In the that 70’s show episode Long Away Red goes to a a annual reunion to see his army buddies. He realizes the reunion needs a photographer so he hires Hydes boss Leo to help out. Leo is known as an old hippie and Red is only asking him to do photography because he is desperate. At the reunion someone recognizes Leo and Red finds out Leo was also in the army and was awarded a purple heart for his service. Red was very surprised and asked “Leo why didn’t you tell me you were in the army?!” After this night Red starts to view Leo as a respectable army man who served his country and now owes the Photo Hut.
When people talk about joining the army it is portrayed as a honorable and respectable thing to do. It takes character to serve for your country. In the commercial “symbol of strength” it glorifies the idea of war and the army. It shows the teamwork and beauty of traveling to foreign lands and fighting for America.
“In the mountains that day, I watched Lemon turn sideways. He laughed and said something to Rat Kiley. Then he took a peculiar half step, moving from shade into bright sunlight, and the booby-trapped 105 round blew him into a tree. The parts were just hanging there.” The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Stories like these are not as public. The ugliness of war is often kept hidden because of the horrible effects it has on those involved. This is not shared in the commercial. The commercial wants to draw you in with the beautiful landscapes but does not show you the soldiers returning home and not being able to sleep at night or being confined to a wheelchair. Joining the army is thought of as a new beginning but it can also be the end. “War makes you a man; war makes you dead.” The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Stories like these are not as public. The ugliness of war is often kept hidden because of the horrible effects it has on those involved. This is not shared in the commercial. The commercial wants to draw you in with the beautiful landscapes but does not show you the soldiers returning home and not being able to sleep at night or being confined to a wheelchair. Joining the army is thought of as a new beginning but it can also be the end. “War makes you a man; war makes you dead.” The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
You make a very good point about how pop culture romanticizes combat and soldiers. This is especially prominent in older shows and movies. I think in recent years the general public is becoming more and more aware of the horrors of war, thanks in part to great, honest novels like The Things They Carried.
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