This presentation is from the Discussion Leader Training of the Justice and War: The Experiences of Military Personnel and their Families Program.
The ”Justice and War: The Experiences of Military Personnel and their Families” program works with veterans, active service members, their families, and civilians to explore the relationship between the lived experience of war and concepts of justice. The program puts participants’ own experiences in dialogue with the past through discussion prompts that flesh out the concept of justice through themes such as duty, heroism, suffering, loyalty, and patriotism.
This program was made possible by the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
2. The popular memory of war—the focus on this
presentation-is about feelings and the problem of
trauma and pain in warfare
It challenges efforts to turn wars into noble
undertakings and heroic actions-even if there is
heroism in wartime
Some say the all-volunteer force (draft ended in 73)
insulates the population more from the trauma and
pain of war now than in the past/Moyn says more
humanitarian concerns??
Memories and Feelings
3. National Identity/ Are we a violent or virtuous
people? Good Wars vs. Bad Wars
Who is culpable for the damage/killing of innocents
or even our own troops
The extent to which we can respond to the suffering
of others in our society
Idea of using painful memories for
remediation/redress—RE: Lincoln at Gettysburg
WHY DEBATES OVER WAR MEMORIES?
7. COVERING THE TRAUMA
TOMB OF THE
UNKNOWN SOLDIER,
1921/ARLINGTON
CIVIL WAR
INTRODUCED NEED
TO MAKE DYING FOR
COUNTRY A NOBLE
DEED (first draft,1863)
MASS WARS OF 20TH
CENTURY INCREASE
NEED TO PROMOTE
HONOR VS.SUFFERING
8. HONORING THE SACRIFICE
WORLD WAR I
MEMORIAL, 1927
INDIANAPOLIS
NAMES OF THE
SOLDIERS INSIDE A
RELIGIOUS-LIKE
TEMPLE/CONVEYS
HONOR
10. BATAAN MEMORIAL, NEW MEXICO
No “Good War” in N.M.
Suffering of so many
New Mexico soldiers as
POWs in Asia
Symbol here of POW’s
helping each other
survive
11. Four Freedoms, Cleveland
A WWII memorial that
links the sacrifice of war
to the need for
democracy:( freedom of
speech, worship, from
want, fear)
No hint of democratic
ideals in WWII Memorial
or Vietnam Memorial
12. Memories of Racial Violence
Wreath on Lee St.
Alexandria , LA
Commemorates racial
violence during WWII in
town
(photo 2007)
13. Heroism and Race
Tuskegee Airmen
Memorial
Air Force Academy
1988
Airmen protected. U.S.
bombers over Europe
15. Add Nurses as Caregivers,
1993
1984: Add Living Soldiers
Moderating Images of Death With the Living
16. No Victory but Less Trauma
Vietnam Memorial, Long
Beach, CA
Takes focus off dying
with helicopter
WWII often did this with
tanks as memorials
17. THE PUBLIC REMBRANCE OF WAR HAS OFTEN
BEEN FILTERED THROUH IMAGES THAT TEND
TO BE MORE ABOUT PATRIOTIC HONOR.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS MORE OFTEN
GROUNDED IN THE IDEA OF THE NEED TO
MOURN (WHICH IS A PROBLEM FOR SOME)
THE PROBLEM OF VICTIMIZATION IN OUR
TIMES—CAN EVOKE SYMPATHY OR
RESENTMENT FOR IT MIGHT REFLECT POORLY
ON USA
THE NEED TO MOURN
25. Erasing and Encasing the Dead
Most of the Pearl Harbor dead remained in the hulk
of sunken ships as “jumbled skeletons.” With DNA
technology, Dept. of Defense ordered remains that
had been buried analyzed.(1700+ still in Arizona)
As some identified, we get news stories of how
families grieved for decades, how mothers waited for
years for loved ones to return, mementos kin kept
like telegrams that declared a sailor was dead. Some
honored their dead privately with a toast each year,
with tears when remains brought home in recent
time.
26. Widow at Arlington:
Wi
The Suffering
Photo of Widow from
War on Terror
Family suffering not
normally
commemorated
(Many documentaries
on War on Terror on
shattered families)
PERSONAL PAIN AS MEMORY
28. Patriotic Honor Poster for Sinise Concert
Actor Gary Sinise
organized shows for
vets over USA
“Thanks for your
service”
Honor the vets
Singing of “Proud to be
an American”
“Thank You For Your Service”
29. Study of Vet Suffering Patriotism and Vets
SOME VETS SEE WAR
AS RUINOUS TO
LIVES/ REFUSE TO
ATTEND SINESE
CONCERTS AT
WALTER REED/SEE
WAR AS DAMAGING
THEIR LIVES AND
CAREERS
Patriotism and Trauma
30. Findings from Wool’s Study
Anthropologist spend time with vets at Walter Reed
Hospital in 2007-08/ Focus: Interpreting pain
Sees “public gratitude” often contested by wounded
soldiers who reject Patriotic Sacrifice as a way to
describe their experience/ many saw their war
service as simply doing a job/ or lament loss of
comrades in arms/ or regret the way injury or war
affected their lives. Discontent with efforts to
mythologize or erase the violence of war/ long-term
pain
31. Patriotism and Private Pain
Spouse killed on Flight
93/start of WOT
She felt when he said
“Let’s Roll” to take back
the plane he acted to see
his family again and out
of Patriotism as well
Proud when Bush
mentioned him in 2002
State of the Union
Men called Patriots
32. Lyz Glick
Widow from 9/11 attacks.
Spouse tried to take over
Flight 93 from terrorists.
Said he acted not to save
US Capitol but to get
back to his family
Upset Bush mentions
him in 2002 State of the
Union/ appropriating
personal love for national
cause
33. Gold Star Mothers Grieving
CINDY SHEEHAN
Son killed in Iraq
Sets up protest camp
near George Bush’s
ranch in Texas protesting
death, Aug. 2005
Fox news attacker her as
a “crackpot” ‘
Bill O’Reilly says she has
been taken over by “far
left elements.”
34. Celeste Zappala
Mother of first Penna.
Guardsman killed in Iraq
Joins Sheehan at Camp
Casey
Angered at her son’s
funeral by all the
patriotic rhetoric and not
about her pain
Inconsolable
35. Crosses at Camp Casey
Crosses with names of
US dead from WOT at
Camp Casey
Local man runs them
over with his truck to
protest idea of recalling
war as tragic
36. Camp Reality
Support for Troops and
Bush contest crosses at
Camp Casey
HONOR VS PAIN
Protestors seeing
patriotic honor and not
horror in war
demonstrate vs Gold Star
mothers grieving
37. THE SOLDIERS’ STORY
LONG TRADITION OF VETS WRITING ABOUT
THEIR WAR EXPERIENCE
Soldier stories tend to be critical of efforts to erase
the pain and the suffering they saw. More willing to
reveal the trauma—even before Vietnam
38. BAD WAR OR GOOD WAR
TODAY WWII IN USA IS
SEEN AS “GOOD WAR”
BROKAW’S BEST
SELLER SEES WAR AS
EXPERIENCE THAT
BUILDS CHARACTER
No one dies in book
Greatest Generation
fights war/ A mythical
generation without fault
39. VETERAN’S OF WAR WERE CRITICAL
NORMAN MAILER
1948 WAR NOVEL :
THE NAKED AND THE
DEAD
CRITICAL OF THE
CAPACITY US SHOWED
FOR VIOLENCE
VALUES DEFEAT OF
HITLER BUT SEES
PACIFIC AS EXCESSIVE
VIOLENCE
40. LETTERS TO MAILER IN 40’S
READERS SEE NOVEL AS SHOWING “FAULTS
AND FRAILTIES” OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS
(PATRIOTIC HONOR AND GOOD WAR IDEALS
TEND TO SUPPRESS SUCH VIEWS)
OTHER WROTE THAT TOO MANY AMERICANS
WERE ONLY INTERESTED IN KILLING,
ESPECIALY JAPANESE
1944 NYT REVIEW: SAYS NOVEL SHOWS OUR
“DISILUSIONMENT” /WHICH HAS BEEN
FORGOTTEN SINCE 1945
41. Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five
Novel of WWII by vet from
Indy (1969)
Main character can’t recall the
war accurately.
Has mostly nightmares after
experience in bombing in
Germany
TRAUMATIC MEMORIES
DOMINATE BOOK
42. William Manchester
My opinion-the best
solider memoir coming
out of WWII
Balances portrait of the
Horror/Battle of
Okinawa with Honor
men felt fighting for USA
AND EACH OTHER
Critical of Vietnam
generation protests
43. Generational Shift
Manchester influenced
by the pride he had in his
father’s military service
from WWI
Felt Vietnam generation
not only lacked the sense
of patriotic honor but the
personal discipline he
felt pervaded his
generation
44. VIETNAM
PHILIP CAPUTO
SERVED NEAR DA
NANG, 1965 in Marines
NO VIRTUE IN THE
WAR BUT PLENTY OF
PAIN AND
DISILLUSIONMENT
45. A Rumor of War(1977)
Vietnam memoirs offer
more personal pain than
WWII critiques
Yet, both critical of war
and reveal the trauma
Caputo hated the US
focus on “body counts”
Concludes he was a
“moral casualty”/ regret
over ordering killing of
two suspected Vietcong
46. PATRIOTISM CAN’T CONTAIN TRAUMA
Caputo:
“I was finished with the government and abstract
causes, and I would never allow myself to fall under
the charms of and spells witch doctor like John
Kennedy” {What Can You Do For Your Country}
47. CAPUTO: INDIAN COUNTRY (1987)
NOVEL OF VIETNAM
VET HAUNED BY
DEATH OF
BUDDY/FELT
RESPONSIBLE
PLAUGED BY GUILT
AFTER WAR ,
BECOMES A THREAT
TO THIS OWN FAMILY
VET AS VICTIM
48. TIM O’Brien
The Things they Carried
(1990)
No honor or nobility in
war.
“If someone says there is
a moral purpose in any
war don’t believe them”
ONE CHARACTER
TAKES HIS LIFE WHEN
HOME/HAUNTED BY
LOSS OF FRIEND.
49. James Webb
Marine vet writes novel
of Vietnam: Fields of
Fire (1978)
Honest rendition of
soldier horrors and
postwar pain(PTSD)
But stresses the honor he
felt to serve his country
and family legacy of such
service.
Webb became Sec. of
Navy
50. COUNTLESS STORIES FROM SOLDIERS TEND TO
STRESS THE PRIVATE SIDE OF WAR
OFFER A RECORD OF MORAL OR EMOTIONAL
CONFUSTION PTSD
BITTER REALITIES THAT CHALLENGE
PATRIOTIC HEROISM
QUESTION IF THE SACRIFICE WAS WORTH IT
BUT A RETURN OF PATRIOTIC HONOR AS WELL
War on Terror
52. War on Terror Debate
War on Terror brought a return of Heroic soldiers in
robust film and book sales
Tales of strong men who fight and love their country.
Kyle called his war “ the thrill of his life”
Kyle felt justified in killing not only because he saved
American lives but also as a Christian with a tattoo of
a cross he hated Muslim extremism
Brotherly love pertains in both heroic and non heroic
stories
53. SOLDIERS AND SHATTERED LIVES
NOVEL BY VET FROM
IRAQ
QUESTIONS
PATRIOTIC FRAME
RECALLS WAR AS
SUFFERING AND
TRAGIC—ESPECIALLY
FOR VETS ONCE HOME
54. The Yellow Birds
War as sorrow and tragic /DEHUMANIZING
Soldier grieves once home , suffers from PTSD,
mourns loss of buddy
In tale fellow soldier ends his life after seeing all the
human brutality—Loss of will to live as Yellow Birds
in a mine.
Main character throws body of his lost comrade into
a river in Iraq so he won’t come home to patriotic
honors/a situation that would mislead people into
thinking there was virtue in the violence
55. WOT and Women Soldier Memoirs
Two Memoirs : Love My
Rifle and Plenty of Time
When We Get Home.
Gender seems to shape
her war experience: 1. to
prove herself to men; 2.
to stave off sexual
advances
Second book is about
postwar struggles for her
and her vet spouse.
