I’ve always been a huge fan of World War II but there is such a wide variety of topics to choose from that I often find myself pulled in ten directions. I would like to focus on the Manhattan project and the immense amount of time and effort that went into creating a weapon that would change the world forever and spark the atomic age.
P.S. Apologies for the late post. My apartment complex lost service last night
Cheers
I chose Regina Schiffman to read and listen about in the women’s veterans section. I find it remarkable that a young budding neurosurgeon would forfeit her career in order to join the army. She sacrificed a comfortable career and voluntarily gave her services to her country in the time of need. It took a huge act of generosity in order to go into a war zone when she could have continued her profession in New York. Even through the extreme duress of the loss of her father while she was overseas, Regina chose to stay in the forces in order to continue her part in the war effort.
I feel that a large part of Regina’s loyalty to her country was the fact that she was a necessity to the war effort. Her expertise in an area that was in short supply during the war labeled her as an asset. The work she did for soldiers and the satisfaction she received from taking care of them kept her going during the stressful times.
The chapters on the cold war irritated me. I am not a fan of John Kennedy or his actions as president. I am apprehensive about Kennedy because of his numerous affairs, and mob ties while he was in charge of preventing nuclear war. This was a man who had to be constantly medicated just to function, and was praised for his good looks rather than his political accomplishments.
That being said, the focus of these pages was the Korean War. Following World War II, the Korean conflict would always live in its predecessor’s shadow. Even more the Korean conflict was not even dubbed a war, but rather a police action. Korea, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War brought about one of the messiest parts of American history. The Red Scare and McCarthyism coupled with a war that America could not win, and the constant fear of nuclear attack put America in quite a turmoil. Americans vowed to avoid a war such as Vietnam in the future, which must make us ask questions about the conflict in Iraq. The public started to realize how the treatment of Vietnam veterans was extremely sub par and committees were delegated in order to commemorate those that gave up their lives in Vietnam. Personally these statues and walls can not make up for the atrocities that occurred during this conflict.
This passage exposes the raw and sometimes horrific actions of those in a war situation. Even though the soldiers were in Vietnam to liberate the country, their hatred for the Vietnamese army spread to the civilians. It is amazing how the conflict in Iraq has such similar characteristics and the potential to turn into a mess just as Vietnam did. Agent Orange was also a big focus in these chapters. This chemical, used to clear foliage, was also known to cause severe burns and other side effects. There are those today who still feel the effects of agent orange because of birth defects and genetic mutations. Even American soldiers were affected by agent orange in some cases.
I believe it to be inexcusable that the American government turned a blind eye to its injured veterans. They had used a substance they knew full well to be harmful and had made a mistake. They had infected not only thousands of Vietnamese, but also their own soldiers. The government ignored the accusation that its use of agent orange had done this to the people, and therefore would not pay medical expenses for those exhibiting symptoms of agent orange poisoning
The second part of Kovic’s book came as no surprise to me. I had interviewed a Vietnam Veteran for my research paper and had heard many of the same stories that Kovic mentions in his book. I am just surprised at the ignorance of the protesters that spit in the faces of the men who had no decision in the government’s action. Instead of taking the brunt of their hatred out on the government, the protesters turned to the veterans. Veterans were much more accessible to the protesters than the government was so they were inevitably going to receive the backlash in full force. The veterans were just ordinary people forced into an extraordinary situation that ended up as one of the most unsuccessful wars in American history.
The government played a particularly poor role in defending the veterans. The politicians let the majority of the blame fall on the veterans without taking responsibility for their actions. This caused quite a sticky mess around the country and especially in Washington D.C. What was once seen as a liberation of a communist country had quickly snowballed into one of the largest military blunders. This was the first war that had been covered by television. Many people on the home front saw the atrocities that were taking place in Vietnam which instilled contempt into homes across the nation. This war was in no way the “good war” that WWII had been and in many ways was completely unnecessary.
I found Kovic’s writing style and point of view to be something that I would like to explore more. I believe that he used this point of view in order to describe the person that he was before he experienced the horrors of Vietnam. I believe that when he uses this point of view it allows him to unleash every detail without connecting it to himself personally. By talking about himself almost as a fictitious character, Kovic allows the reader to connect with a character rather than him telling a dry story about his boot camp experience. He allows his language to flourish and makes his character bond with the reader.
Kovic reveals the corruption and neglect that he faces in the hospital after his injury. He exposes the government for spending millions overseas while many soldiers fester and rot inside of hospitals with insufficient medicine. Imagery is definitely on his side when he describes his experiences. By having such a violent experience in the military, Kovic can let his pain flow in the form of a novel.
Although this film may not live up to movie viewer’s standards today, I believe that during it’s release many veterans connected with it. Aside from the cheesy acting, the film documented many struggles that veterans faced when they returned home. In one case, a veteran returned home to find that his wife had taken a job as a dancer at a local club. Many soldiers came home to find it exceptionally difficult to assimilate back into civilian life. One scene that I believe to be especially potent was the nightmare of the soldier in the guest bedroom. This touched on the surface of the psychological problems that many soldiers faced after the war.
I also saw the drinking as a strong crutch for many of the soldiers. It shows how broken a grown man had become after his trials and tribulations on the war front. The responsible patriarchal figure was diminished into a drunken clown while his wife and daughter carted him around the city from bar to bar. The movie still carries its historical value but in a diluted way for today’s viewers.
Women had distinguished themselves brightly during WWII. Their commitment and loyalty to their heroes overseas was nothing short of a full scale support rally. Many women worked around the clock in order to assure the comfort and safe return of their loved ones. Many women were accepted into the service for certain jobs. Many of them worked on communications while a small fraction actually experienced combat. These women were those developed the most psychological problems during the war. The women were not as acclimated to the horrors as war as the men were. Many women were nurses overseas that worked in makeshift hospitals for the soldiers. After the war, the number of wounded veterans called for a surge in nurses. thousands of women went to school in order to get their registered nursing degree.
Upon the return of the veterans life started to return to its normal routine for many Americans. The economic boom had produced thousands of jobs in the market. Many women were employed at textile mills and other such factories. These women were usually given little or no benefits combined with long hours and minimum wage. Women’s Unions were often powerless and did not give women the equalities of men in the work place. Even so, the idea of an independent woman laid the groundwork for the feminist movement that took place in the 1950′s. Women had held the country together in the absence of their husbands.
Gambone opens the second chapter with the suffering that wounded soldiers faced. His vivid imagery invites the reader to take part in the tragedy of a soldiers last minutes.With the new technology came the largest amount of casualties in any American conflict. Advancements in weaponry and and communications allow troops to be much more deadly. I was surprised to find that soldiers in WWII could endure much more fighting and war before showing signs of mental breakdown. Even so, mental health became a big problem after the war. Out of the 3/4 million that returned home, 50 k were injured. Americans decided to take a stand and nurse their heroes back to health.
I believe the veterans were so well received by the American public because of the circumstances of the war. Because we were attacked first, the public rallied and supported anything necessary to keep the country safe. When we had succeeded, the publics support exploded for the soldiers coming home. A group called the Veterans Administration vigorously worked to get adequate treatment to the soldiers. Many hospitals were under equipped and under staffed. A man by the name of Bradley and Paul R. Hawley are credited with most of the advancements for the wounded soldiers. At the same time the National government was seeing explosive gains in the economy. Since the income tax, the national government had generated unprecedented revenue in which to create agencies and jobs. In 1945 the Veterans Administration had become the largest independent agency in the federal government.
This section of the novel chronicles Fussell’s life after the war. He is sent to graduate school on behalf of the GI Bill. HE notes how a fair amount of men that attend graduate school on the GI Bill were not meant for college. After the war, Fussell finds himself comparing many aspects of his life to the war. He is bitter and cold in Boston where he attends college. He is thousands of miles away from home and feels a longing to return to Pomona. Fussell seems to be much more observant of his surroundings and the people around him. He points out how the faculty has a particularly snotty demeanor towards the incoming freshmen. He likens this attitude towards that of the senior officers feelings towards the juniors.
Fussell has a heightened sense of emotion in the everyday world after the war. He describes the theater with such emotion and grandeur, and even recalls crying at the conclusion of some performances. Fussell also begins to question his academic role and standings. He becomes increasingly stressed during the exam periods and speaks of his lack of preparation. It puzzles me as to how he passes numerous language tests without properly preparing for the examinations. He also begins to question his change from a student, to a killing machine, eventually to a professor. He becomes increasingly upset and depressed with his life and soon comes to the conclusion that he is a mediocre professor. I was also confused as to why he did not describe his love life in an articulate romantic sense. Instead, he documented his marriage as sort of a footnote while he was searching for academic success.
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