During my reading of Operation Homecoming, I was interested to read that I was not the only one feeling disconnected from the war. Kathleen Furin, who had a brother serving wrote, “What frightened me is that I’m not the only one who is not paying attention…This war hasn’t gripped us, hasn’t absorbed us like the other conflicts did.” (Carroll, 2006 chap. 6) I was interested to learn what others in my life felt about the war and if they felt disengaged as well. Surprisingly, I found was that all three loved ones that I interviewed were very aware of the war. For instance, Toni a dear family friend stated:
I see that it is in every political speech and rally. The economy is important--essential, in fact, and I hope that we address it as our poor slip further and further into despair and auto jobs disappear in Detroit--but I don't think anyone will forget that we have a pressing need and desire to end this war.
My father, another baby-boomer, similarly stated, “All offensive wars are on, or should be on, the conscience of the nation. Involvement in this war will play the foremost role in the election of the next president.” I think that because my father and Toni’s generation was affected previous conflicts, they have a heightened awareness of the war.
Yet, when I asked a friend about what he thought the war’s impact on our generation was, he replied that “As an upper-middle class, white male, this war has had minimal impact on me...” I found it interesting that he had that sentiment as well, even though the majority of the troops are of similar age and race. It was Topher’s comment on race that made me think about the demographics of the military. According to the New York Times:
As a group, about 60 percent of enlisted men and women are white; they tend to be married and upwardly mobile, but to come from families without the resources to send them to college. While blacks make up about 12.7 per cent of the same-age civilian population, they constitute about 22 per cent of enlisted personnel. Perhaps most striking is the number of enlisted women who are black: more than 35 percent, according to Pentagon figures, indicating not only that black women enlist at higher rates, but that they stay in the military longer. In the Army, in fact, half of all enlisted women are black, outnumbering whites, who account for 38 percent.
I had no idea that many women were enlisted, let alone that the vast majority of women enlisted were black women. All of the images I have seen from the war have predominantly been of young white men dressed in either their military regalia or their desert camouflage. I wonder why the media has chosen to represent the soldiers that way or if it was even a conscience decision at all.
Since reading Operation Homecoming and taking an in-depth look on the war’s impact on the family members and soldiers, I have come to a few realizations. The first recognize being that I can no longer ignore, or be disengaged from, this war. Now is not a time where one can be oblivious to the political and social currents of our nation. In order for me to initiate change, I need to be aware of what I am taking a stand against. Ignoring the war enables it. Now that I am aware, I still feel overwhelmed, but in a different way. I am only one young adult. I have been constantly asking myself throughout this project, “What can I do to help stop this awful war and all of the heartache and death it is causing?”
I have come to the conclusion that I must continue following events in the Middle East, and discussing the war with others. I can, and will, vote in the next presidential election for a candidate that pledges to phase our soldiers out of Iraq. I will make an effort to reconnect with my friends from high school that are overseas. I need to know that I can brighten one soldier’s day, by email or package. I know myself well enough to realize that I need a connection to this war; I cannot, however, keep reading all of the personal narratives from the families of soldiers. I need to find a balance between becoming emotional when the war is brought up and ignoring it. As difficult as this assignment was for me to complete, I am glad that I became as invested in it as I did. I have not only learned about the complex and ever-changing social/political climate of America, I have learned more about myself as well.
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