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Bodies of War : World War I and the Politics of Commemoration in America, 1919-1933
- Author / Creator
- Available as
- Online
- Summary
-
The United States lost thousands of troops during World War I, and the government gave next-of-kin a choice about what to do with their fallen loved ones: ship them home for burial or leave them pe...
The United States lost thousands of troops during World War I, and the government gave next-of-kin a choice about what to do with their fallen loved ones: ship them home for burial or leave them permanently in Europe, in makeshift graves that would be eventually transformed into cemeteries in France, Belgium, and England. World War I marked the first war in which the United States government and military took full responsibility for the identification, burial, and memorialization of those killed in battle, and as a result, the process of burying and remembering the dead became intensely political. The government and military attempted to create a patriotic consensus on the historical memory of World War I in which war dead were not only honored but used as a symbol to legitimize America’s participation in a war not fully supported by all citizens.The saga of American soldiers killed in World War I and the efforts of the living to honor them is a neglected component of United States military history, and in this fascinating yet often macabre account, Lisa M. Budreau unpacks the politics and processes of the competing interest groups involved in the three core components of commemoration: repatriation, remembrance, and return. She also describes how relatives of the fallen made pilgrimages to French battlefields, attended largely by American Legionnaires and the Gold Star Mothers, a group formed by mothers of sons killed in World War I, which exists to this day. Throughout, and with sensitivity to issues of race and gender, Bodies of War emphasizes the inherent tensions in the politics of memorialization and explores how those interests often conflicted with the needs of veterans and relatives.
Details
- Creator
- Lisa M. Budreau
- Format
- Books
- Language
- English
- Publication
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- New York, NY : New York University Press, [2009]
- ©2009
- Physical Details
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- 1 online resource (336 p.)
- ISBNs
- 081472518X, 0814799906, 0814789803, 9780814799901, 9780814789803
- OCLC
- ocn779828394, ocn794698896
- Description based upon print version of record.
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- English
- Front matter -- Contents -- “Pilgrims,” from Rhymes of a Red-Cross Man -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Map of ABMC Cemeteries and Monuments -- Introduction -- 1. The Journey’s End -- 2. Origins -- 3. A Daunting Pledge -- 4. Charon’s Price -- 5. A Problem of Policy -- 6. Make Way for Democracy! -- 7. Troubled Waters -- 8. Bringing Them Home -- 9. Republican Motherhood Thrives -- 10. A Star of Recognition -- 11. A Reluctant Giant -- 12. A Commission Is Born -- 13. Sacred Space and Strife -- 14. We the People -- 15. Americans Make Waves -- 16. A Country for Heroes? -- 17. Pilgrim or Tourist? -- 18. Commemoration or Celebration? -- 19. Pilgrims’ Progress -- 20. Mothers and Politics -- 21. Mathilda’s Victory -- 22. Stars of Black and Gold -- 23. Highballs on the High Seas -- 24. A Personal Experience -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Index -- About the Author
Subjects
- Political culture -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Social aspects -- United States.
- War memorials -- Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
- War memorials -- Political aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Monuments -- United States.
- United States -- Politics and government -- 1919-1933.
- United States -- Social conditions -- 1918-1932.