The American People And Ron Kovic's Born On The Fourth Of July

In the modern day, many students fail to realize the magnitude of history. It is not simply specific events but the experiences of individuals during the time period. These experiences that individuals had brings history to life, allowing an individual to understand the magnitude of an individual’s personal experiences and the importance of national events. Gary B. Nash’s The American People, Creating a Nation and a Society, and Ron Kovic’s Born on the Fourth of July display this concept by presenting the personal feelings of Americans and national events that occurred during the 1950’s to 1960's in the United States of America. Kovic and Nash describe America’s evolution of ideals through displaying America’s conformity, their subsequent

Citizens acquired the same ideals, standards of living, and aspirations for success which entailed living comfortably in suburbia. A prominent ideal that riddled American society was the glorification of war. Members of the army, marines, the navy, and more were seen as heroes. The horrors of war were never brought up, the war was portrayed as an adventure rather than a battlefield filled with wounded and dead American men. Young men and boys saw this glorification of war and they too wanted to be war heroes. This provoked young men not even out of high school to enlist. Ron Kovic was one of these young impressionable men. In his novel, Born on the Fourth of July, Kovic recounts his reasoning for enlisting, he states, “Just as we dreamed of playing for the Yankees someday, we dreamed of becoming United States Marines, and fighting out first war and we made a promise that the day we turned seventeen we were going … to sign up for the United States Marine Corps” (Kovic, 71). Kovic made a pact to join the marines with his friend when he was simply a child. Children should not have to think of such serious matters such as war. But children did think of the potential of joining the war due to it’s glorified image. That they too will be glorified and praised for becoming a war hero. It was with the conformity of American ideals of serving your country that the glorification of war was created, propelling an

This disillusionment, manifested itself into anger, causing Americans to form antiwar protests during the 1960’s. Disillusionment is the feeling of disappointment from false beliefs, American civilians felt this dismay in regards to the continuation of the Vietnam War. Prior to the 1950’s civilians entered the Vietnam War with confidence in the United State's ability to win, however, many individuals were disappointed when they realized that winning the war was not possible. This angered many civilians because if the Vietnam War was a futile effort then why were young men still fighting and dying in Vietnam. Citizens felt lied to, prior they were told that America could easily win the Vietnam War and that war was not gruesome. But the American people soon found out of the horrific conditions in Vietnam, the humid climate that resulted in soldiers receiving heat stroke, the constant ambushes by the Viet Cong, the bombing raids on innocent Vietnamese citizens and more. In reaction to this anti-war protests developed, one, in particular, was Kent State. Gary B. Nash describes this event, he states, “Nixon announced in mid-1970 that American and Vietnamese troops were invading the country to clear out Community enclaves… Two days after the president announced his move, students at Kent State University in Ohio protested by setting the ROTC building on fire” (Nash, 671). Although