Final answer:
Norman Bowker's story of losing the Silver Star is from Tim O'Brien's novel 'The Things They Carried'. It explores post-war struggles and the difference between factual and emotional truth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The idea that Norman Bowker lost the Silver Star comes from Tim O'Brien's fictional work, The Things They Carried, which is a collection of related stories about a platoon of American soldiers in the Vietnam War. Specifically, in the story 'Speaking of Courage', Norman Bowker laments not winning the Silver Star, which he feels he narrowly missed out on due to his inability to save his friend Kiowa from a gruesome death. It reflects the internal struggles of a veteran coping with the memories and guilt of war. O'Brien's narratives often explore the boundaries between truth and fiction, particularly when conveying the emotional truths of the experiences of soldiers like Norman Bowker.