Coming Home: The Veteran Experience in the 20th Century (2 Parts)

The brave men and women who fought America’s wars each shared the unique experience of coming home, an experience that reflected more the country’s attitude towards the war in question than the contributions of the soldiers. The experience of combat is one that defines a person. Veterans vividly remember the details of their combat tours well over a half-century later, and say that their tours are among their most graphic and unforgettable memories. How America welcomed home its heroes depended on the mood of the country. The welcome home which greeted America soldiers at the end of World War II and the soldiers of the Vietnam War stand in stark contrast, but the horrors of war and its devastating affect on the human body and the human psyche are the same for veterans of all wars.

Coming Home: The Veteran Experience in America would be useful for classes on American History, Military History, Science and Technology, Civics, and Psychology. It is appropriate for middle school, high school and college.

Discussion Questions

  1. Veterans speak of a “wisdom which can only come from war.” What do you think they mean?

  2. Although the issue of American women in combat raises some heated debates, American women have been involved in some way in all of America’s wars. Discuss the contribution of women to the Revolutionary War.

  3. One of the problems soldiers of the Revolutionary War faced was the colonials’ reluctance to establish a regular army. Why were the colonials so afraid of establishing an army?

  4. Discuss some of the problems the colonial forces faced.

  5. Discuss the homecoming experiences of the Revolutionary War soldiers.

  6. What were some of the causes of the War of 1812?

  7. What were some of the causes of the Civil War?

  8. The Civil War was America’s saddest war. What was the special pain and sadness of this war?

  9. What were the results of the Civil War?

  10. Discuss the discrepancies between the public and private reactions to Civil War Veterans.

  11. Discuss the differences of the coming home experiences between northern veterans and southern veterans.

  12. Why was World War I more horrific than any previous war in history?

  13. What is “shell shock”?

  14. What was the Bonus Expeditionary Forces? What were their demands? How did the government respond to their demands? Why is this incidence important in American history?

  15. Service in World War II entitled soldiers to the GI Bill of Rights. What was the GI Bill of Rights? How did it influence some of the trends of the 1950s such as the baby boom, suburbanization and economic prosperity?

  16. Discuss the homecoming experiences of World War II veterans.

  17. Why were World War II veterans so unique? How did this reflect the attitudes of the country about World War II?

  18. Discuss the contributions of American women in World War II.

  19. Discuss some of the discrimination African-American and women veterans faced.

  20. How were Cold War conflicts different from other US wars?

  21. Korea is often referred to as “the war that never was.” Why?

  22. What is an “ideological war?” Discuss some examples.

  23. Why did the Vietnam War divide American society?

  24. How did the response of the American people to Vietnam veterans reflect the divisions within the society about the war?

  25. Why Vietnam veterans throw their medals back at the US government?
Extended Activities

  1. Create a timeline of American military activities.

  2. Create a poster or collage of the different uniforms from the various US wars.

  3. Interview a veteran about his or her war experiences. How did it shape their lives? What was their homecoming like?

  4. Create a victory poster for World War II.
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