...By definition, to be a soldier is to be engaged in military service, especially the Army. To me, being a professional American soldier means so much more than that. To begin with, not everyone has what it takes to be a soldier, and even fewer people have what it takes to be an American soldier. I take pride in serving my country and defending the people I love. I believe that to be a professional soldier you must uphold honor, respect, integrity, courage, and loyalty at all times. In order to be a professional soldier you must exceed being an example of an individual who displays honor. An honorable individual is honest and shows integrity in their actions and beliefs. Honor to me is standing by your own convictions when they are correct and...
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...Individual people are defined by the character traits they possess, and how these traits are present in their lives. Such traits assist all people in functioning physically, mentally and socially. However, these traits also determine how an individual reacts to a situation, particularly one of adversity. In adverse situations, these traits which have built up one’s entire life can either aid or inhibit success in the face of adversity. War situations are a primary example of character traits either helping or hurting soldiers, no matter the conflict and its details. The sheer risk of the situation in itself makes it defining for many involved, particularly those in the thick of battle. In Stephen Crane’s novel The Red Badge of Courage, the protagonist Henry Fleming shows ambition, bravery, and eventually reflection, and is shaped by his stressful and horrific life as a Union soldier in the American Civil War, which forces him to progress mentally. In The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming demonstrates an ambitious nature, however, this nature is altered by his experiences on the battlefield, causing him to become a more reflective individual. For example, when describing Fleming’s eighteen year-old, untested thoughts towards the regiment’s first battle, Crane writes, “He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life-- of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire” (Crane 3). Essentially, before experiencing any combat firsthand, Fleming thinks of...
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...win every battle but what sets Washington aside from other leaders was that he had courage. “In The battle of the Wilderness, Washington had two horse shot from beneath him”(Pg.1 What Made George Washington a Good Leader). Having horses shot from under him did not cause him to falter and he pushed on with his troops and led them to victory. Washington also demonstrated these similar traits in the battles of Yorktown and Trenton; he even demonstrated courage during the Continental army’s stay at Valley Forge .He also displayed courage while being doubted by many people such as his soldiers and officers. He decided to inoculate his troops in order to save them from dying of small pox. During the battle of Trenton Washington once more displayed courage by deciding to have his troops cross the Delaware River and fight the Hessians. The troops could have been sitting ducks while stuck in ice; this single decision could have changed history itself. If...
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...The Quality Attribute Shown at Gettysburg by Mark Reeh The American Civil War was a turbulent time in American history a war that lead to freedom of African Americans from their southern oppressor. Out of the battles came one battle that stands above the rest, Gettysburg the bloodiest battle on home soil ever. Gettysburg was a deciding battle in the war that finally tipped the scales in the union’s favor. If the union lost, Washington D.C would be in the hands of the confederacy. At the Battle of Gettysburg they were many character traits that arose out of Gettysburg traits such as courage, camaraderie, and valor. Of these traits a widely held trait, was courage. These brave men had to have a vast amount of courage to not only attack the opposing...
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...Both Beowulf and American soldiers have put their life at risk to help protect the safety of others. The main character, Beowulf, from the story Beowulf has all of these. He is the ideal hero, and is very comparable to our American soldiers. These heroes possess bravery, honor, courage, and strength. One does not outshine the other because they both are performing incredible tasks and putting themselves in danger. The traits that define a hero have not changed since the time of Beowulf to today’s heroes. Beowulf seems to fit into every category of defining a hero. He is strong, loyal, courageous, honorable, generous and the list could go on. All of these traits help define an epic hero. He left his home to seek out danger and help save his neighbors from Grendel. He did this not because he had to, but because of his generosity. He prepared to fight a creature no one before was ever able to defeat. His courage when going out and facing extreme danger made him a hero to the Danes. He not only fought Grendel, but he also fought with the swamp hag and the dragon, and he won both battles....
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...Henry Fleming, along with most Civil War soldiers, endured psychological struggles when faced with the reality that death is inevitable. Stephen Crane wrote The Red Badge of Courage as a realistic novel by using average soldiers and conflicts that the average person could easily understand. Crane also included naturalism in this novel by associating the setting with the protagonist. Stephen Crane’s use of these psychological struggles made The Red Badge of Courage a truly unique novel of its time. The Red Badge of Courage is set in during the Civil War at the three day long Battle of Chancellorsville. The Civil War lasted for about four years in which the Union Army fought the Confederate Army, to preserve the United States, in sixty-seven full-scale battles, three hundred and ten engagements, and 6,337 skirmishes (Bowman 280). The Civil War claimed approximately 360,000 Union soldiers’ lives and left hundreds of thousands of men disabled. More than 400,000 men died of diseases, accidents, and other causes than war (Bowman 280). The war also severely hurt the economy. The property losses would cost billions of dollars by today’s terms. The total cost of the Civil War was fifteent billion in 1860 dollars which is equal to three hundred and fifty billion in 1990 dollars (Bowman 280). These losses resulted in the restoration of the American Union and the emancipation of four million enslaved African Americans. The Confederate Army fought against the mighty Union army for their...
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...Kessia Andersen American Literature Dr. Mulrooney The Red Badge of Courage is a suspenseful novel, set during the American Civil War that follows the journey of a young soldier named Henry Fleming, and his psychological struggle over war, courage, and manhood. Often referred to by Crane as “the youth,” Henry finds himself drawn to the glory of battlefield conflict, the fairytale nobility of self sacrifice and the honor and reverence that seasoned soldiers are perceivably showered with. It is with all this in mind that he leaves his mother behind and enlists in the army. His hopes are high as he is sent off into battle with the local girls swooning over him, stroking his ego. Little does he know, the reality that awaits him is nothing so simple. His noble send off is a false precursor of what actually lies in Henry’s future. For months, all his regiment does is sit around camp, waiting for action, occasionally migrating to a different location, but...
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...integrity, selfness-service, duty, respect, personal courage, and loyalty, these are the 7 army values in which each and every member must stay true to. My definition of honor may be skewed from the general publics view of honor. In my eyes, when you are thankful that you are given the opportunity to serve your country, that is when you are honorable. Integrity is what keeps this country going, each member of the military must have integrity to be successful. Do the right thing regardless of whose watching. If you serve for your country, you have a sense of selfness-service. Knowing that what you are doing is helping others, and that final goal is more important than you yourself. Be prepared, be sharp, and be quick, every soldier must know what to do and when to do it. It is your duty to respond to a situation and to fix that very situation. Coming from a family of marines, I have noticed the respect between my family members who have served. Regardless if your active duty infantry or a reserve mechanic, any true American will respect you. Personal courage is created from confidence. Rigorous and realistic training fills our soldiers with personal courage. This courage is what allows us to progress through a time of war. You will not find many citizens who possess the same level of loyalty as those in the Army. If you truly believe in what you are fighting for, that should be all the motivation in the world. An American Soldier would do anything for the man standing next to him...
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...as someone that will come and save us flying or doing some sort magic, but that is not what a hero is. A hero is someone with tremendous amount of courage and bravery and will be in the front line ready for any duty or obstacle comes upon them. One of the greatest 20th century hero ever lived is Audie Murphy. Born in Kingston, Hunt County, Texas on June 20, 1924, Audie Murphy was raised in a sharecropper’s dilapidated house. His father fell short on his parental responsibilities and eventually abandoned his family leaving Audie to pick up his slack and take care of his mother and younger siblings. Soon after, his mother passed away and to honor her death he enlisted in the military. Audie soon became the most decorated U.S. soldier in World War II. Though he was only 21 years old at the end of the war, he had killed more than 240 German soldiers, had been wounded three times, and had earned 33 awards and medals. One of Audie’s most courageous moments in combat started on January 26, 1945. Murphy and Company B found themselves on the outskirts of woods facing the German village of Holtzwihr. The weather was miserably cold and uncomfortable as the American force waited tensely for an attack. Suddenly, six heavily equipped German tanks appeared supported by a large infantry began moving toward them and instantly put two American tank destroyers out of action. Audie ordered his men to retreat while he stayed put with his field telephone requesting artillery fire upon the...
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...courageous deeds.The photograph of the brave soldiers from the Battle of Iwo Jima taken by Joe Rosenthal demonstrated true heroism and courage because they raised the once fallen flag up high so everybody could witness the hard fought victory against the Japanese. Even though the battle of Iwo Jima claimed about 26,000 American lives, the island proved to be crucial because it provided fuel for bombers and would be a resort for damaged planes. Rosenthal gave depth to the photograph by utilizing color positioning, background usage, movement within the soldiers, and amazing emotional appeal to impact the american viewers into feeling patriotic and proud of their heroes....
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...After his success of the war Jackson was offered a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) as a Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and instructor of artillery. Though fulfilling his mission, he wasn’t a very fond teacher for his bland personality and memorized lectures didn’t quite go hand-in-hand. After being an instructor at VMI, it was time for the American Civil War, a time where Thomas Jackson proved his leadership, intelligence, and army values. He served as a Confederate General under Robert E. Lee. His success was achieved in many famous and infamous battles- First and Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville to name a few. Thomas Jonathan Jackson eventually ended his days after the latter Battle of Chancellorsville. He was shot by one of his own confederate soldiers in the arm resulting in amputation, and eventually developing pneumonia killing him eight days later on May 10th, 1863. This was a huge loss to not only the Confederate Army, but the entire south, as many theorists say that if Thomas Jackson didn’t pass the tides would have been completely different and the history of this country could have been completely...
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...The Black U.S. Soldier August 8, 2001 I. Introduction II. Civil War A. The emergence of a black fighting man. 1. Lincoln refusal of black combat men 2. Formation of state units 3. Lincoln’s reversal 4. The birth of the U.S. colored fighting man B. The Buffalo soldiers 1. Formation of the 9th and 10th Cavalry and 24th and 25th infantry 2. Birth of the Buffalo soldier 3. The almost death of the Buffalo soldier III. World War I A. Limited roles of black men B. Combat Units IV. World War II A. 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion B. 96th engineers C. 99th Fighter Squadron D. 332nd Fighter Group V. Conclusion The emergence of the African-American professional fighting man in America began with the Civil War. Through the years and the wars the African-American people have proven themselves time and time again, but racism and prejudices have kept the majority of these heroes from ever receiving the recognition that they deserve. At the start of the Civil War was when President Lincoln first called for the 75,000 volunteers to fight against the Confederate states, but the thousands of African-Americans were turned away. These men were told that white men would fight a “white man war” and that their services were not needed. One man even petitioned the Ohio Governor, David Tod, who rejected the idea and stated that “this was a white man government and that they were able to defend and protect...
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...the war and change history forever. The Normandy Invasion was underway. There are many reasons for this, but they all go back to the fact that it is the greatest victory. First, it took incredible courage of the soldiers. Next, it took planning, teamwork, and distraction to win the invasion. Finally, if the allied forces failed then the whole world would be different. All these things came together to make D-day the greatest military victory ever. The invasion of normandy took incredible amounts of courage for the soldiers. Of the five...
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...Chris Kyle, The main character and author of American Sniper, shows that true bravery is doing something that needs to be done even though a person might be scared to do it, even when it requires him or her to make a difficult choice, even when he had to do something most people would consider unthinkable, and ultimately causing him to give up his life. The courage of Navy seals, difficult choices and bravery In American Sniper, Chris Kyle shows the courage of the of the Navy seal when he has to make a difficult choice. The most difficult choice he faces is completing his job as a sniper while he was a Navy seal. Killing other soldiers holding guns was just part of Chris Kyle's job. He had a natural talent for shooting and accepted the role of a sniper which he believed was critical to protecting his brothers in today’s style of warfare. He is good at his job, credited with the longest successful shots, killing an insurgent sniper who was aiming at his brothers with what he modestly called, “a straight-up luck shot.”...
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...English Composition I 14 April 2012 Tim O’Brien Readers familiar with details from O’Brien personal life find in this novel “links” between his art and his life. The New York Times selected the book The Things They Caried as one of the best works of war fiction for the year, and Chicago Tribute awarded the novel its Heartland Prize. According to O'Brien, in using these interrelated sections of facts, story, confession, commentary, and narration of other people's experiences, he forced himself to invent a new form that blurs the boundaries between fact and fiction, short story and novel, memory and imagination. Tim O’Brien, who describes himself as “strict realist”, who dismisses critics labels of “surrealist” or “magical realist”, but admit, that he is “war writer”. Tim O’Brien uses a mixture of facts and fictions (truth and reality) to reveal the complexities of war. Tim O’Brien mixes truth and fiction in his stories. O’Brien explores the way stories are told throughout his work . In his stories he demonstrate the way truth always seems to be around the next story. Tim O’Brien himself revised his stories. In his novel are revision, after revision of what could happened, what might have happened, what did happened and what did not happened. The things they carried as a complete work is different from reading the stories...
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