The Prisoner s Fight, Patriotism, And Duty - 946 Words

Do the terms honor, patriotism, and duty defines a soldier’s hardships and struggles that he encounters during times of war? Defiant, recreates the experiences of eleven men captured during the Vietnam War and sent to the various camps like Hao Lo in North Vietnam. While there the American prisoners’ commitment to their honor, patriotism, and duty would be put to the test through the harsh living conditions and torture inflicted upon them both physically and mentally. Townley’s use of William Henley’s poem Invictus accurately describes the prisoner’s fight to preserve the values as a soldier and to their country. Throughout their time as prisoners, arguably these values of honor, patriotism, and duty were adapted and changed to help the POWs cope with their situation. The evolution of these values provided the POWs with hope, resistance, and the will to survive their North Vietnamese captors to return home. Duty defined the POWs experience during th eir time in North Vietnam as they tried to obey the moral promises to their military and country. In the beginning, many prisoners attempted to abide by the Code of Conduct they were taught. Jerry Denton encouraged his fellow POWs to stand with the code, their duty, and not divulge any information other than their branch, name, birthday, or record number. As their imprisonment continued their attitudes towards their duty and the code evolved. Knowing that they would submit to torture, their ideas of duty developed as theyShow MoreRelatedSlaughterhouse Five : The Atypical Novel1044 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter s demeanor or life is changed forever as a result of an event or obstacle they are forced to overcome. However; Kurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five breaks the mold of a traditional novel and blazes forward in a new and bizarre path. He uses a diverse cast of subordinate characters to make certain symbolic representations. Roland Weary, Paul Lazaro, and Edgar Derby are thr ee minor characters in the story; while different they serve to demonstrate the ideas of hatred, greed, and patriotism. HatredRead MoreEverything We Had By Al Santoli1604 Words   |  7 Pagescaptured in the Vietnam War and was the second longest held POW (Prisoner of War) at the infamous Hanoi Hilton. However most Americans are unaware of their sacrifice and bravery in the Vietnam War. Mexican Americans soldiers were represented in all major combat units. They also were awarded 14 Medals of Honor during the war. The Mexican Americans Vietnam soldiers shared the same sense of duty that inspired many of their family members to fight in World War I and the Korean conflict . Young Mexican AmericanRead MoreThe Many Reasons For The Civil War1203 Words   |  5 Pagesboth Union and Confederate soldiers to enlist and fight in the Civil War; most of these soldiers were volunteer soldiers. He proves his thesis that contrary to the popular belief that Civil War soldiers didn’t understand what they were fighting for, McPherson presents evidence that in fact, â€Å"a large number of those men in blue and gray were intensely aware of the issues at stake and passionately concerned about them† (4). After the war ended, Ulysses S. Grant also goes on to state, â€Å"our armies wereRead MoreHistory Of The United States1701 Words   |  7 Pagesthat led to the transformation from loyal Englishman to Americans stemmed from different things, including that the colonists felt that their rights as British citizens were being trampled on. In the 1750’s, there were major tensions over different events that were occurring in America. A fight broke out in 1754 over land that was in the Ohio valley that was claimed by Pennsylvania, Virginia , the French and the Indians that lived there. Because of this, the seven years war (The British term ) brokeRead MorePessimistic Nationalism : The Tacit Slavery Essay2391 Words   |  10 PagesOptimistic Nationalism: The Tacit Slavery The idea of patriotism is a subjective ideology. One maybe patriotic for putting his national flag outside his house, while another man is called patriotic for fighting for his nation. This love for one’s homeland is one that is natural and not all may possess such affection. However, during the reign of the German empire in the early 1900’s we see from historical evidence that patriotism was not a natural emotion that came about, however it was embeddedRead MoreThe Influence Of Propaganda During The World War II1331 Words   |  6 Pagesactions in Poland, Chamberlain had the support of France and America in their fight against the Nazi’s. America did their part in WWII by providing Troops, Tanks, Fighters, etc. These army weapons and vehicles cost money that the country was having trouble getting due to the supply and demand of the war effort. So the U.S used the technique propaganda to gain both the money to buy material and the soldiers they needed to fight t he war. In the end WWII laid the foundation for advancement in technologyRead MoreWomen s Roles During The Civil War1261 Words   |  6 PagesWomen s Roles During The Civil War Women were considered frail, unintelligent, and unable to make decisions in eighteen-hundredths America. It was traditional wisdom that a woman’s place was in the home. The Civil War marked a turning point for women and their role in society. Through my research consisting of books, letters, speeches, and articles, I will tell the story of a time in America when women rose to satisfy the needs of the country when most men were away fighting the war. This essayRead MoreThe Marquis Of Revolutions : The French Revolution1501 Words   |  7 PagesStarting a new chapter in the young Marquis s life, he decided to join the Royal Army when he was fourteen years of age. Two years later he married Marie Adrienne Francoise de Noailles (Biography). At nineteen years of age, the marquis heard of the American revolution. Lafayette s father s death fueled his desire to fight against the British in a righteous cause (History.org). He departed for the rebellious colonies without seeking the king of France s permission (Marquis de Lafayette Biography)Read MoreWomen During The War : The Silent Heroes1676 Words   |  7 Pages When the war broke out many men were deployed to fight but, without the help of women many of the men would have never survived. Between 4,000 and 15,000 women were sent to Vietnam for various reasons. Approximately 90% of the women were nurses. Though most of the women were nurses a select few were there in all military branches. Even though these women were in the specific branches they never fought on the frontline. The WAC, Women s Army Cooperation, in 1970 had twenty officers and oneRead MoreWomen and Their Role in the Civil War2492 Words   |  10 Pagescaused women to fight harder and soon a new generation of independent women arose in the early 1990s. Nowadays, self-sufficient women can be found everywhere as CEOs in companies like PepsiCo and Kraft Foods or as associate justices on the Supreme Court. However, all the strides ta ken thus far had its origins not in businesses or the government but in the military. Since Joan of Arc first picked up a sword to fight for the French, women have disguised themselves as men in order to fight for their country