I also think this is about him joining the army and going to fight, It might be giving him an idea of what he represents as a soldier in the army. Pain in plain sight. He sees that this pain and suffering he is seeing is so terrible that he pictures his happy thoughts to feel secure, like when peter pan needs to fly. But pain in plain sight might also be literal, and he is witnessing rape, or torture, or just death in general.
I also think this is about him joining the army and going to fight, It might be giving him an idea of what he represents as a soldier in the army. Pain in plain sight. He sees that this pain and suffering he is seeing is so terrible that he pictures his happy thoughts to feel secure, like when peter pan needs to fly. But pain in plain sight might also be literal, and he is witnessing rape, or torture, or just death in general.