The war experience for soldiers in the various wars such as the Vietnam War, the two world wars and the civil wars were quite different. There is however some similar experiences that both soldiers can also share. In this paper, we shall be focusing on the differences and the similarities that the soldiers had in terms of their experiences.
Similarities
The first similarity of their experiences is that the soldiers had to know that they were making a sacrifice for their nation. This did not matter whether they had been trained for war or not. All they had to keep at the back of their mid is that they were waging war with death at the expense of their country (Logue, 93). They were hence required to embrace the responsibility as a duty they had towards their nation. No matter the outcome, their satisfaction was to be derived from the fact that they fulfilled their duty of unveiling themselves for the tough duty. The second similarity is that the soldiers who were lucky enough to survive through the war watched their dying friends at their weakest yet they could do little about it. The soldiers were made to fight in harsh environments where they were not access to medical facilities or any immediate help. This meant that if any one of them felt sick or was shot, they would succumb to their fate mostly n the watch of other soldiers (Longley, 67). This was not an easy experience in many ways, first, it implied that they would miss vital company; secondly, their numbers were reducing which meant a reduction in strength and thirdly their fate was unknown and that they could be next.
Another similarity of the soldiers’ war experience is that many innocent people were killed. There is no sad memory of a war veteran than remembering that moment when they fired at an innocent woman or even child. These people had nothing to do with the war and more considering their roles and responsibilities during the season. It was not easy to avoid such scenarios as they were caught in situations where they just had to fire. In process of firing at their enemies, the soldiers fired at their fellow soldiers and sometimes killing or injuring them. This has never been an easy thing to erase from their memories, which is likely to affect their psychological health (McPherson, 125). The fourth similar war experience that the soldiers had to encounter was inadequate access to basic amenities. Apart from the environment they were fighting in, they also found them with less time to access such needs. There were times when the war was so tough that they did not have time to eat or even nurse their wounds.
The fifth similarity of war soldiers was the fear that gripped them and their families. There was the dilemma of ‘what if’ that they had to face each passing day. As the soldiers were fighting, their families were holding their breath wondering what could the state of their relatives be. Despite the training some had to go through, there was no guarantee that they would be able to fight successfully and go back to their families. They were in fact prepared to die but the fear of leaving their families and how they would sustain themselves is what pained them most. The final similarity is that most of the soldiers that survived the wars suffered posttraumatic disorder (PD). This was caused by the harsh memories they encountered and the fact that nobody seemed to understand them when they came back home. Life had changed for them and made them feel very different from whet they were before. Some of then were also not appreciated and mainly taken for granted.
Differences
The first difference about their war experiences was the fact that they were fought at different times and seasons. This meant that those who fought in the Vietnam War had a clue of what war was compared to those who fought in the first and second world wars. Those of the Vietnam War therefore borrowed a leaf from those who fought in the world wars and hence helping them be prepared for the experience. The second difference is the fact that those who fought in the Vietnam War were more organized compared to those who fought in the world wars. This is because, the Vietnam War was rather predicted and therefore the soldiers prepared for the war front. Most of the soldiers in the world wars were not prepared and were ambushed from their homes when need arose. They were hence not given adequate training and preparation, which made then have tough experiences.
Another difference between the Vietnam and world wars’ was the attention that war veterans were given. By the time the country was going into the Vietnam War, the government had realized the support they need to give them and their families to help them cope with life after the war. Most world war veterans were ignored and left to face life the hard way. They were in need of counseling, food and shelter, resources to help them recover and the likes. The state of the country at that time did not however allow them enjoy such benefits. Soldiers in the Vietnam War had extensive training compared to those who fought in the world wars (McPherson, 67). They were also more equipped in terms of weapons compared to their world war counterparts. It was after the world war experiences that the government realized the importance of having a strong military team. This made the government to spend reasonable resources to train the military as well as have weapons that would assist them incase another war broke up.
Compared to the world wars where soldiers were taken to fight in places they had no idea about in terms of location, in the Vietnam War, the soldiers were told more about where they were going to fight so that they are prepared for the same (Logue, 59). More so, the family of the soldiers did not completely loose touch and would frequently be told about the state of their members. Incase of one of the soldiers went missing; the family would know whether they died and even given the opportunity to bury their dead. Those who fought in the world wars did not quite understand where they were and when they died most of them were buried without informing or telling their relatives. In fact, the relatives could not track where they were and had to keep guessing whether they died or just disappeared (Longley, 39). Finally, the public was more involved in the Vietnam War compared to the world wars where only a few leaders made and implemented the decisions. This was crucial for the family members of the soldiers who had to give them the support they needed. It minimized on the rejection that those who survived the Vietnam War experienced when they came back home.
Works cited
Logue, Larry. The Civil War Soldier: A Historical Reader. New York: NYU Press, 2002.
Longley, Kyle. Grunts: The American Combat Soldier in Vietnam. London: M.E.
Sharpe, 2008.
McPherson, James. For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War. London:
Oxford University Press, 1997.
