World War II, even 70 years after, is still a topic that is met with much dismay and troubled feelings throughout the world. Though many have seen clips from the world and learned details about it from history classes and documentaries on television, Studs Terkel in The Good War: An Oral History of World War Two tells the events through a different medium: interviews from those who lived during the time. Interviews from soldiers and those who stayed in the United States paint a first person and intimate recall of the trials and tribulations those faced in World War II. The Good War had more layers to the story than most realize, and the horrors men and women faced in all phases of life make this time period truly one for the ages. One of the most dominating themes from Terkel's interviews is the complete saturation of discrimination throughout World War II. The Civil Rights movement had yet to come to fruition in United States history, and segregation was still legal and prevelent throughout the U.S. Though it can be extrapolated to all races who joined the war effort, Terkel's book primarily touches on the descrimination shown towards African Americans and Mexican Americans in the United States armed forces. White troops shooting and beating non-Aryan soldiers with segregated base camps are recalled from first hand experience. Relief Aid from non-profit organizations even showed threatening behavrior towards non-white soldiers. Though many races fought under the United States Flag, white troops were shown preferencial treatment over their non-white counterparts with African Americans and Mexican Americans were given sub-par resources, and equallity in ability to survive the war. On the homefront, Japanese Americans were rounded l... ... middle of paper ... ...irst hand account of normally undiscussed topics being visited. However, a stark criticism of the book is necessary in discussing Terkel. Though the interviews spanning many different demographics of the wartime, a general feeling of bias is felt towards anti-war and anti-government sentiment. After finishing the book, the reader feels as if Terkel wanted the reader to be left with a feeling of shock and horror at the United States government. Though some of that though process can be justified after the horrific truths of the government is revealed, especially the radiation tests on soldiers, Terkel seems to try too hard to point out how much wrong was happening throughout the war. World War II was a hard time for many and there are countless moments of regrets many will have until their deathbed, and Terkel makes a point to reveal a lot of those shameful instances.
Michael C. C. Adams' book, The Best War Ever: America and World War II, attempts to dispel the numerous misconceptions of the Second World War. As the title suggests, Americans came out of the war with a positive view of the preceding five turbulent years. This myth was born from several factors. Due to the overseas setting of both theaters of the war, intense government propaganda, Hollywood's glamorization, and widespread economic prosperity, Americans were largely sheltered form the brutal truth of World War II. Even to this day, the generation of World War II is viewed as being superior in morality and unity. The popular illusion held that 'there were no ethnic or gender problems, families were happy and united, and children worked hard in school and read a great number of books.' (115)
Dudziak begins by discussing the aftermath of World War II and the idea that race discrimination was suddenly unacceptable. She notes that "as presidents and secretaries of state from 1946 to the mid-1960s worried about the impact of race discrimination on U.S. prestige abroad, civil rights reform came to be seen as crucial to U.S. foreign relations."(6) The blatant racism of the United States conflicted with the type of government that it was trying to promote. ...
One limitation Tomedi’s book has is that it is very subjective, allowing the reader to only see a portion of the war through a single person’s view. For example Fred Lawson, an interviewee, stated “We has no idea what was happening over on the other side of the mountain” (Tomedi, 87). Tomedi does not present his readers with a story of “what was happening over the mountain.” The book also neglects various perspectives, such as officers and women in the war. The compilation of stories strictly focuses on combat veterans, many of whom did not know what was going on; they were simply “a bunch of kids…trying to do [their] job” (Tomedi, 8).
A war like the Pacific theatre, which was led by ignorance, arrogance, anger, and racism, is undoubtedly going to be a living hell for both sides. The title for Dowers book says it all, a war without mercy, full of countless acts of brutality not shown in other fronts and treacherous war crimes on either side causing a lot of young men to suffer horrible, and many pointless, deaths. In conclusion, Dower brings to light many good points about racial issues, which is a subject that had been avoided for a long period of time, and the consequences of actions taken over racial issues. I agree with Dower and understand better now what caused the Pacific Theatre to be so much more atrocious than the other fronts in which the Allies were involved.
The Tuskegee Airmen, also commonly referred to as Red Tails, were a group of African-American pilots who fought in World War II. These airmen were renowned for their fight against racial prejudices through their exploits in WWII. Despite their struggles against racism, they managed to prove whites mindsets wrong with their great achievements such as, never losing a single bomber under their escort to enemy fighters. Regardless of their skill, these black aviators returned to their country to find white attitudes were unchanged and joined another battle in pursuit of desegregating their military. Booker T. Washington’s philosophy of peaceful, but persistent confrontation, influenced the way Tuskegee Airmen’s challenge to confront racial barriers within the American military.
...tories dedicated to many more heroes of “the greatest generation.” He mentions a man by the name of Jack Hemingway, who parachuted into France behind enemy lines, where he was taken prisoner by the Germans, and a woman named Helen Strauss, who was nominated as New Jersey’s Psychologist of the Year in 1997 for her hard work and dedication to children and low-income families. She was also known as a great woman for her service in the Navy. Brokaw also mentions Bill Mauldin, a writer who “shared with those on the front lines as well as those at home the hard truths and dark humor of life at war.”(p381) With Brokaw’s use of “hard truths,” again, the image of savage fighting appears to the reader. Another picture comes forth in the reader’s mind from Brokaw’s use of “dark humor.” A picture of a bleak and cloudy memories that the soldier’s mask with a sense of humor.
Adams, Michael C. C. The "Best War Ever: America and World War II" Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD 1994. Bailey, Ronald H. The Home Front, U.S.A. Time-Life Publishing, Chicago, IL. 1978 Bard, Mitchell G.
American minorities made up a significant amount of America’s population in the 1920s and 1930s, estimated to be around 11.9 million people, according to . However, even with all those people, there still was harsh segregation going on. Caucasians made African-Americans work for them as slaves, farmers, babysitters, and many other things in that line. Then when World War II came, “World War II required the reunification and mobilization of Americans as never before” (Module2). They needed to cooperate on many things, even if they didn’t want to. These minorities mainly refer to African, Asian, and Mexican-Americans. They all suffered much pain as they were treated as if they weren’t even human beings. They were separated, looked down upon, and wasn’t given much respect because they had a different culture or their skin color was different. However, the lives of American minorities changed forever as World War 2 impacted them significantly with segregation problems, socially, and in their working lives, both at that time and for generations after.
The Tuskegee Airmen were a fine example of many who had fought for equality between blacks and whites as well as many who had sought opportunity for blacks in those times, and had a high number of achievements and awards during their time in the military. Works Cited George, Linda and Charles. The Tuskegee Airmen. Canada: Children's Press, 2001. Brooks, Philip.
At the end of World War II, African American soldiers returned home from war and found themselves disappointed with how they were being treated in their own country. When in Europe they had come face to face with how Blacks were treated outside the United States and found that they enjoyed greater equality overseas than in their home country. Realizing that other countries were so farther advanced in their civil rights movements gave these African America...
When one sees a soldier, they automatically think to thank them for their service and unwavering patriotism. However, underneath many uniforms lies the untold stories and horrors of war. If one asks a government leader, “What is war to you?” they may simply respond with, “A way to protect our country and rights.” In contrast, if one asks a soldier the same question, their answer will be quite simple, “War is Hell.” Erich Maria Remarque’s anti war novel All Quiet on the Western Front exhibits the horrors of war and the physical and mental tolls it takes on man. Paul Baumer, a young German, experiences these horrors first hand and discovers the horrors on the Western Front. Throughout the novel, Paul reveals how many innocent lives are lost due to the disagreement of few and how war appears the easiest option to those who have had no experience of it.
Case study number two is a four-page article written by Marian L. Houser and Astrid Sheil, and it’s titled “How Do You Get Anything Done Around Here?” The article focuses on the concept of real organizational experiences, but primarily Kate Elliot’s experience and dissatisfaction with her job at Donaldson Family Foods, Inc. Kate’s a hard-working, educated woman who is initially impressed with the Donaldson Food, Inc., especially at the opportunity that she has to become the national brand manager. As time goes on, and her first project’s assigned, Kate notices countless negatives within the organization, including how the company remains a low-growth business, its employees’ lack of competitiveness and hurry, and the SMART group’s “Black Hole,” a term referring to the grinding halt that’s applied to all initiatives, ideas, and proposals. In this case, Kate’s cooking bag project faces the dueling black hole. Throughout my paper, I will relate and apply Kate’s experience to organizational culture and socialization, how the conflict is handled, both verbal and nonverbal communication, and possible suggestions for Kate.
1. Dorie miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his courage and devotion of duty in the Navy during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Two years later he was missing in action which is understandable with the racism that was happening at that time. With President Roosevelt's signing of the Selective Service Act which did not allow the blacks and whites to intermingle. This caused anger amongst the black Americans. A. Philip Randolph was shocked at President Roosevelt’s discrimination. With blacks highlighting the hypocrisy from the White House stating “White House Blesses Jim Crow”, (Takaki, 23) we must have a dual battle. Hitler in Europe and Hitler in America, this war is suppose
World War One or “The War To End All Wars” was one of the most devastating events in the history of humankind. When looking back at such a gruesome war it is understandable that we might dwell on the key battles and tactics, which are often summarized by statistics on death tolls. However, we often forget that statistics create an illusion that warps our perception of death. As Stalin put it “One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is just a statistic”. In the novel “The Wars” by Timothy Findley, the author draws away from traditional war stories by showing a true appreciation for life that truly touches the reader on a human and emotional level. Timothy Findley narrows in something anyone can relate to: a loving mother worried about her son risking his life in a war. This mother in the “The Wars” is Mrs. Ross, who represents the home front while her son, Robert Ross, fights for the British in World War One. As the book progresses and Robert gets further into the death trap known as the “Great War”, Mrs. Ross becomes increasingly obsessive and connected to her son as his fate becomes more clear.
This book adds to our historical knowledge because it gives a great firsthand account of the war from a man who served in the trenches. Not only that, but Jünger participated in many major battles throughout the war. Due to this, Jünger’s experiences give an unprecedented look into the life of the average soldier. This perspective also shows how the soldiers were effected by and perceived the changes and events that occurred we have discussed in class on a broader front. However, Jünger rarely expresses his opinions of the war as a whole or dwells on broader concepts such as the justification of the war. Overall Jünger’s assessment of the war is very detailed and interesting, but it lacks in explanation.