Abstract
From the early 20th Century to the present, the nature of warfare and the roles of U.S. soldiers in modern conflicts have evolved dramatically. With new developments, soldiers and servicemen and women have had to adapt through specialized training, improved collaboration between distinct personnel and others expressing mutual support, and a renewed awareness of the areas of operations they are deployed into. These factors have imprinted into the hearts and minds of those who have served, as it has become evident, through the accounts they have shared in their personal memoirs, that their varying roles and capacities in the armed forces had a direct impact on their experiences overseas and in turn shifted their original motives to more simplified objectives. In conducting these interviews with both combat and non-combat veterans of differing roles and branches of service, it has revealed that often times the motives that drive the men and women of the military to join, being patriotism and defending one’s country, transition into an impulse that is driven by an urge to protect and aid the individual next to them to survive and succeed on the battlefield. Although the mission is still followed, it is only in the periphery when the stakes are of the highest degree, both combat and non-combat vets mention this concept, that in the face of a monumental challenge and severe conditions, it is unity and camaraderie that their resolve is fueled by compelling them to achieve success and not their military objectives or their original reasons for joining that lead them there.
Research Project
Research Process Summary & References
Oral Histories
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