It’s a closeness you never had before. It’s closer than your mother and father, closest [sic] than your brother or your sister, or whoever you’re closest with in your family. It was . . . y’know, you’d take a shit, and he’d be right there covering you. And if I take a shit, he’d be covering me. . . . We needed each other to surivive.
This quote by a Veteran shows the kind of relationship there was between soldiers in the war. The often still very young soldiers were thrown into the war and then separated thousands of miles away from their friends and family at home. Along with the hostile territory they found themselves in, their comrades were the only ones to remind them of the safety at home. With them being together they developed even more
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Often they would even see them dying next to them, killed by a hidden sniper or a “booby trap”, which meant that from one moment to another he was suddenly gone without them being able to do something about it. Losing them also meant they had to deal with the grief. This would then often turn into rage, especially towards the enemy, but also to the civilians, as they often were the only targets that were available to them. How the grief of losing a close friend is turned into rage can also be seen in the scene in Full Metal Jacket, where after several of the members of their squad get killed by a sniper the remaining soldiers start, full of rage, blindly shooting, trying to kill the person that has just killed their friend. This also shows their bond, because even though after the first person is shot some of the remaining soldiers, presumably their close friends, try, even at the high risk of getting shot, against the orders of their squad leader to get to him in order to save them. In the end when they finally have taken down the sniper they decide to get their revenge by letting him suffer,
The soldiers in the field had no mothers or sisters or girlfriends to look after then when in need, they only had the other men in the field who were just as scared. The only place they could look for comfort was in the arms of other soldiers. The support included comfort in the eyes of death, simple conversation and/ or
“The nicest veterans in Schenectady, I thought, the kindest and funniest ones, the ones who hated war the most, were the ones who'd really fought.” (Chapter 1)
“We have lost all feeling for one another. We can hardly control ourselves when our hunted glance lights on the form of some other man. We are insensible, dead men, who through some trick, some dreadful magic, are still able to run” (Remarque 115). This quote shows the thoughts that run through Paul Baumer’s mind during a long battle. The quote demonstrates the stripped sense of humanity and self-control the soldiers have, and the animalistic nature the soldiers have developed. Throughout the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Baumer and the Second Company become isolated from their humanity, their childhood, and other humans.
From the earliest times, war has existed as a painful reality. Stories are passed down from generation to generation about brave men fighting epic battles in ancient civilizations. Occasionally a different type of legend emerges: the homefront hero. Leaders in Ancient Greece and Rome are documented preventing panic and raising supplies for their distant armies. From then on through history, those left behind, from the leaders of countries tested in resolve and commitment by wars to the ordinary citizens who rise above their routines to serve their countries, are powerful forces behind victories. World War II was no exception. While the soldiers abroad were undoubtedly true heroes of the war, the parents, siblings, and children they left behind also assisted in the war effort. No one remained truly unaffected by the war. Without the labors of women, the efforts of schoolchildren, and the institution of rationing, World War II could not have been won.
A majority of war novels talks about two sides fighting in a war, rather than
To be engaged in war is to be engaged in an armed conflict. Death is an all too ordinary product of war. It is an unsolicited reward for many soldiers that are fighting for their country’s own fictitious freedom. For some of these men, the battlefield is a glimpse into hell, and for others, it is a means to heaven. Many people worry about what happens during war and what will become of their loved ones while they’re fighting, but few realize what happens to those soldiers once they come home. The short stories "Soldier's Home” by Ernest Hemingway and "Speaking of Courage” by Tim O'Brien explore the thematic after effects of war and how it impacts a young person's life. Young people who
The war had changed people in so many ways, as their former character of being sincere, at peace, and loving was slowly changed to chaotic, indecisive and unhopeful lives. People began to forget who they really were all due to the war, “It
“The committee of five Congressmen stayed several weeks and was helpful in getting more food and clothing to the soldiers” (Powell 149). Valley Forge soldiers were pleased as the Congressmen supported us. We were full of pride when the Congress arrived at Valley Forge to provide us with more supplies and clothing. “These are the times that try men’s souls” (Paine 153). Soldiers are able to test our endurance. I left my home to sacrifice my time into the war. As soon as I got to camp, I looked around and saw that these soldiers looked happy (Powell 149). There could not be any other feeling to describe how joyful I felt when I got to camp. Seeing soldiers waving weapons in the air, soldiers cheering, and smiling was just an amazement to my eyes. Many of us were not well protected by clothing as the winter storm awaits. Valley Forge soldiers had high spirits, willing to fight (Waldo 151). Happy and supported soldiers around camp is causing me to
In many ways, this passage from the book All Quiet on the Western Front depicts war in a way that puts you right into the carnage. It is common knowledge that WWI brought with it new and catastrophic levels of violence, with battles that lasted for months on end and amazing advancements in weaponry, such as the machine gun, flamethrower, and poison gas. With the introduction of the poison gas came the need for masks that could be worn over the face to deter inhalation of what would prove to be fatal air. The soldiers still use caution when breathing with the masks since they have seen the horrors that follow if the mustard gas enters their lungs. "These first minutes with the mask decide between life and death: is it tightly woven? I remember
O 'Brien illustrates to us the necessity for each man to be connected to their old life, telling a story of Mark Fossie flying in his girlfriend to ease his loneliness (104-05). Each soldier found himself facing insurmountable barriers throughout the war, and these small effects and coping mechanisms were often the only necessity that would give them reason to return home again. They needed personal methods of coping with the war, and this primeval survival was the only way to remain a man.
“Personal honor is the one thing valued more than life itself by the majority of men” (McPherson 77). The reoccurring theme of brotherhood in the story plays a major role as to why a soldier has come to war and why he performs on the battlefield. Brotherhood would be the best explanation for a soldier’s fight to protect one’s self and his comrades.
“The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war”.- General Douglas MacArthur. General Douglas was a Chief of Staff in World War II. This quote was said to mean that the soldiers who never gave up and gave it there all even if they got hurt they keep going. Veterans are our Americans heroes because they sacrificed their lives, gave us freedom, and gave up all there time to fight.
This passage is very significant to the reality of the soldiers in the Vietnam War and brings to life the setting of the entire novel. The soldiers were primarily teenagers and young men in their early twenties who had not yet had the chance to experience life. They soon had found themselves in the midst of an intense war with nothing but uncertainty and fear. They hated it and they loved the fear and adrenaline that ran through their skin and bones. It
It can be hard to fully comprehend the effects the Vietnam War had on not just the veterans, but the nation as a whole. The violent battles and acts of war became all too common during the long years of the conflict. The war warped the soldiers and civilians characters and desensitized their mentalities to the cruelty seen on the battlefield. Bao Ninh and Tim O’Brien, both veterans of the war, narrate their experiences of the war and use the loss of love as a metaphor for the detrimental effects of the years of fighting.
This statement by the wounded soldier fueled John’s spirit and drove fear out of his mind. He can fight bravely without worrying about being scared and not becoming distracted by war.