A Rhetorical Analysis Of How To Talk To Veterans About War By Wes Moore

In April 1971 John Kerry gave his famous statement before the Senate of Foreign Relations Committee, “Vietnam Veterans Against the War”. He presented this speech as a plea from the veterans across the country to the government of the United States to bring an end to the war in Vietnam. Kerry’s speech was used to enlighten the committee about the true horrors going on in Vietnam and was effective in doing so. He used various examples of what had happened and what was still occurring. Kerry also explained the tragic effect of the many who did return home from the war. By doing so he was able to bring attention to the truth about the Vietnam War which so many americans had ignored.

INTRODUCTION: How many people have a Veteran in their family or know one? If yes do you help them or is it someone else’s problem. Well many people think it’s someone else problem, but the truth is it’s our problem.

An older man is slumped in a rigid metal chair. He is barely visible over the multiple rows of people surrounding him. His hands clasp his seat, trying to steady the rest of his body. A few tears trail down his rough cheek. The final notes of taps echo across the gymnasium. My brain takes a while to adjust to the fact that I had just seen my grandpa cry. I had never seen this tough yet loving man break down like that. I wanted to rush over to hug and comfort him. He located me in the crowd and shook his head, smiling. This was his moment. He finally acknowledged the sacrifices he had made, and was feeling true appreciation for his service. A simple middle school Veterans Day program was what it took to break through some of the pain of his

The author, Tom Brokaw; a part of of The Greatest Generation, has plenty of experience around the military. His fathers, Red Brokaw, was the typically role model for his son. “Between the ages three and five [Tom Brokaw] lived on an Army base in western South Dakota and spent a good deal of my time outdoors in a tiny helmet, shooting stick guns at imaginary German and Japanese soldiers” (XVII). In addition to his father being an inspirational imagine in his childhood, it also included memorable images of the Fourth of July and the moment after his father returned home from the service. The military was all around Tom Brokaw and inspired him to honor the veteran’s lives as well as sacrifice during the war. From a young age good morals and values were influencing Brokaw, much like many other members of The Greatest Generation.

The next slide that he presented layed out all the issues that are commonly associated with the joining the military. Mckinnely uses negative words such as “Inconsistency, PTSD, Emotional, Children, Violence, Problems, Detachment” to really deliver the message to his audience that the military lifestyle has serious implications on themselves and their loves ones. Mckinnely’s intended purpose for doing this for his audience to be aware of the tough obstacles of military life and for them to rethink their decision to join the

As veterans re-emerged into civilization after Vietnam, they struggled to establish a place in society because they lacked the proper skills; as well, there were no supportive groups to help them find their way, which made them feel even more detached and exploited for serving their country while everyone else didn’t have to leave their lives behind. For example, in the chapter titled: “Speaking of Courage”, Norman Bowker feels isolated from the town he grew up in. Bowker knows that the town won’t listen to his war stories as they are oftentimes morbid and gruesome; and despite the fact that “that’s what it was”, the townspeople only seemed to hear what they wanted to hear, and that enraged him (O’Brien 92). Rat Kiley, having recognized the isolation he may feel when he eventually leaves Vietnam, felt as if his only hope for someone to understand him was Mary Ann, since she was one of the only people who had witnessed what he had witnessed, who had felt what he had felt. Mary Ann’s representation of America -- a newfound understanding of war -- leads her to further serve as a soldier’s longing to simply be understood by the individuals around them. Rat Kiley’s longing for someone like that in his life is apparent, and very understandable given many of the situations he had to experience while in Vietnam; and so, through this quote Rat Kiley’s need for someone to simply listen is representative of the needs of many

One day dedicated annually to those who have undergone pains worse than death for their country, and have served honorably and faithfully, seems paltry recompense. Every stalwart soldier that has seen war, is a hero matching the likes of Odysseus, Theseus, and Achilles. A great hero deserves great reward, therefore the absolute minimum one should give to a veteran is an acknowledgment of the great debt owed to them. Without our veterans, Americans would have long been subjugated to the whimsy of merciless, bloodthirsty foreign leaders, therefore America's veterans should be baptized in gratitude. There are no monsters in the world, only people, and our veterans were once the only thing protecting humanity from

Give them meaning” (Cleland).Once they get home , close to no one understands them. Their doctors, friends, and even family members can’t help them, so they end up getting alienated by the people they love most. Until we understand how to help the returning veterans, nothing will ever get better for them. Topic: war stays with veterans, and it always manages to find to mess with them

War veterans brought PTSD to public attention in the early nineteen eighties, with the lack of knowledge and treatment; planning and specialized mental facilities were not available. PTSD can stem from traumatic incidents, such as mugging, assault, torture, kidnapping or held captive, child abuse, automobile accidents, train crashes, plane crashes, bombings, or natural calamities such as floods or earthquake. The majority of people exposed to such events experience some symptoms of distress (sleep problems, jumpiness). Most fully, recover in a few weeks or months. Therefore, has there been enough accomplished over the past century to help treat veterans coming home with PTSD?

Virginia ranks as the third largest state in the U.S with the highest number of student veterans pursing post-secondary education (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2015). Due to the high number of student veterans in the Virginia area, I was able to easily identify three Marine veterans to speak with me about their experience in classroom following their service in combat zones during the Global War on Terror (GWOT) during the mid-2000’s. The purpose of this study is to determine the experience these veterans have in the classroom after their service in conflict zones, and identify any common barriers they

How do we appreciate our veterans? How do we appreciate our country? Most importantly how do we believe in america? This is what i think…...

Duty, Honor, Country is what every soldier wants to be able to say with a purpose. General Douglas McArthur repeats those three words multiple times throughout his speech. They are the focus

The author uses two intricate rhetorical strategies in this passage such as anecdotes and similes. The author carefully explains how the two sons in the story go to war and then come back with post traumatic stress disorder, abusing drugs and alcohol, explains how they suffered extreme jitters, and how they couldn’t sleep. The author’s purpose was to show the reader how hard it can be to go to war and that the government is not doing enough to put an end to the one million new veterans that may take their own lives.

Douglas MacArthur, military chief for World War II, once said,”Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.” For those who survive battle and return home safely, an entirely unique battle begins: learning how to move on. Vietnam War veterans specifically felt a lack of respect and acknowledgement from their fellow citizens because of the controversial causes of the war. In the chapter “Speaking of Courage” of The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien’s use of the symbolism of circles demonstrates the state of eternal meaninglessness and idleness that Vietnam-War-survivors like Norman Bowker experiences after returning home. In “Speaking of Courage,” O’Brien captures Norman Bowker’s failure to settle into his new life as a veteran

On May 27, 2011, I sat in the crowd of thousands of people waiting to see the cheer from the football field. No, this wasn’t a professional football game, or even a college game. This was the graduation and commissioning of 1000 men and women from the United States Naval Academy. As the covers of all the former midshipmen went into the air, and the crowd went wild, I stood in awe, speechless. Even as an 11 year old boy, I knew that I wanted to be that young man standing on the ten yard line, in an immaculate white uniform, jumping up and down and hugging his buddy next to him. As I read stories and biographies of men like Marcus Luttrell and Chris Kyle, some of the most courageous men in the world, I realized my calling in life. I was to be an officer in the United States Navy.