Born On The Fourth Of July Essay

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I am a United States military veteran; I am proud of my service, and the uniform I wore. I served in the Air Force from 2005-2009 and completed two deployments overseas. When I decided to enlist in the military I was lost in life; I was struggling to find myself. I was looking for a way to motivate myself, and discover what I really wanted to achieve in life. This was my reason for enlisting, however, every veteran has their own personal reasons to why they enlisted; love of country, money for school, family tradition, traveling the world, or learning a trade are just a few examples. However, it is equally important to realize that every veteran’s military journey is unique. Some veterans serve during a time of war, some see combat, some get injured, some repair jets, some drive tanks, some work in administration, and some serve in intelligence. Veterans are nurses, doctors, lawyers, and pilots. Some veterans return heroes whereas some return emotionally traumatized. Given that each military veteran’s experience is unique, it’s disconcerting to realize the portrayal of veterans in movies usually focus on certain negative stereotypes, and in effect is making it difficult …show more content…

This movie shows Ron’s struggles to adjust and integrate back into American society, one that doesn’t value his sacrifice. Ron spends months recovering inside a rundown VA hospital where resources are scarce and veterans are seen abusing drugs and having sex with prostitutes. When Ron gets out of the hospital he realizes that American people have no respect for his sacrifice and he starts drinking heavily to deal with his isolation, disability, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Ron eventually realizes the government doesn’t value his sacrifice and he becomes a political activist speaking out against the war he once

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