Serving in the Army

Each year, thousands of soldiers travel miles away from home, risking their lives to defend their country with a mentality of being the predator and not the prey-”kill or be killed.” These soldiers respected by most citizens for their actions- ending the lives of others. While people focus on these dauntless actions, nobody seems to question how the war emotionally and mentally affects these soldiers. Soldier's Home, by Ernest Hemingway, and Speaking of Courage, by Tim O'Brien, are both stories that explore and describes a veteran’s post-war return and adjustment to home. Hemingway writes a story about a soldier's detachment to his loved ones and unwillingness to readjust to the life he had departed from.

The author, a war veteran himself, is very familiar with the trials and tribulations of war, and knows of the social aspects of being with the other soldiers first hand. In the book, using many different examples of characterization, the author explores how soldiers think of courage and are afraid of not being courageous in a time of war; making it not only a physical war, but a mental one as

From a simple ribbon affixed on the back of a pick-up truck with the words “SUPPORT OUR TROOPS” to tough-as-nails, stern Uncle Sam, war propaganda has always been present throughout history. But this type of propaganda differs from the actual experience of war; it glamorizes the entire idea to instill support. However, in the novel A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, his experience with war as a boy soldier is anything but glamorous. Young and with fleeting innocence, his form of propaganda came from the corporal of the army, ingraining the idea to “visualize the enemy, the rebels who killed your parents, your family, and those who are responsible for everything that has happened to you” (Beah 112). As his experience

Reading and analysing “On the Rainy River” by Tim O’Brien, we learn about a story that not many people know about. While conscription if good for a country, it is clear that it causes Tim O’Brien to think about his archetypal values and how they are torn between his moral values, and that of his family’s of him, based on his archetypal influenced decisions. Time believes that he is too good for the army and his brains are not worth to waste. He has to choose to either flee to Canada, or go to a war in Vietnam, while he does not even believe in the moral of the war. Conscription in America in 1968 caused people similar to Tim O’Brien to go to war, even though they may not seem fit to attend.

At the time, many that were drafted into the war didn’t know what they were fighting for and why they were there. Not only is war physically exhausting, but many soldiers suffered from psychotic breaks and from PTSD. A method to interpret Tim O'Brien's experience in war is to look at his mental state through Psychoanalytical Criticism.

War can be and has been proven to be a deeply scarring experience for many soldiers. Evidently, nothing can prepare them for warfare, seeing close friends die, and narrowly escaping death themselves. Yet, the worst part of it all is having to live with those memories for a lifetime and the inability to forget. “But the thing about remembering is that you don 't forget” (O’brien 34, 1998). The war which is fought in the minds of soldiers lasts a lifetime, and its effects stretch far beyond the actual battle that is being fought. War can significantly affect a soldier mentally, as seen in the novel “The things they carried” by Tim O 'brien, an interview with Richard Dlugoz, and the poem “Coming Home” by Joe Wheeler.

The author experienced the culture shock all new recruits receive during their initial basic training. James’s physical conditioning prior to enlisting into the Army proved to be a valuable asset, due to the physically demanding rigors associated with military training. The author’s physical presence and life experiences equated to admiration from the younger recruits. Affectionate memories were made teaching the younger recruits exercises and submission holds during down time from training. It was at this point in the author’s life that he knew he wanted a profession in which he could help others. Upon completion of Basic Training, and Advanced Individual training, James saw his parents again, whom he had not seen in several years. The author was pleased to see his ever loving mother who was radiating in pride of her son’s life journey thus far. The author’s father stated that it was about time his son had done something worth meaning. During James’s adolescence this comment may have

After witnessing and experiencing war first hand during service in the ambulance corps and as a soldier in World War I, Cummings understood the crippling impact that war has on young men. For this reason, Cummings condemns war and its supporters, who do not understand the danger of warfare, but encourage their sons to join the forces. Ironically, these young men who are launched into duty, are, “sen[t] home to [their] mother[s] in a new nice pine box”(62), as a result of their service. The families that once pridefully bragged about their

The novel War, written by Sebastian Junger, records the events in Korengal, Afghanistan with the American Army from a journal’s perspective. Throughout the book, he retells his experiences of fire fights, the emotional trauma of losing a fellow fighter, the undeniably strong bond between soldiers, and the consequences combat has on family members. While this novel has some detailed and brutally honest components regarding the war in Afghanistan, I found the insight provided by Junger on combat to be interesting. Once I started reading this novel, putting down the book was nearly impossible as I was finding myself entranced within this world of war. The insight into the world of combat, although brief, permitted me to better understand a soldier’s experience in war zones. My previous knowledge regarding the novel’s context, as well as personal experiences, transformed my mindset from thinking critically about the novel to becoming emotionally connected to the soldiers’ success. I found that the more I read this novel, the more my life experiences influenced my attitude towards the individuals and experiences as described by Junger.

Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., wrote: “The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” With the all volunteer military, more and more americans are being disconnected with their peers, and fewer are choosing to serve. The divide between these two americans is wider than ever before. When Veterans try to share their experiences, many people might not be able to offer empathy. Tim O’Brian in “How to Tell a True War Story” constantly reiterates that war stories could be shared in perspective of the fire fights and theatrics, but a more effective one sheds light on the soldier’s ability to make sense

The seductive allure of war in O’Brien’s novel, “The Things They Carried,” is linked to the tendencies of human nature in men. War acts as a catalyst for many causing them to become more primal versions of themselves or “human killing machines.” O’Brien revisits the idea of man losing himself numerous times adding in subtle variations of his own life experiences and inconstant propensity to make witness to and offer detailed accounts of coping mechanisms and grief in attempt to gain control over the chaos of the war by creating a story of survival. During the war, American soldiers carried patriotic derision on their shoulders, however, after the war, they were exposed to unnecessary psychological effects that in many ways were worse than the war itself. Soldiers during the war felt a strong sense of isolation from their friends, families, and communities back home.

The beginning of the 20th century saw the most devastating war in human history. World War 1 cost ‘nine million lives and in the end no ground was gained’(O’Connor). Those who fought and lived through the war became known as the Lost Generation. They were cynical with society and “lost faith in traditional values like courage, patriotism, and masculinity’(O’Connor). The Short Story ‘Soldier’s Home’ is an example of a Lost Generation story.

Bodies were falling with every step, cries for help grew unbearably loud, now everyone knew what war is like. War is a place for men, and everyone has different reactions to its brutality. Between Charlie from Soldier's Heart and Henry from Red Badge of Courage there are many differences. People can be very contrasting between each other while going through times of desperateness, fear, and stress, and that’s the exact case with Henry and Charlie. In opposition to that, the soldiers from these stories do in fact have comparability. Enticing, that is what it is to see the differences in what is thought to be very similar stories, but surprisingly they do have their differences.

When people think of the military, they often think about the time they spend over in another country, hoping they make it back alive. No one has ever considered the possibility that they may have died inside. Soldiers are reborn through war, often seeing through the eyes of someone else. In “Soldier’s home” by Ernest Hemingway, the author illustrates how a person who has been through war can change dramatically if enough time has passed. This story tells of a man named Harold (nick name: Krebs) who joined the marines and has finally come back after two years. Krebs is a lost man who feels it’s too complicated to adjust to the normal way of living and is pressured by his parents.

Serving in the Military for 17 years, it has taught me many skills to be successful in life and when attending online schools or traditional learning in classroom environments. Of those skills are leadership, organization, reasoning, problem solving, oral communications, planning, and adaptive skills. Some of these skills I try to use during school such as organization, planning, and being adaptive. These skills are what I would say that I bring to the program and that they will continue to help me throughout my academic journey. Being able to be organized is key to ensuring that our coursework flows smoothly along with our everyday life styles. If we are unorganized then it can become very chaotic and unproductive to completing school work