E.B. Sledge Entry 5 Story 2

E.B. Sledge made an interesting point when he discussed how the people fighting in the war were regular everyday people. He explained his point by saying, “We were a bunch of scared kids who had to do a job”. This showed the way Americans were impacted by the war as it was normal people who went and changed their everyday lifestyles to go fight and possibly die in the war.

       E.B. Sledge then goes on to discuss the bad parts of the war, the parts of the war such as death and hatred. When discussing the glory of the war, E.B. Sledge questions, “What the hell was glorious about it”? E.B. Sledge discussed how the war took a toll on people as they spent time in poor living conditions and lost good friends in the process. E.B. Sledge then linked the suffering of war to the hatred of the opposing countries. Sledge did so when he stated that he, “got so tired of seein’ guys get hit and banged up, the more I felt like takin’ it out of the Japanese”. Sledge then took this statement another step by claiming that the hatred that there was towards Japanese caused people to demoralize themselves and commit immoral acts. He then justified the events of war that he explained by saying, “If you’re reduced to savagery by a situation, anything’s possible”. 

Peggy Terry Entry 5 Story 1

In class we learned about the way women’s roles were changed as many of the men in the United States were shipped overseas to go fight in the war. Peggy Terry was an example of how women’s lives were impacted by this. Peggy Terry said, “The first work I had after the Depression was at a shell-loading plant in Viola Kentucky”. This emphasized how women took over roles that men previously had.

        Also in class we have been discussing the way the people in the United States were impacted by the war. It was established that some of the citizens of the United States were kept motivated as they held a hatred for the opposing countries. Peggy Terry showed this trait as she said, “They had this big bonfire and people came and brought what they had that was made in Japan”. It was also discussed that the United States used propaganda to make citizens feel like they were a strong part of the war. This was shown when Peggy Terry said, “We were awarded the navy E for excellence. We were just so proud of that E.”. This showed how there was a common goal in the workforce to help the United States’ war efforts.

Robert Rasmus Entry 4 Story 2

Robert Rasmus made many statements that really emphasized how difficult it was to maintain a lifestyle as a solider in the war. The living conditions for them were poor and soldiers struggled through all kinds of obstacles. At one point in the interview Rasmus says, “There’s no question that a guy would blow his toe off to get out of combat” The fact that someone would blow their own toe off to avoid fighting in the war shows how traumatic and difficult fighting in combat truly is. When discussing his experiences in the war Rasmus also said, “Whatever was there in the way of good and drink, we would make use of it” This showed how soldiers didn’t worry about the luxuries of life and have everyday problems, but were concerned with getting the basic necessities of life such as food and water.

With the experience of going and fighting in a war being such a struggle and a risk, one could question why one would be motivated to do so. Rasmus discussed why he fought in the war. He said, “I was going to gain my manhood then. I would forever be liberated from the sense of inferiority that I wasn’t rugged.” Rasmus felt that from his experiences in the war he would take away a newfound sense of accomplishment and earn pride for himself.

Introduction Entry 4 Story 1

Throughout the introduction, the idea that those who were fighting in the wars were trying to kill people who they didn’t know and may have gotten along with. This idea was emphasized when it said, “Thirty Eight years before, one tried his damnest, as a loyal member of his crew, to sink the other’s craft about 200 miles off the coast of West Africa. Now they reminisce, wistfully”. Also the same concept was highlighted when a veteran discusses how he felt about the men who fought against them by saying, “These were boys like us”. This idea shows how bad war really is, and how during them people are murdering millions of strangers with families and lives just like their own.

The introduction also talked about the difficult living conditions and other struggles of being a soldier during the war. One veteran remembered back to his wartime and getting back to camp and said, “First thing you talked about is what you wanted in your stomach” This quote showed how the soldiers didn’t care as much about the luxuries of life but simply cared about the absolute necessities such as food and water.

       A third subject of the introduction was the life of the people at home during the war and how they were impacted by the war. The introduction discussed the difficulties of home life such as being separated from loved ones and being afraid of what attacks might come. One quote that captured this idea was, “What I feel most about the war, it disrupted my family”. This quote showed how people struggled to cope with the absence of loved ones and the losses of brothers and fathers.

Peggy Terry & Mary Owsley Blog 3 Story 2

       The interview of Peggy Terry and her mother, Mary Owsley’s included the statement, “White skin doesn’t always mean what they thought it meant” This showed how at the point in time where they were living, times were changing from a cultural perspective and African-Americans were not always inferior to whites from an opportunistic view.

      The Great Depression had an impact on whites as well as blacks. The interview stated that, “There were just as many white people out of work than were colored”. This quote brought to my attention that possibly the Great Depression brought unity to all Americans and helped with racial issues because all of America struggled through the depression equality and they all had a common problem that struck everyone. 

Jane & Tom Yoder Entry 3 Story 1

     Jane Yoder grew up in a less fortunate family where she struggled with the necessities in life such as proper clothing and nourishment. She commented on her family saying, “We were struggling, just desperate to be warm. No blankets, no coats” This really emphasized how her family truly was focused on the basic necessities of life. I think it was interesting that Jane Yoder also said, “Security to me is not what we have, but what we can do without”. I think that this comment shows how people are impacted by their histories. For example, if Jane Yoder grew up in a wealthy family that was financially stable would she have thought that security was having the capabilities to get what you needed?

      I also thought Tom Yoder, Jane Yoder’s son, made interesting comments when he was reflecting his thoughts on his family’s past. At one point Tom Yoder stated, “I am grateful for what I have. But it’s only human nature that we all want to go on and find something better” I thought this was a strong quote that really captured the truth. This idea brings up many questions such as what is it that really brings a person happiness when there is an endless consumer demand?