The United States of America was birthed from war. It was the Revolutionary War which granted the colonists independence from the British, who imposed upon their rights and liberties, and brought about the United States. The Civil War aided in the abolition of slavery and the creation of new rights and liberties for even more people. The World Wars helped establish peace between the major world powers by standing up and “[fighting] against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history” (Reagan). Moving into the late 20th century, those who grew up listening to the heroes of World War II “[worshipped] the veterans” inspiring many to enlist in the Vietnam and Korean wars (Samet). War has been engrained in the history and culture …show more content…
However, while war is sometimes necessary to acquire lasting peace, the immediate after-effects of war are both physically and mentally devastating to the soldiers and to their families who mourn over them.
While war affects all people in an individual different sense, the biggest number of people that are touched by war are those on the front lines: the soldiers. The brutality and destruction of war can be easily shown though the movie “We Were Soldiers” in which American forces face off against the Vietnamese in Ia Drang Valley. The battle depicted in the film lasts multiple days and illustrates the deaths and maiming of hundreds of American and Vietnamese soldiers. The brutal, physical pain shown in the film and endured by the soldiers is unparalleled, as many of them almost did not come home alive at all. A small fraction of the original number of soldiers returned home alive after the battle, as the biggest sacrifices of war falls on the shoulders of those who serve. Yet while a large portion of those …show more content…
As soldiers enlist for active duty, the family members who are left behind remain in constant fear that their loved one will perish. The emotional toll as endured by the families can be observed in the film “We Were Soldiers” as several of the wives on base receive telegrams informing them that their husbands have died. All those who receive one of these heartbreaking telegrams cry and mourn the deaths of their loved ones; the wives of these military men accept that their husbands are gone, and their lives will never be the same again. While this effect is more short term than anything else, a more long-term effect comes in the form of child rearing. In the Ballou letter, a letter written by a man named Ballou for his wife in the case that he should die, he names one of his biggest regrets about dying early in combat. As Ballou himself claims that he has “eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage” he laments the fact that it is the “only sustenance” he can offer his own children (Ballou). Having suffered as an orphan for many years, the last thing Ballou wants is for his children to endure a similar fate. This Civil War era example displays that, for generations, military service has caused the emotional distress of millions due to the death of loved ones and the separation of families.