World War One Heritage And Remembrance

Men were living outside for days or weeks on end, with limited shelter from cold, wind, rain and snow in the winter or from the heat and sun in summer. Artillery destroyed the familiar landscape, reducing trees and buildings to desolate rubble and churning up endless mud in some areas. The incredible noise of artillery and machine gun fire, both enemy and friendly, was often incessant. Yet soldiers spent a great deal of time waiting around, and in some quiet sectors there was little real fighting and a kind of informal truce could develop between the two sides. Even in more active parts of the front, battle was rarely continuous and boredom was common among troops, with little of the heroism and excitement many had imagined before the war. The Italian infantry officer Emilio Lussu wrote that life in the trenches was ‘grim and monotonous’ and that ‘if there were no attacks, there was no war, only hard work’.[1] The order to attack – or news of an enemy assault – changed

The first song I will examine is the folk-rock hit, “The Universal Soldier.” Carrying a somber yet avant-garde timber carried by a charismatic rhythm, Buffy wrote this song with the intent of creating a dialogue surrounding the absurdity of war and to deepen the responsibility of conflicts which we too often hide from, “It’s about individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all” - Buffy St Marie. During the 1960’s “Universal Soldier” became an anthem for the activist movement against the Vietnam war. As the title suggests, the song declines to commend a particular group. Rather, it applies to all the soldiers worldwide– to the universal soldier. Because, no matter the time or place he is the one who will risk his life and subject himself to the ubiquitous barbarism of war. The soldier can be of any religion, of

Music is like the wardrobe to Narnia. It sends an individual into a whole new world and causes one to forget about the world and problems they are living in now. In the novel A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, Beah becomes a child soldier unwillingly during a civil war in Sierra, Leone when he is twelve years old. All he had was his rap music that kept him going. In Ishmael Beahs novel he uses detail and diction to highlight how music provides a means by which ones life can be saved by the power of music, can temporarily escape the harsh realities of life, and can connect to happier times.

General Lee once remarked, “Without music, there would have been no army” (Kehoe). The New York Herald concurred with Lee in 1862 when a reporter wrote, “All history proves that music is as indispensable to warfare as money; and money has been called the sinews of war. Music is the soul of Mars...” (Bowman). It is evident from these quotes the important role music played in helping soldiers from both armies cope during the war. The Civil War would have been immensely different without the considerable influence that music had on both the Union and Confederate armies. Music played a significant role in motivating soldiers to overcome their hardships in both the Union and the Confederate armies by entertaining and comforting, bringing back memories of home and family, and strengthening the bonds between comrades and helping forge new bonds.

Yet another segment of this article talks about how soldiers would march to heroic rhythms that would be played in the background. The fear of siege was eased by nightly band concerts so that people could rest easier. There was so much anxiety, and music fixed that.

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

World War One was an unforgettable era. The war stole millions of lives from both sides who fought. It rattled citizen’s faith in their country. People lost brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. It was an era that is buried in people’s minds and they may never forget it.

Contemporary Canadian reimagining of the First World war is from the book Catching the torch by a Brock University teacher Neta Gordon. She wrote this book in 2014. She tries to explain to the reader the conflict between history and collective memory of the First World War. With many other essays, she focuses on the role of the Canadian army in the First World war. As we know, the Canadian army entered the war in early 1915 to offer help to the Britain soldiers fighting against the Germans. The Canadian army was basically forced to join because they were a member of the British Empire.

Music is the root of everything and plays in the hearts of everyone. Music can display an important message in the words that are said. What seems to have been a pretty big theme across all genres is patriotism. When people think of patriotic music, they may think “Yankee Doodle” or “Star Spangled Banner” but patriotic music doesn’t necessarily mean it has to mention anything about a country; it could simply describe the love and beauty of a region or to defend beliefs that we as people may have. During the years between 1967 and 1995, probably some of the best music was produced. A few classic groups and individual artist such as, Lynryd Skynryd, Louis Armstrong and Lee Greenwood produced memorable

A quote from a poet, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” (Goodreads Inc.). Soldiers are a different breed of citizens. They fear death, but don’t mind facing it. They march onto unfamiliar land, without full understanding of why they fight this enemy, but rather are comforted by knowing what they fight to protect.

Music played a major role in the way people lived during the World War II era. It affected the way people coped and the way people grieved. While this era was a very serious and bleak time, people still found joy in music. World War II was the first war to happen in the age of electronically mass distributed music. The role of music during this time helped keep positive spirits among people all around the world. On a different note, the Germans played music to their soldiers to motivate them to continue to fight. Music was used as propaganda throughout the countries involved to gain public support.

The war, once transposed in their lyrics and performances, suddenly became epic because Alpini, usually coming from small and cohesive communities, often gave life to extemporaneous but emotional polyphonic choirs.

There have been numerous attempts through which aspects such as art and music have come to be connected with war-like conditions and that have determined an improved state of mind of the soldiers. At the same time however, there is a constant need to further contemplate the activities undergone by soldiers through different manifestation of recreational endeavors that include, among others, art and music.

Listening to Jerry Taylor Music and War it was an interesting lesson on how music is used in the military as a weapon called information warfare. Before listening to the story, I never considered music as a vibration that at specific volumes and decibels can drive a person to madness. According to the story music in large quantities sustains the adrenaline and high blood pressure thus negatively impacting the body. Music in this regard becomes an inescapable threat.

World War One was a true transition point for music genres. During the conflict, patriotic odes were of vital relevance. A good example is the anti-german: “Bing! Bang! Bing ‘Em on the Rhine”. Lyrics include the sentence: “And then we all go swimming in the rhine, we’ll hang out clothes in Hidenburg’s old lines”, which shows how music was influenced by the desire for the destruction of opponents. Some other songs depict the everyday lives of soldiers. For example “Oh how I hate to get up in the morning” by Irvin Berlin, which is written from an upset soldier’s point of view. The change in music also influenced dance, which became less popular as the war went on. Men were now overseas and dance floors were