The woman Cross is in love with is called Martha. She is just a student at Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. Although he is madly in love with her, Martha does not return the feelings for him. This one-sided love causes him to overthink and lose focus on what is truly important, keeping himself and his troops alive and well. As he lies in his foxhole, he looks at photos of Martha; he can't help but think, "More than anything, he wanted Martha to love him like he loved her..." As shown, he just wants to be with her and share a love with her. Again and again, he would think of her; sometimes in the trenches, sometimes on the march, even in moments of danger. This lack of focus on the real dilemma, their situation at war, will cost them dearly. His love for Martha was unhealthy and almost obsessive. He still clearly remembers "touching that left knee" of Martha's. Even out on the field he still remembers how his knee felt. During a mission to destroy some tunnels, Cross imagines the tunnel collapsing on him and Martha. He also wonders whether she is still a virgin or not and wonders why her letter is signed "love". This distraction and his incompetence lead to the death of one of their comrades, Ted Lavender. He was shot and killed, partly due to Cross' lack of concentration on the situation. He keeps to himself as he blames the accident only on himself. Incredibly, while they waited for a helicopter to take his body away, he dug a trench. As he sat in the hole, crying, he also thought about "...Martha's young, smooth face, thinking that he loved her more than anything, more than his men..." at the same time. This abnormal love for Martha has compromised his ability to carry out his duties as a leader. Marta possessed him to such an extent that even "without wanting to, he thought of Marta". This shows that he has lost control of where and when is the right time to think about such things. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross has never been the military type. He still wonders why he signed up. His rank of lieutenant seems unreal. He never truly demonstrates leadership. He separates himself from the rest of Alpha Company while thinking about Martha.