whom Yossarian briefly dates in Rome and whom he spends a great deal of the second half of the book looking for, without success. She refuses to marry Yossarian because she believes he’s crazy for wanting to marry her at all.
- Major Major Major Major – The ineffectual squadron commander of the base in Pianosa, who was named Major Major Major by his father as a joke – passing up the lesser possibilities of 'Drum Major, Minor Major, Sergeant Major, or C Sharp Major' – and was later made a Major by an IBM machine with a sense of humor. He is disliked by most of the enlisted men in Pianosa because he was promoted so suddenly and he chooses to remain isolated from the other people at the base, letting Sergeant Towser handle the operations of the base. He doesn't allow people to see him in his office while he is in his office, they can only see him when he isn't there. He utilizes Yossarian's pen name, Washington Irving, to shirk out of official document duties which eventually leads to the terrible fate the chaplain is met with. Major Major is also extremely obedient because he just wants to be well-liked, however he is instead constantly being promoted because nobody actually likes him at all.
- McWatt – The pilot of Yossarian's plane, one of his closest friends and Nately's roommate as well. A young man who appears to be very calm and serene and whom Yossarian considers to be crazy because he remains sane during the war. He enjoys flying his plane low to scare Yossarian, which eventually leads Yossarian choking him and threatening to murder him during one of their combat training sessions. After this, McWatt seems to realize that Yossarian might actually be going insane. However, he conceals his increasing panic and madness, which eventually erupts after he accidentally kills Kid Sampson by slicing him in half with a plane propeller, driving him to commit suicide by stalling and crashing his plane into a mountain.
- Major Metcalf – One of the judges presiding over the Action Board during Clevinger's trial. He is extremely cowardly and strongly resembles Clevinger in many ways, inevitably leading to him being shipped away as well at the end of the trial.
- Michaela – The poor, plain, simple-minded, hard-working young maid who works in the apartments where Yossarian and his unit stay while in Rome. She is a sweet and innocent girl who doesn't speak English and whom the enlisted men mostly leave alone, except when they mock her in English so she can't understand them. She is raped and murdered by Aarfy, who simply dismisses the murder as inconsequential because he's 'good old Aarfy, who never pays for it'.
- Colonel Moodus – General Dreedle's son-in-law, whom the general hates and constantly tries to harass and have demoted. Moodus thinks Dreedle is a know-it-all that cannot take criticism.
- Lieutenant Mudd – More frequently referred to as 'the dead man in Yossarian's tent,' Mudd was killed in action before officially joining the squadron. Due to the bureaucratic uncertainty over the status of Mudd, no one will accept responsibility for Mudd and his belongings, and Sergeant Towser refuses to accept the man existed at all.
- Colonel Nevers – The colonel who held Cathcart's position before he was killed on Yossarian's 23rd mission.
- General P P Peckem – A pompous, pretentious and highly delusional general who desperately wants to take over General Dreedle's post as the superior commanding officer of Pianosa. Because of this ambition, he has a vicious rivalry with Dreedle and constantly tries to undermine him and have him demoted. His attempts are mostly thwarted without his knowledge by desk clerk ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen, who enjoys making Peckem look foolish.
- Piltchard and Wren – Two captains in charge of squadron operations that are always mentioned in tandem and are in charge of organizing combat crews for missions. They are sympathetic towards Yossarian, despite his desire to avoid missions. Both are described as mild, soft-spoken men who are average in pretty much every aspect and yet, strangely enough, love flying and so, they assign themselves to every single mission.
- Corporal Popinjay – The clerk present at Clevinger's trial; he is imprisoned for being too specific in his shorthand.
- Kid Sampson – An underaged soldier killed by the propeller of McWatt's airplane. The event drives McWatt to suicide which in turn causes Doc Daneeka's bureaucratic 'death'.
- Major Sanderson – A neurotic psychiatrist who is convinced that Yossarian is mentally unstable because he acts rationally.
- Mrs. Scheisskopf – Scheisskopf is always too busy planning parades to fulfill his wife's masochistic sexual fantasies. Instead, she sleeps with Scheisskopf's cadets, so they can all get revenge on her husband and she can get back at him for the lack of attention. She purports to be atheist but is actually a devout believer.
- Sammy Singer – The tailgunner on Yossarian's bomber when Snowden dies. While he is just a minor character in Catch-22, he becomes one of the main characters in the sequel, Closing Time.
- Corporal Snark – The mess sergeant before Milo Minderbinder. He was demoted for purposely poisoning sweet potatoes with soap chips, giving the squadron diarrhea, which he did at Yossarian's request. Snark is now referred to as Milo's 'first chef'.
- Dr. Stubbs – The doctor in Dunbar's squadron who grounds any pilot who requests it. He falls into an existential crisis after Colonel Korn shuts down his medical tents.
- Sergeant Towser – Major Major's assistant; he prevents anyone from seeing the Major while he is in his office, and only allows them in when the Major is gone. Due to Major Major's unwillingness to see anyone, Towser is the de facto head of the 256th squadron. He has a lean, angular build, extremely blonde hair, huge teeth, and sunken cheeks. Towser also holds no desire for a promotion or any interest in the war.
- Corporal Whitcomb – An atheist who constantly antagonizes and looks to usurp Chaplain Tappman, his direct superior. He is openly rude and contemptuous, absolutely detests his seclusion in the woods, and is very easily offended.
- Chief White Halfoat – An American Indian whose family was forced to move from wherever they settled because oil was always discovered. He is transferred to Pianosa after Wintergreen strikes an oil pipe and nearly drowns. In the army, he works as Captain Black's assistant. He jokingly threatens to slit Captain Flume's throat while he sleeps, which accidentally drives Flume to paranoid madness. After this, he becomes Doc Daneeka's tent mate and terrorizes him as well. During the Siege of Bologna, he decides that he will eventually die of pneumonia, which he ultimately does.
- Ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen – An ex-P.F.C. because of his constant urge to go AWOL, Wintergreen has been demoted so many times that he entertains hopes of becoming an ex-general. Due to his position in charge of mail distribution, he wields a great amount of power in the novel. By forging documents and destroying mail, he becomes more powerful than the generals. His main concern throughout the novel is humiliating General Peckem because he was the first person to have demoted him. He also frequently butts heads with Milo as they are both in the black market business.
Unnamed characters[edit]
- The C.I.D. InvestigatorsThe first CID man is sent to investigate the excessive censoring being done by a soldier named 'Washington Irving', the alias Yossarian made up to supplement his own boredom with mild amusement. He enters the hospital, posing as a patient initially, then ironically comes down with pneumonia and is required to actually stay in the hospital. The second CID man is sent to investigate the continued use of 'Washington Irving's name, however this time it was at the hands of Major Major. He goes undercover as a pilot but blows his cover by telling everyone who he is. The two investigators end up pursuing each other instead of making any actual headway in their own cases.
- Dreedle's girl – Allegedly a nurse, she follows General Dreedle wherever he goes. She is a very attractive woman and Dreedle keeps her around to torment his son-in-law, Colonel Moodus, hoping to catch him in an adulterous situation for which he can punish him.
- The maid with the lime-colored panties A woman with whom Yossarian paradoxically falls in love because she is the only woman that Yossarian can't possibly fall in love with. Her charm lies in how willing she is to have relations with anyone who asks her.
- Nately's Whore A whore in Rome with whom Nately is deeply in love. She despises Yossarian and is wildly apathetic towards Nately until he allows her to get some sleep. She has a young sister whom Nately is determined to send to college. After Nately dies, Nately's whore blames Yossarian for his fate and spends the rest of the novel attempting to murder him.
- Nately's Whore's Kid Sister The young sister of the whore Nately fancies in Rome.
- The new recruits – A group of new young officer-pilots whom Yossarian hates. They are friends from back home, and are excited to still be able to take part in the war. They practically run Yossarian out of his tent, and throw out all of Mudd's equipment.
- The old man in Rome – A 107-year-old man who lives in the brothel frequented by Nately. He sides with whomever is in power and mocks Nately's idealism. He reminds Nately uncomfortably of his own father for the reason that the old man is absolutely nothing like his father.
- The Soldier in White – An unnamed soldier wrapped completely in bandages. He is connected to two bottles of unidentified and similar looking liquid, one of which pumps the liquid through an IV into the soldier, while the other drains the liquid from the soldier through a zinc catheter. When the bottles are respectively empty and full, they are switched around. Dunbar claims there is actually no one under the bandages. It is understood later that the men avoid this soldier because they dislike the fact that he's worse off than they are. He eventually dies without anyone realizing.
- The Texan – A patriotic soldier who keeps the men from staying in the medical ward to hide out from the war by being overly friendly. He is in the ward when Dunbar and Yossarian enter, attempting to escape their duties in their respective squadrons, but they are eventually chased out by his pleasant demeanor.
References[edit]
- Heller, Joseph (1961). Catch-22, a novel. New York: Simon and Schuster. OCLC271160.