by Dan Haag

Created on: June 06, 2008

The Deviance of War and its Effect on Common Soldiers

In the span of human history, war ranks as the prime example of deviant behavior. We have come to understand and often accept that wars are fought for a variety of reasons; maintaining security, expanding borders, containing threats from other nations and to preserve individual freedom. When these reasons are presented as validation for declaring war and carrying it forth, the effects of war are often distorted in respect to its execution. Some wars remain popular and righteous while others fall into the category of unnecessary and wasteful. As time passes, history and those who write it soften or harden the wars and their reasons and we are presented with versions that color our perceptions and those of our descendants. It begs the question; are the men and women who serve in war deviant, or is it the circumstances they are placed in that makes them behave in a deviant manner?

In the 20th century, two disparate wars were fought which left lasting impressions for various reasons. The first was World War Two which is often looked upon as necessary and righteous. Its participants are openly referred to as "the greatest generation." The second was the Vietnam War. This war was played out in living rooms and college campuses, revealing to the children of the "greatest generation" the horrors of war and its deviant nature. The reasons for the war in Vietnam remain hotly debated to this day and its participants faced years of vilification and shunning. Two wars, each claiming millions of lives, yet each perceived differently. No matter how they are each viewed, the end result reveals the deviance of war and the lasting effects on its participants.
My grandfather was part of the "greatest generation." He enlisted shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, left his young wife and served in the European theater for four years. He landed in France shortly after D-Day, served as a tank commander and foot soldier and saw action on the front lines during the bitter Battle of the Bulge. When the war was over, he simply came home, picked up where he had left off and raised a family. As a young boy, I would relentlessly hound him for details of his wartime exploits and the gorier they were, the better. He would often indulge my youthful curiosity, but I always sensed he was downplaying the things he saw and did. When I became older, my mother revealed to me that my suspicions were true and the reasons that he never elaborated

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