Michael D. Gambone, a professor and author specializing in veterans' history, dives into the unique challenges faced by American veterans in society today. He discusses the profound disconnect between the celebrated image of veterans and the misunderstandings that often accompany it. Gambone explores the evolving GI Bill's impact on education, the specific struggles women face within the VA system, and the complex relationship between veterans and popular culture. He emphasizes the need for better integration of veterans into civilian life and the significant role they play in American social history.
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Author's Military Background
Michael Gambone shares his military background from enlistment in 1982 to deployment in Iraq in 2006.
His experience influenced his academic career and teaching on veterans' issues.
insights INSIGHT
Military as a Distinct Tribe
The military is more of a distinct 'tribe' than a representative of society.
Veterans act as exemplars or threats, reflecting their unique social agency.
insights INSIGHT
Voluntary Service Shapes Veterans
Post-draft, military service is voluntary and self-selecting, making veterans less representative of society.
Multiple combat tours increase veterans' separateness and impact their mental and physical health.
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American Veterans, Society, and Service from Vietnam to the Forever War
Michael D. Gambone
Michael D. Gambone's 'The New Praetorians' explores the experiences of American veterans from the Vietnam War to the present, focusing on their distinct identity and challenges. The book highlights the impact of their homecoming, educational opportunities, healthcare challenges, and the experiences of minority and women veterans. It examines the military, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped military service. By focusing on an often-neglected group, this study contributes to a better understanding of American social history and civil-military affairs. It illustrates how veterans have become a separate tribe, set apart by their unique experiences and perspectives.
How White Men Won the Culture Wars
How White Men Won the Culture Wars
Joe Darda
First Blood
David Morrell
First Blood is a novel by David Morrell that tells the story of John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam veteran who becomes embroiled in a violent confrontation with Sheriff Wilfred Teasle in rural Kentucky. The novel delves into themes of post-traumatic stress disorder, masculinity, and the consequences of war, offering a complex portrayal of both characters as they engage in a relentless pursuit through the wilderness.
Contemporary veterans belong to an exclusive American group. Celebrated by most of the country, they are nevertheless often poorly understood by the same people who applaud their service. Following the introduction of an all-volunteer force after the war in Vietnam, only a tiny fraction of Americans now join the armed services, making the contemporary soldier, and the veteran by extension, increasingly less representative of mainstream society. Veterans have come to comprise their own distinct tribe--modern praetorians, permanently set apart from society by what they have seen and experienced. In an engrossing narrative that considers the military, economic, political, and social developments affecting military service after Vietnam, Michael D. Gambone investigates how successive generations have intentionally shaped their identity as veterans. The New Praetorians: American Veterans, Society, and Service from Vietnam to the Forever War(University of Massachusetts Press, 2021) also highlights the impact of their homecoming, the range of educational opportunities open to veterans, the health care challenges they face, and the unique experiences of minority and women veterans. This groundbreaking study illustrates an important and often neglected group that is key to our understanding of American social history and civil-military affairs.
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