Ben Kuroki, a brave, smart and determined soldier who served in the American Air Force, is someone who’s remembered as a hero in World War ll. Recently passing away last year, Kuroki was the first American of Japanese descendants to fight in the American military. After being rejected by the first sign up station for the army, Ben and his brother Fred drove 150 miles to another recruiting sign up, where he was then accepted. At the time, the Air Forces blocked soldiers of Japanese ancestry from flying, but Kuroki earned his way into the Force. Kuroki fought in a bomber crew and flew 58 bomber missions over Europe, north Africa and Japan. He was also in a mission that raided over Nazi oil fields in Ploesti, Romania 1943.…
In the book Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley is a novel about the brave men in the past wars. "From a guy who is proud he's a Marine and in his country's service" (Ira Hayes, 77). Is a quote showing how proud the soldiers and marines are for serving our country. John Bradley kept to himself regarding his memories of Iwo Jima, the flag raising and what followed. As a result, in order to write this book, his son, James, set out to research the lives of his own father, from Appleton, Wisconsin; Rene Ragnon, from Manchester, New Hampshire; Harlon Block, from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; Franklin Sousley, from Hilltop, Kentucky; Mike Strank, a Czech immigrant raised in Franklin Borough, Pennsylvania; and Ira Hayes,…
For 25 year old Johnnie and Dale Gano, this was a normal day. They recall laying in bed at 8:00 that morning and debating whether or not to go to church in Honolulu that morning. (Gano, Johnnie and Dale) They remember hearing what sounded like their own military planes crashing, when in reality what they heard was the Japanese air force attacking the United States’ naval Pacific fleet stationed at Ford’s Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This surprise airstrike attack for most of the soldiers stationed…
Eddy Okubo defines himself as a patriotic American who is willing to sacrifice his life for his country and family’s honor. Although his dad is a Japanese, and wants him to go to Japan for college and to learn the Japanese way of life, Eddy has different ideas about his future that is settled around his friends and America. “Finally,they were letting us be real soldiers. I was proud to stand up for something I believed in, no matter what guys like Sweet thought,” (Salisbury, 92). As one can see, even though people didn’t think that the Japanese Americans would fight for the U.S., Eddy was proud and willing to be serving his country.…
The war officially began in 1939. Americans were not searching out to become involved in the war, but were brought into it by the attacks of other countries. Perhaps men were more honored to die for their country because they were defending it, and they were trying to avenge the lives of the people who were killed in the Pearl Harbor bombing. They had a deep rooted, intrinsic motivation to fight for the country. Their country and their people were wronged, and so the soldiers who went to fight were determined to make it right for their fellow countrymen and women. Now, in the Vietnam War, O’Brien writes that “The war, I thought, was wrongly conceived and poorly justified” (18). In the case of the Vietnam war, no one had that intrinsic motivation. They were not defending their country, they were attacking another one. People were more motivated by fear than honor. Erik, a friend of O’Brien says early in the memoir, “All this not because of conviction, not for ideology; rather it’s from fear of our society’s censure […] Fear of weakness. Fear that to avoid war is to avoid manhood” (38). For O’Brien and many other men, this war was a pressure, not an…
Accordingly, many support Kaepernick in light of the fact that they believe in opportunity of expression, but also because these actions bring awareness of an issue faced by people of color. In the article, “Colin Kaepernick had no choice but to kneel” by John McWhorter clarifies reasoning behind these actions. “The idea that Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the national anthem is unpatriotic fails doubly first, in a mistaken notion of what real patriotism is, and second in missing a larger point.” The writer believes Kaepernick kneeling is being taken out of context, the intent isn’t to show disrespect towards the military. Additionally, Kaepernick’s kneels is to highlight intense relations amongst cops and black men, media overlooks…
The Native American died suffocating in a sewage field. Kiowa’s death symbolizes the senseless tragedy of war. Norman Bowker felt guilty that he could not save Kiowa. Cross felt guilty, as well, because he was the one who had led Bowker and Kiowa into the field. Kiowa is the emotional soldier who comforted all the other soldiers. The Native American was thoughtful, loved the Vietnamese, was not a coward, and even had a sense of humor. All these qualities of Kiowa will certainly be missed on the platoon. The Vietnam War resulted in many casualties. The lose of many men and boys, fathers and brothers, will, certainly, never be…
Invisible to Invincible You try to crush them, break them, and humiliate them but nothing works, these men and women are the American POWs and Japanese - Americans. The American POWs and Japanese - Americans were made invisible literally and figuratively. But some American POWs and Japanese - Americans were able to resist from being made invisible. Louie Zamperini was an Olympic runner, until World War 2 started so he volunteered to be an American soldier but ended up crashing and staying in POW camps.…
Further in the article, FDR brings back the idea of a victimized America, this time further emphasizing it. “The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused sever damage to American naval and military forces”, FDR explains. He does his best to stress how much of a victim we have become, again developing pathos. FDR then goes on to use some repetition as an appeal. “Last night Japanese forces attacked…Last night Japanese forces attacked…Last night Japanese forces attacked…” This repetition is obviously used as another rhetorical strategy meant to again appeal to emotion; it is at this point that FDR shifts to a more logical appeal. Explaining Japan’s unjust actions, FDR divulges, “Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area.” Continuing, “The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.” Using a sort of a common sense approach, FDR logically explains that it is only logical that we view Japan as an enemy, or furthermore, that we should declare…
Within the book The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien said, “A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things men have always done. If a story seems moral, do not believe it.” O’Brien is a Vietnam veteran who does not consider himself a hero. This is interesting because while growing up in the United States of America, people have learned that all veterans are heroes. Americans were raised on hearing war stories that were uplifting and encouraging, but when O’Brien wrote the book, The Things They Carried, he wrote it in the sense that not all war stories are true. That is why he called the book “a work of fiction”;…
When confronted with conflict, peoples moral centre can cause them to act in heroic ways. When we are exposed to war and devastation our reactions to this......... Thousands of Chinese students gathered in a peaceful protest for basic Democratic reform at Tiannaman Square 1984. Due to these actions they were senselessly and inhumanely killed in cold blood by the Chinese Military. The students were unarmed and in no way of a danger to anyone. This devastation shocked the world and erupted massive conflict. One thing that this devastation proved to the world that during times of conflict where ones moral compass is tested there true heroism is revealed. A small, unexceptional figure in pants and white shirt, looking tiny next to the hulking tanks, carrying what looks to be his shopping, positions himself before an approaching tank, with a line of 17 more tanks behind it. The tank swerves right, he moves in front again. The tank swerves left, he moved in front again. Then this anonymous bystander climbs up onto the vehicle of war and says something to its driver, "Why are you here? My city is in chaos because of you." With a single act of defiance, a lone Chinese hero revived the world's image of courage. He was the “unknown rebel” also know as the Tanks Man a man who was immensely courageous and a beacon of hope. The courage that it took to walk out against such massive machinery, knowing good and well that it could very well be your last day on this earth is inspiring. He took courage to a whole new level, becoming a world hero of sorts. This ordinary everyday man had stood up to one of largest of armies which was an undeniably, extraordinary act. Another man who stood up for what he believed in response to such brutal and callous acts was a man named Bradley Manning. A man who new his moral obligation was to show the world what the Government was hiding from them. Manning was an…
All lives matter. No matter the color of skin, each life matters. In spite of many people believing this, race does not decide whether or not you get shot by a police officer. Colin Kaepernick is a national league football star who has taken protesting too far. Black lives matter is a great topic to protest against; nevertheless kneeling during the National Anthem is not okay. “The Star Spangled Banner” has been played at every sporting event since the first minor league football game. Choosing to sit now is plain and simple disrespect to America. Colin Kaepernick is showing disrespect towards our United States veterans, furthermore, is an inadequate role model for the thousands of children watching him: he is acting unpatriotic toward America.…
The first essay G.I Joe: Fighting for Home by John Morton Blum and the second essay American Liberals: Fighting for a Better World by Alan Brinkley both 'look at the experience of the war from different vantage points: that of the soldier fighting for his own elemental survival as well as for his country, and that of the society back home.”…
Propaganda and how it influenced World war two and how it impacted racial discrimination between Americans and Japanese-Americans. Propaganda was used in many different ways that impacted the war. The propaganda affected Americans, and it also affected Japanese-Americans. The propaganda used in the war between Japanese and Americans not only support the war, it created an ethnic divide between Japanese and Americans…
O’Reilly’s writing told an unbiased story of Kennedy’s life. The book described how brave Kennedy was and how he defied death three times. The section about PT-109 explains how selfless…