American Soldiers in Popular and Unpopular Wars, Essay Example

Over the last one hundred years, the United States has been involved in four major conflicts–World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the war in Vietnam–for various reasons, such as to stop the spread of communism during the Vietnam conflict and to bring down the Imperial nation of Japan after its brutal attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 which in effect started World War II.

With the exception of World War II, all of these wars were unpopular with the American people, especially Vietnam. They were also unpopular with the vast majority of American men who ended up on the front lines to fight in a war that they did not understand. This is especially true with American men who were drafted into service, such as during the final years of the “Great War” in 1918 and Vietnam during the Presidencies of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.

Even though fifty years separate the end of World War I from the military buildup in Vietnam in the late 1960’s, the experiences of American soldiers in combat remained basically the same, meaning that all soldiers experienced death on the battlefield and many times came close to losing their own lives. Frequently, as a way of venting what they had witnessed in battle, soldiers during these wars (and of course the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan) wrote letters to their loved ones back home in the States and often poured out their hearts and minds related to their experiences and how they personally felt about being involved in not just an unpopular war, but also in the madness and confusion of the battlefield.

On June 28, 1914, most Americans gave it little thought when the heir to the Austrian throne was assassinated by a young Serbian nationalist, but those who kept abreast of the developing political problems in Europe suspected that Austria “might use the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand as an excuse to go to war with Serbia” (Dolan 156) which it did on July 28, but few, even President Woodrow Wilson, expected the war to spread throughout Europe.

In 1917, when the war in Europe was at its peak, the U.S. maintained its stance of neutrality until President Wilson and the US Congress declared that attacks on American ships by the Germans constituted war against the United States. Then, Wilson announced that 500,000 American men would be needed to fight in Europe, thus creating one of the first full-time drafts in American history.

As one might think, there is much difference between the soldiers that volunteered for military duty during World Wars I and II and Vietnam and those who were drafted or forced into military service during an unpopular war like the Vietnam conflict. For example, during the Presidency of Woodrow Wilson, returning soldiers from Europe were treated quite badly by the U.S. government and many ended up living in poverty and as homeless vagabonds on the streets in large cities like New York and Philadelphia, and even Washington, D.C. President Wilson seems to have been somewhat indifferent to the sufferings of the returning veterans of World War I in 1919.

However, things were different with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who understood and empathized with the sufferings of the veterans of World War II in the early 1940’s; in fact, his wife Eleanor as First Lady “channeled her energies into the war effort” and helped to create “civilian volunteerism as assistant director of the Office of Civilian Defense.” Mrs. Roosevelt also made it one of her priorities to personally visit returning veterans and to travel overseas to visit American troops still in the field and those who had been severely wounded in battle (“Eleanor Roosevelt Biography”).

For the most part, American men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five volunteered to serve in World Wars I and II and Vietnam for many reasons, such as having pride in one’s country, or simply carrying on a family tradition. However, unlike the “Great War” of 1914 to 1918, the Second World War was a popular conflict with the American people and many considered it a great honor to serve and fight for America’s cherished beliefs. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on the morning of December 7, 1941, the U.S. Congress declared a state of war with Japan, and in 1942 “amended the conscription law to require American men between twenty and thirty-five to make themselves available for the draft.” At this time, more than 10 million men had been recruited for military service with approximately 5 million volunteering to serve their country (Dolan, 178).

In many instances, American men that were drafted as opposed to those who volunteered felt the same way about fighting the Japanese and later the Germans, due to knowing that American freedom was at risk if the Japanese managed to invade the United States beyond the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific. As a popular war, World War II was directly responsible for what later became known as the Age of Prosperity when the United States experienced huge growth in its economic power and influence, partly because of an increased demand for consumer goods which resulted in millions of new jobs and the construction of millions of American homes, thus creating the so-called “American Dream” of prosperity, comfort, and a high standard of living.

For returning soldiers from World War II, this great expansion in the American economy and especially the opportunity to obtain a higher education via the GI Bill, created new ways of looking at the world and brought about new ways of thinking related to the veteran’s personal political and social viewpoints. For example, many decided to enter the political arena as senators and state representatives in order to educate the American public on the horrors of war and in some cases to fight against the perceived spread of communism in Europe and in the U.S., such as with Senator Joseph McCarthy’s non-American activities. Many of these veterans also expressed their opinions on the political foundations of war and often wrote letters to the President detailing their viewpoints and what to do so that war never happens again.

Unfortunately, there is Vietnam, one of the most unpopular wars in American history and the source for much turmoil and dissent in the streets and homes of America during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Compared to serving in World War II, whether as a draftee or a volunteer, service in Vietnam was seen by many soldiers as the worst case scenario to end up in as a young man. Much like the soldiers of the World Wars, those that served in Vietnam wrote home to their loved ones but rather than describing normal day-to-day activities, they wrote about the horrors of war. For example, Sgt. Stanley Homiski wrote in 1968 that “If there is a place called Hell, this (Vietnam) surely must be it, and we must be the Devil’s disciples doing all his dirty work” (“Unpopularity of the Vietnam War”). Clearly, Homiski’s description supports the idea that Vietnam was a very unpopular war and that even the soldiers despised being caught up in its madness and death.

Thus, whether forced to serve in an unpopular war like Vietnam or a popular war like World War II, the experiences of the soldiers takes us back to the old saying that “War is Hell” regardless of where it occurs, who started it, and what the basic goal might be, such as to protect American freedom and values or to eradicate a perceived enemy in the form of communism.

Bibliography

Dolan, Edward. America in World War I. New York: Millbrook Press, 1996.

“Eleanor Roosevelt Biography.” Women in History. 2012. Web. 28 May, 2012.

“Unpopularity of the Vietnam War.” 2012. Web. 28 May, 2012. http://www.csupomona.edu/~cgbates/202/vietnam2.pdf.

Albertson, James Edward. A History of Vietnam. New York: Random House, 2005.