Freedom My friend and I grabbed our bags and slung them onto our shoulder as we boarded Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, one of the largest cargo aircrafts transporting soldiers in the military. Before I reached the end of the ramp of the plane, I turned around and waved one last goodbye to my wife, as a single tear drifted down my cheek that said goodbye. After I reached my seat and sat down, my knees nudged the soldiers’ knees in front of me, “Oh, sorry”, I replied as I shoved my legs under the seat. I fastened my seatbelt and looked around the small area where we were at, chills ran down my spine but I was immediately comforted, when I gazed up at the magnificent american flag hanging on the interior of the plane. After some time of flying …show more content…
“I’m dead”, I said slowly to myself “I’m really dead”. I quickly took a deep breath in and ran up to an Iranian soldier and yelled “Where is Ron?”, but then I thought to myself ‘duh idiot he can’t hear you and why would he care where he is, where is Ron? ’. So I frantically started toward the crash site, and walked through the doorway and there was Ron still pinned between the steel bars, “Ron. I know you can’t hear me but…” a tear ran down my cheek, and reaching for his hand I whispered “ you see that flag over there ? We fought together to keep that flag flying, we gave our lives and careers to keep it flying, so when you get out tell my wife I love her and that freedom was purchased with my life so she could be free”. I silently began to cry but the pain was too great of a burden, that tears began to drop to the earth as I slowly released his hand and cradled my hand in my face and whispered “Freedom isn’t free,freedom isn’t
When people see “Old Glory” flying, the experience should take their breath away. From the Omaha beaches in Normandy, where over three million soldiers stormed the German Nazis, to Iwo Jima, where the exhausted marines raised the proud flag, to the h...
A soldier’s wounds from war are not always visible. Louise Erdrich, the author of The Red Convertible, presents a short story about two Native American brothers Henry and Lyman, who live in North Dakota on an Indian Reservation. Henry and Lyman purchased a Red Convertible and took a trip across the United States with the car. Upon their return, Henry is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. When Henry finally came home, he was a different man. Like Henry, I have a nephew named Bobby, who serves in the United States Army. Bobby has seen more combat than most soldiers would like to see. The effects of war can be tough on a soldier when they are reintroduced back into society, just like Henry, my nephew had a tough time dealing with the effects of war.
Soldier's Personal Narratives of the Vietnam War and The Vietnam War and the Tragedy of Containment
I was against the war over in Vietnam. Part of that reason was because I didn’t think that the fighting over there was all that necessary but the real reason was because my brother Mack was drafted into the war. He was drafted pretty early on when they started the draft so when he was killed that’s where my hatred for the war.. really came from. *She actually got a little quiet here so I did my best to avoid talking too much about her brother (Keeping in mind I didn’t know this happened at the beginning)*
Soldiers on the front line in Vietnam do not have the ability to celebrate birthdays or sit around the Christmas tree or the luxury of having a yard that needs mowing. They just wanted peace, love and comfort, not a six-figure paycheck. American men were holding deep, raw, genuine feelings. “They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing – these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight.” (17) Every man possessed the burden of what was not the American dream, and the minor taste they may have once had. Naturally, this desire looked unique according to each being, but the universal truth was that Vietnam as an American soldier was not the aim. The American soldier was not capable of touching the American dream, while others were dying for success they were just dying. Each of them had a longing, a hope that they would see their kid’s youth, that they would experience part in a romantic love story, that they would still appreciate life when they returned. The American dream was not a option any longer; it was another false confidence that was provided for the sake of optimism and for encouraging hard work. The American dream is a card game. The cards of potential accomplishment are illusions for countless people. Following all the patience and thought
A quote from Bennett “Of all the countries in the world, we Americans have been the greatest destroyers of land of any race of people barbaric or civilized,” (Egan, 2006) makes your realize the self-inflicted destruction of the great planes. This book is not only about people who died but the ones who survived and lived on to tell their story directly to Egan.
Thesis: The war overseas, but there are millions of veterans still fighting the war at home.
According to the previous reviews of Phil Klay’s book, countless human manifestations results from collisions with young and armed Americans with a foreign country, whereby a few of them understands. Reviews captures on the manner in which the war evoked as well as emotions, predicaments, and heartbreaks. The reader looks forward to understand the outcome of the war. However, what makes the reader apprehensive is that the stories resonate with themes, such as battle, images of outstanding battleground pain, as well as psychological trauma due to the nature of the war, nuances of human nature and the associated violence.
i. Difficulties faced by soldiers due to the nature of fighting in the Vietnam War - Personnel had difficulties with transportation supplied with adapted vehicles back seat faced rear to provide additional fire power (Source A) – It appears as if the government didn't worry enough to supply men with safe and capable equipment - Threat of traps led to fear as vehicles had to be parked on street at night (Source A) o Check for traps each morning became a daily ritual particularly in fuel tanks (Source A) o A request for a locking fuel cap was denied because weren’t entitled to one” (Source A) • What circumstances would have needed to arise for them to be entitled to one? The Offensive full guard was set up (24hrs a day), personnel got no sleep and were constantly on alert (Source A) – How significant would this have been in the personnel’s mental frame of mind?
Tina Chen’s critical essay provides information on how returning soldiers aren’t able to connect to society and the theme of alienation and displacement that O’Brien discussed in his stories. To explain, soldiers returning from war feel alienated because they cannot come to terms with what they saw and what they did in battle. Next, Chen discusses how O’Brien talks about soldiers reminiscing about home instead of focusing in the field and how, when something bad happens, it is because they weren’t focused on the field. Finally, when soldiers returned home they felt alienated from the country and
...ust deal with similar pains. Through the authors of these stories, we gain a better sense of what soldiers go through and the connection war has on the psyche of these men. While it is true, and known, that the Vietnam War was bloody and many soldiers died in vain, it is often forgotten what occurred to those who returned home. We overlook what became of those men and of the pain they, and their families, were left coping with. Some were left with physical scars, a constant reminder of a horrible time in their lives, while some were left with emotional, and mental, scarring. The universal fact found in all soldiers is the dramatic transformation they all undergo. No longer do any of these men have a chance to create their own identity, or continue with the aspirations they once held as young men. They become, and will forever be, soldiers of the Vietnam War.
“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” Said Nelson Mandela. Despite the Different Opinions on guerrilla warfare against American troops in weaker countries, but these opinions are all based on different perspectives. Some people judge things based on biases and relationship to who is being attacked or to that who is attacking. In comparing the American Revolutionary War, which was the beginning of the great and most powerful country we live in today (America) to the Vietnam War, we see that both of these wars had a lot in common. They both were fought for similar reasons and under similar conditions. Also, same fighting tactics were used in both wars. If Americans had the
...e has lost. Set in the gymnasium of IKM-Manning High School, this funeral accurately portrays the devastation felt when a loved one has perished in war and is returned in a casket. This photo focuses on the home coming of a soldier, but unlike “V-J Day in Times Square”, it’s shown in a negative way. The vivid colors of the U.S. flag’s stripes as well as the blue from the VFW flag are bold against the seemingly monochrome photo. Red, white, and blue are distinct in this photo, representing the Americanism and freedom that this soldier has brought. The balance of colors is split: bold colors of freedom on one side, and black of the garments of mourners on the other. Although there is freedom, there was a price to be paid; a life. People all over the country lose family and friends to the perils of war. Unfortunately for this soldier, he came home resting in peace.
Many personal values are sacrificed in order to maintain freedom in the country. Freedom is kept by fighting against enemies in war. Wars take a tremendous toll on the people of the country. Many of the things sacrificed for freedom are people’s lives, freedom, money, health, and emotions. Fighting for freedom turns out to be an ironic event.
An opinion is the formulation of personal experiences. After my four year career in the U.S Army, I can officially profess that I am one combat veteran out of very few. During my time on active duty it was constantly mentioned how only one percent of the nation’s population serves in the military. In stark contrast, the U.S has one of the best military defense yet only attracts one percent of its citizens. There must be reason for this, which led me to revise my priorities during my tour. Living in the lifestyle of a U.S soldier molded my perception on what is truly important, which is education. Education is a tool that may enable a person (such as I) to jump through the hoops of generational poverty into a life of stability. This is a component