Abstract This paper examines how many war veterans suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) due to the fact that they were exposed to utmost cruelty during war and how these symptoms tend to show up, either directly after they return from the battlefield, or when they cannot suppress their emotions any longer. It evaluates how the practice of rotating the duties of soldiers in the battlefield is one that is growing more and more essential in this postmodern period due to the intensity of war, especially where ground troops are concerned. It analyzes the hypothesis that war veterans, who are kept busy after the war, engaged in some occupation, do not suffer from PTSD until much later, which accounts for the PTSD when one is ageing. It concludes with a discussion of the potential affect of the atrocities in the Gulf and Iraq wars, as well as the threat of international terrorism.
From the Paper "The veterans perhaps always thought they would get a return welcome for their efforts that they had seen or heard of many others getting when they came back from the two world wars and the Korean War. A welcome is hardly what they got because the people were mostly disappointed and even angry. This was because they got what they wanted far too late, many had been killed against their wishes, and Democracy did not prevail for them. The people were mentally affected first of all because their words were not paid any attention to when America was supposed to be a Democratic country where the voice of the people mattered first. They felt tricked and deserted, and so, were not even pleased when the soldiers came home as losers, except for the family members who were naturally pleased to see them back alive."
A paper mainly dealing with those involved on the battlefield in the closing days of the conflict, as well as some of the important leaders on both sides.
2,356 words (approx. 9.4 pages), 7 sources, 2000, $ 72.95
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the events surrounding the end of the American Civil War. This war was a war of epic proportion. Never before and not since have so many Americans died in battle. The American Civil War was truly tragic in terms of human life. In this document, I will speak mainly around those involved on the battlefield in the closing days of the conflict. Also, reference will be made to the leading men behind the Union and Confederate forces.
Abstract Nick Adams is a man displaced in time. There is evidence throughout the Nick Adams stories that illustrate his character. As a young man, Nick seems to lose sight of the love of hunting and fishing instilled in him by his father, focusing on desires of a carnal nature. In the "Three Day Blow", Nick's friend Bill congratulates him for breaking up with Marge, who is not nick's social equal. Nick listens to his heart, not an antiquated, bigoted, macho social consciousness. Nick is always uneasy in confrontational situations. If not for Bug's intervention in "The Battler", Ad Francis would surely have harmed Nick. On the European battlefields, Nick comes to realize his true nature. Nick has come to forgive his father, now dead, his shortcomings, as he is grateful to his father for instilling in him the love of gaming and fishing, which served as Nick's salvation.
From the Paper "Nick Adams is a man displaced in time. His stories (as written by Hemingway) are set in the late dawn of the Industrial Age, a time dominated by rugged individualists that spread across America, changing its face to suit them by consuming vast amounts of natural resources. Nick has all the tools necessary to thrive in this new era; he is a young, white male, an educated doctor's son, and set to make his own mark on the world. It took the fortuitous survival of his adventurism and wanderlust, plus a bout with madness, for Nick to come to terms with himself; to know that he could be happy living in balance with nature."
Tags: Nick, Adams, Ernest, Hemingway, short, stories, European, battlefields, character
This paper reviews Peter Arnett's autobiography "Live from the Battlefield" about the journalist's career: Style, global assignments, war, politics, independence and censorship.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 1 source, 1995, $ 63.95
From the Paper "Pulitzer prize winning journalist Peter Arnett has covered the erupting hot spots of the world for more than three decades. As his biographical Live From the Battlefield attests, through his frequent adversarial relationship with the powers that be and his unparalleled tenacity to get the story, Arnett has changed the face of modern journalism. Most influential in his role as war correspondent, Arnett's career has ushered in the era of independent television news coverage, as well as era of the supreme risk taker willing to fall on the sword in defence of the First Amendment. Breaking the traditional vow of silence and collusion with those who govern, he was also among the first journalists to realize that the media was an instrument of power for conveying accuracy, and for correcting the record>"
Abstract This paper explains that the argument supporting the media, which is based on the First Amendment, claims that the military is violating this amendment by prohibiting individuals in the media from gathering the news as the media sees it. The author explains that there are logistical problems because reporters on the battlefield have to be watched and kept safe. The paper relates that, when the country is not prepared for war, most of the reporters are pulled off of other assignments and sent to cover the war and do not have any understanding of how military operations actually work.
From the Paper "Another problem with the military and media relations, and a more recent one, is that the country is often not prepared for a war in the sense that there are reporters ready to cover it. Most of these reporters are pulled off of other assignments and sent to cover the war when they do not have any understanding of how military operations actually work. This causes many military officers to be forced to spend extra time answering questions that they normally would not have to answer to make sure that the media individual covering the story understood what they were actually talking about. On the flip side of this it is possible that many in the media may share in a public perception that much of the military is actually interested in promoting war (Lee, 2002). War time is often considered to be the best time for an officer in the United States military to advance in rank and the status and pay rates of these officers are based on their ranks. Some believe that these officers want to go to war so that they can improve their status and monetary gain (Lee, 2002). This is very likely untrue but it is a perception that has remained throughout the American public and the media for quite some time. Regardless of any of the ill will, however, the military and the media actually need each other. The media needs the military to give them access so that they can report the news and the military needs to give the media access so that they can see that the news that they have to provide to the American public is reported fairly and correctly."
Abstract This papers focuses on the front-line battlefield experiences of both American and Japanese soldiers as depicted in the semi-biographical, but fictional work, "The Naked and the Dead" by Norman Mailer, and the autobiographical account of World War II experiences by Ooka Shohei, ?Fires on the Plain.? It looks at how both of these great books are war-account classics that provide insights from a unique perspective that actually delivers the reader onto the front lines and into the hell of war on the hot Pacific islands.
From the Paper ""The Naked and the Dead" by Norman Mailer is a novel about human tragedy. The book was set during World War II on one of the many islands American armed forces had to battle for against the Royal Japanese soldiers. The story depicts the island, Anopopei, as an insignificant one in the scope of the pacific theatre but that does not cut down on the book's characters having to deal with isolation, death, loss and the loneliness. All of the characters in this work do their fair share of suffering as the war goes on all around them. Victory only shows that many of their comrades in arms are never going home and those who are lucky to go home have been scarred either mentally or physically and will never be the same."
Abstract Weight is an important metaphor in "The Things they carried". This paper explains that at the outset of the short story, by Tim O'Brien, the reader is given an account of the burden each soldier is carrying. With this physical burden the themes of his story began to grow. It discusses how with this effective metaphor O' Brien is able to mold the reader's understanding of the mental burdens being carried by the men in his story, for it is the mental burden which far outweighs the physical to men on the battlefield.
From the Paper "The mental burden defines a soldier's experience, and the mental burden exacts the most exhausting suffering on all soldiers. Soldiers learn early in their careers that physical burdens and physical suffering can be endured no matter the weight carried or the pain felt. As a soldier serves, his tolerance for these types of burdens grows and eventually becomes a sensation rarely reflected upon. The physical burden of equipment can be put down and physical pain endured is weakness leaving. It is the burdens which can not be relinquished that ware a soldier down. It is the mental weight of their experiences that cannot be let easily go. It is the description of these burdens that are most profound in the theme of the story and reveal the psychological experience of war. Soldiers carry much more than their equipment into battle. "
Tags: mental, battle, experience, battlefield, war
Abstract The paper discusses how in recent years the military has been reduced in numbers and funding. These changes have made it necessary to increase the use of civilian contractors during times of war. The paper explains that they provide contract labor in areas that require special handling and when the project or job is over they leave without retirement pay or other benefits. The paper describes how contractors provide technical expertise and support where the logistical decisions can mean life or death on the battlefield of war. The paper concludes that with the reduction of funding and troops in the military, the use of civilian contractors is the prudent and cost effective way to maintain military strength without having to increase the cost of the military.
From the Paper "They provide expertise with a focus on technology, as well as a cost reduction for the United States Armed Service Corps. Contractors are paid by the job which relieves the government of responsibility for their retirement pension fund, vacation or sick pay and other things that are typically provided in a traditional military or private sector job.
Another element to increased civilian contract use is the need for military personnel in other operations. The use of civilian contractors frees up military personnel for other operations while not reducing the work or coverage in the areas that the civilians work with."
Abstract The paper relates that the U.S. army combat uniform (ACU) provides soldiers on the battlefield with the flexibility in combat wear that they need to adapt to changing conditions and needs. The paper describes the uniform and includes a color picture of a soldier wearing the new uniform.
Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "According to a press release concerning the ACU from Army.com (2006), the new ACU comprises a jacket, trousers, patrol cap, moisture wicking t-shirt as well as the newly introduced Army Combat Boot (Temperate and Hot Weather) (The New Army Combat Uniform, 2005). The new ACU is a wrinkle-free uniform that features a digitized camouflage pattern (Triggs, 2004). The report from Army.com also notes that the new ACU is the result of lengthy R&D efforts as well as collaboration with the soldiers who are required to wear it. Moreover, the ACU is contributing to the effectiveness of soldiers on the battlefield by providing a uniform that can be customized to the individual mission; providing enhanced functionality and ergonomics over the existing Battle Dress Uniform; and, eliminating the need to provide different types of uniforms for different environments (The New Army Combat Uniform)."
Abstract The Battle for Hue City in February, 1968 was full-on urban combat. This paper is written in the context of an intelligence preparation of the battlefield. It defines the battlefield environment, describes the battlefield effects, evaluates the threat and develops the courses of action taken against the threat.
From the Paper "The NVA and VC headed directly for their objective, The Citadel and its Imperial Palace. Aided by accomplices already placed in the city and by the dense fog, LTC Trong Dan's men slipped undetected into the city 31 0200L JAN 68. LTC Van's 5th Regiment hurried to join, but met heavy resistance and was delayed by an ARVN ambush. The NVA coordinated their attack on the city with a rocket and mortar barrage that began around 0340. By dawn, two battalions held the crucial central part of the Citadel, other battalions fortified sectors of the outer city, particularly the area south of the Perfume River. With the exception of the 1st ARVN Division Headquarters compound, the NVA were in charge of the city."
Abstract Photography has become an important tool in documenting child casualties of war. Since its invention in 1839, photography has been used to record the horrors of the battlefield. Photographic documentation of war first focused largely on the men involved in the conflict: generals meeting with their troops and horrific images of battlefield carnage. That focus changed with the Vietnam War, as photographic documentation of the civilian casualties of war became well-known. The most famous of these photographs, a striking image of a young girl fleeing a Napalm strike in terror, likely changed the face of the documentation of child casualties in war for all time. This paper shows that, today, documentation of children in war is an important part of the photographic record. Photographs of child casualties in the Gulf war and the recent Iraqi conflict have had an important role in humanizing the conflicts and bringing to light the sad reality of war: that the innocent suffer the most.
From the Paper "There are important implications that can follow the photographic documentation of children in war. Like all photographs, those of child casualties in war are simply a stolen moment, a snapshot of time. The impact of such photographs can be unexpected, especially on the lives of the subjects of the photographs. For example, media attention from Nick Ut's famous photograph changed the course of Kim Phuc's life forever. The Vietnamese government considered her a valuable symbol of the war, and took her out of medical school. Kim tried to evade the government, but foreign journalists inevitably tracked her down and exposed her to the government. She eventually received asylum in Canada, and acts as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador (Saywell) ".
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that with modern warfare, the tank has become an integral part in the air-land doctrine which gives an attacking army an all-out capability of mopping up the battlefield after air and sea strikes. The writer notes that tanks enable opposing forces to minimize casualties and preserve its infantries from massive attrition, since armor-to-armor battle could already determine the victor in the modern battlefield by merely showing the armor strength. The writer concludes that there is no doubt that tanks are here to stay and with the advent of emerging information technologies, these armored beasts can be integrated with high technology giving it other strategic, operational and tactical roles its founding fathers never dreamed could happen.
From the Paper "Warfare has been with humankind since the dawn of its existence. As cave dwellers, they relied on sticks and stones not only to hunt and forage for food but to battle threats from vicious beasts and rival groups. The discovery of fire and the ability to create it improve man's means sustenance by learning not only to cook the food hunted and gathered but by using fire to ward of interlopers or burn adversaries. As man improves his tools, his ways and means of hunting and fighting became more sophisticated and the distance covered by his weapons of choice went further. From the hand-launched spear, the bow and arrow, and slingshot was developed giving the man-hunter the opportunity to attack his prey at a distance without compromising his position or at the safety of his hide."
Abstract This research paper discusses the collapse of the Soviet Union and its empire in 1989-91 and the future of Eastern Europe after Soviet domination. The paper concludes that the events of 1989 marked the end of the communist revolution. For more than forty years, the West had contained the Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain, while the inherent faults of Soviet communism, embodied in the flawed policies of its leadership, brought about the inevitable collapse of the Soviet empire. The author discusses the fall of communism which presented humanity with a historic chance to progress a few feet forward. The author argues that only when democracy and capitalism reach the roots of society, however, can these ideas blossom into true positive change in the post-communist world.
From the paper:
"What happened in 1989 was not a revolution itself, but actually the final nail in the coffin of a revolution. The fall of the Soviet Union represented the end of a forty-year challenge to democracy and market capitalism, both of which had already been established as the status quo (at least of Europe, the main ?battlefield? of the Cold War). The revolution of western democracy and capitalism began in 1642 in England where the first popular rebellion against a monarchy brought about the execution of King Charles I. Less than a decade later, Thomas Hobbes, at least partially inspired by the upheaval in England, published his famous work Leviathan. Although he advocated submission to the absolute supremacy of the state, Hobbes was not concerned whether that state was ruled by a king or a parliament, and this non-commitment to monarchy laid the intellectual foundations for the development of democratic political theory. John Locke soon bridged the gap between Hobbes? realism and what would become liberalism with the ideas of majority rule, natural rights, property rights, and the responsibility of the state to uphold these ideals. Montesquieu added the issues of separated and balanced governmental powers, and Rousseau defended self-determination and civil liberty. Adam Smith introduced the world to comparative advantage and put forth the belief that the ability of every citizen to make his own economic choices created the most prosperous economy. The ideas of these philosophers, along with Madison, Jefferson, Ricardo, and ?the rest,? inspired more revolutions in America in 1776, France in 1789, across Europe in 1848, and again in American in 1860."
Abstract September 17, 1862, was the turning point in the Civil War. On that day, the Battle of Antietam was fought near Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland, and it resulted in the bloodiest day of warfare in American history. Knowing as we do that the Union army was victorious, the events surrounding the Battle of Antietam may seem insignificant to some, as it was just one in a lengthy serious of battles. Antietam, however, was in fact the turning point that the North so desperately needed to secure an overall victory in the Civil War.
From the Paper "In the days leading up to the Battle of Antietam, the Confederate forces had failed to advance to the north and had no way of escaping enemy fire. Their only way of escape was the Potomac River and the Confederate army refused to retreat. The Confederate stronghold on Harper's Ferry was weakening with the advance of Union troops and a loss could turn the war at any time. Although badly outnumbered, General Robert E. Lee of the south went against his better judgment and held his troops near Antietam Creek. The Confederate soldiers were running low on morale and were in desperate need of a victory. The Union general, George B. McClellan, decided to advance his troops to Sharpsburg and attack Lee's army by dawn of the seventeenth."
Tags: Sharpsburg, Robert, Lee, George, McClellan, Burnside's, Bridge, Union, Jackson, General, Dunker, Church
Abstract This paper discusses the Great War brought on and the new weapons and instruments of destruction that prevailed. It also states the reasons why there were so many stalemates on the battlefield which led to a war of attrition and mass casualties. It also looks at the targeting of a whole nation's means and resources towards fighting a total war. This paper concludes that the war was so destructive because of the advancement in industry and weaponry, such as artillery, machine guns and chemical warfare.
From the Paper "In this paper I plan to put forward the following points to show how the Great War was so destructive. I will look at the new weapons and instruments of destruction that prevailed during the war. The reasons why there were so many stalemates? on the battlefield, which led to a war of attrition and mass casualties. I will also look at the targeting of a whole nations means and resources towards fighting a total war."
Tags: World, War, I, Great, nations, destruction, 1915, weapons, casualties
