Vonnegut probably chose to make his account the first chapter because he wanted to make sure the reader knew the background of the book and its context. Making it the first chapter would ensure that it would not be skipped, and also it serves to explain that the book is coming from an anti-war perspective. Also parts of the chapter serve as humorous anecdotes, such as his wife not dealing with him when he is drunk.
The three attitudes about war in the chapter are that of Harrison Starr's, who thinks it is pointless to write against wars, as they are inevitable, Mary O'Hare's, who is disgusted with the idea of glorifying war and the men who participate it so that others are discouraged about going to war, and Vonnegut's boss, who was a lieutenant colonel, and a tough guy, who mocks him for not being an officer, which shows that he glorifies the military to some degree. His boss's view is supported by the quote, "He used to ask me sneeringly sometimes why I hadn't been an officer, as though I'd done something wrong" (Vonnegut 13).
My own view would be closest to Mary O'Hare's, as I do not believe war or fighting in wars should be glorified, nor should the soldiers be idolized or made out to be things they are not, but at the same time I believe that violence is sometimes necessary to achieve things that peace cannot, and should not always be completely dismissed, but should always be a last resort.
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