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| "Homecoming Marine" (1945) by Norman Rockwell |
Captain Bronson wonders aloud why they are sending "babies" to war. Presumably, he is talking about the large number of combat soldiers in the Vietnam War who were in their late teens and early 20s.
On the one hand, you could say that it makes sense because young soldiers are more likely to be physically fit and less likely to have families that depend on them.
Are there any less positive psychological or ideological reasons why nations might rely on young people to enlist and serve and not more mature adults?
For example, are younger people less likely to be skeptical of a nation's foreign policy or its political objectives?
Why might Captain Bronson use the language he does?
Question 1. I think that there is a less ideological and less positive psychological reasons as to why Nations rely on young soldiers during times of crisis. When big conflicts break out, young patriots want to do nothing more than serve their country, almost blinded by their sheer love of their country. This question makes me think of Captain America, who was turned down for enlistment 4 times before he was finally able to get into the military. Young soldiers are so willing to help their country and so naive to the true dangers that service poses.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2. I think that Captain Bronson uses the language he does because, at least to him, young soldiers really are like babies, constantly needing to be watched over or they would end up dead. Vietnam was ruthless, no one was truly safe in the Vietnamese jungles. Asa captain, it is very possible that he not only felt responsible for these new recruits, but also responsible for their safety and making sure that they would be able to get home to their families, which is something he has no doubt seen unfold in an unfortunate fashion far too many times.
I think it is interesting how you think Captain Bronson sees the soldiers like actual babies. I had never thought of it in that way, but I can see how that would be true. I completely agree with your response to question number one. It does seem as though young people are always ready to serve their country and don't think as hard on the dangers that come with it. Do you think younger people think about the nation's foreign policy before they enlist?
DeleteQuestion 1: I believe there are less positive psychological and ideological reasons as to why a nation would rely on young men and women during a time of war. Young people have less mature minds, which means it is easier for the military to instill its principals and values into its soldiers. Young men and women are also less likely to have a life built, meaning they are willing to go to more places because they don't have many obligations back home.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I think Captain Bronson uses the language he does because the young soldiers he commands are so naive to the dangers of Vietnam. Bronson has seen the danger and chaos that is in Vietnam and he knows that these "babies" will have to mature quickly when the chaos slaps them in the face.
I liked your points about some of the less positive psychological and ideological reasons a nation might rely on young people to enlist and serve. Younger individuals are more likely to accept directions and information received from a ‘superior’. Fresh out of high school or college, the younger population have never experienced freedom or the ability to think for themselves. I think that they are more likely to accept the political rhetoric and devotion to order that the military thrives on. Additionally, they are more likely to conform to the strict structure and program that the military insists on, because they are more comfortable fitting into a designated role. I also agree with the idea that younger individuals have less obligations back home. Many younger people are still figuring their lives out, most don’t have many large connections like a family, house, etc. This helps lead to blind devotion of patriotism we saw especially with past wars.
DeleteI liked your comment on how Captain Bronson thinks the young soldiers are naive of the dangers of Vietnam. I think some of that naive nature comes from the youth of the soldiers. Especially on the plane when the reality of what they are getting into hasn’t fully hit them. The truth is the young soldiers were not prepared for war; they were not ready for the dangers.
Question 1: Captain Bronson uses the word “babies” because he’s talking about how young the soldiers going to war really are. While it might make sense to send younger people because they’re usually in better physical shape and don’t have as many responsibilities, there are also less positive reasons why they’re the ones being sent. Younger people are usually more impressionable and less likely to question things like foreign policy or the real reasons behind a war. They don’t always have the life experience to fully understand what they’re getting into, and they might follow orders without asking why. Some might join out of pressure, a need for purpose, or because they don’t have a lot of other options, not necessarily because they believe in the cause.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I think that Captain Bronson uses the word "babies" because he understands how young and unprepared these soldiers really are. It’s not just a comment on their age, but on how unfair it is that they’re being sent into something as dangerous and life changing as war. His choice of words shows his frustration that people so young are being expected to carry such a heavy burden. It makes the whole situation feel even more tragic.
I forgot to put my name on my post. Sorry!
DeleteThere are many reasons why countries rely on "young" people to be the mass of individuals to enlist and serve. This group of individuals tends to have less of a developed individual family making their loss potentially less impactful (which is an awful way thing to say and think, but I think has traditionally been part of the reason). Psychologically, this group of individuals is developing a sense of self - and military service offers an identity that is "pre-packaged" and ready to deploy (no pun intended) for that individual. This means that they can step into the roll of soldier and know the direction their life will be taking for the immediate future - that is a huge benefit to an individual in their late adolescence who may be struggling to find out who they are. Physically, this group of individuals is capable of being in peak physical condition - and its important to consider that service is hard work - a challenge that younger individuals are ready to take on more so than older individuals. Older individuals may also view themselves as having more to lose, than younger individuals.
ReplyDeleteFor example, are younger people less likely to be skeptical of a nation's foreign policy or its political objectives?
I had not really thought about his question but younger people may be less skeptical of their own countries objectives. That is, they may view the choices of their government as being ideologically "right" because we are often taught throughout our childhood that we should honor our country, and that the country works to protect us, it may be easier to convince younger individuals coming out of childhood to fight to protect their country because they have personally experienced less disappointment with how their country functions.
I would argue that most of the time when change is brought about in a country it is by the younger population. They seem more likely to challenge the status quo than just accepting it like older generations. There have been many shifts in moral values within the last 50 years because of the younger generation. Now minority groups are more widely accepted and family situations outside of the "norm" (divorced parents, queer parents, lack of gender roles) are more widely accepted.
DeleteIn most countries cases it makes the most sense for them to send in young naive soldiers. This allows for easier control because of the authoritative difference between most of the leaders as well as gives them the ability to train soldiers before brain development which more or less means there decision making skills are not equal to an adults.
ReplyDeleteI also think that many younger members join because they have less responsibilities at home and feel like it is their
job to go and fight.
Second Question: Younger people have less experience and a majority of all information that they are given is sugar coated as we see in the ‘Star and Stripes’ mentioned. I think that because of inexperience they are more likely to blindly follow.
Question 3: The Captain is referring to them as babies because of their overall lack of control and lack experience as well as many of them being very young and vulnerable.
The nation may rely on younger people because they are driven more by passion and take greater risks than more mature adults would. They are less likely to question why the government is sending people so young to war. Also, our brains do not fully develop until we are mid to late 20s so we are more susceptible to persuasion and manipulation. Older adults have more wisdom and life experience so even if they do not have experience in combat, they are still more inclined to question what or who our country is at war with and if they believe it is in our best interest to continue fighting.
ReplyDeleteI believe this answers why Captain Bronson uses the word “babies” as well. Yes, the US was sending very young men and women to war because we were losing and needed more soldiers, but also because they are inexperienced and could be persuaded that fighting in the war would be fun or not as bad as it really was. He knew what the soldiers would be facing and that it would be excruciating to watch many of the young soldiers die because there was nothing he could do to help them in the very bloody and deadly war.
Question one- During the teen and early twenties stage of life, many beliefs are still being formed, and the brain is still developing. This could be a reason why they might favor younger enlistees rather than more mature ones. Older individuals with opinions formed from previous experiences can be harder to instruct without question. In the military, there are set rules and instructions to be followed without question, which makes the younger generation a greater temptation since they are easier to order around and manipulate.
ReplyDeleteQuestion two- I believe Captain Bronson uses “babies” not only for the soldiers' age but also their knowledge at the time. The teenagers and early twenty-year-olds have not had as many experiences to learn from, leaving them ill-prepared. They are similar to babies in this instance because they do not know what they are to experience when they arrive.
Question 1: Yes, I do think there is a less positive psychological reason as to why nations want younger people to join the military. The reality is that nations want younger people because they are easier to control and convince to enlist. Young adults typically do not have as much of an idea or sense of purpose at the point they are in, in life. The military is able to give them that purpose. On the surface, the military seems like a guaranteed way to make a lot of money. To newly independent adults; many of which have probably struggled financially, this looks like a great idea. Another psychological aspect of this is that young adults typically feel more invincible. As in, they do not feel like if they enlist in the military that they will die. Nations use this self-assuredness and recklessness to their advantage to convince these people to risk their lives.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I think Captain Bronson uses this language because he feels that, like babies, these recruits are inexperienced. Not just in terms of skills, but also in life. These people are young adults, but they still have not experienced a lot of life. These people are just now getting more of taste of living as humans. To Captain Bronson it would likely seem wrong that they are participating in a very deadly war where their life could end so easily.
1. I believe there are less positive psychological and ideological reasons why nations might rely on young people and that’s for multiple good and bad reasons. The good is they are young, more physically fit, and no real family responsibilities. But the bad is these kids are basically thrown in the fire, they most of the time don’t have full knowledge of what they are getting into until it’s too late. Or they haven’t fully developed their mind on what exactly they want to do, they just know they want to help the country and the worst is if you get younger people to enlist then it’s easier to get them to listen to your rules because when your young in a structured environment you don’t want to be the one who makes a mistake so they will try their best to make sure they don’t and the military wants that.
ReplyDelete2. Younger people are less likely to be skeptical because most young people don’t do research on a lot of things they go off what they hear. So it’s easier to persuade them because they aren’t fully aware of the nation’s objectives. Rather than there being a older person who reads and know about what’s going on they will be hesitant and the military want to get as many people as they possibly can with little to no problems and the younger they are the longer the time span they can serve also.
3. Captain Bronson used this language because he knows the kids are too young to handle that type of responsibility and burden and is wondering why they keep constantly doing it especially if the kids aren’t surviving the wars. It’s not good for the nation and country to keep getting more of the other ones just for things to turn out the same way.
1. The younger someone is, the more easily they are molded to think and act a specific way. It’s easier to make someone young who has not had the time to fully realize their own opinions, beliefs, and morals, therefore they are easier to break and turn into “perfect soldiers” who take orders without hesitation. The effects this could have later on in life can be an identity struggle and the inability to form your own opinions because you’ve been conditioned to believe what you’re told.
ReplyDelete2. He might use that language because he feels responsible for not only the soldiers’ safety, but also a duty to the kids’ families as well. He probably knows that a lot of these kids will die and might feel like it’s his fault. To him, someone who’s likely been fighting for a long time, these new people are young and really do seem like babies. They’re still innocent to the violent nature of mankind.
Question 1: I think that the reasons militaries would use children are pretty clear. People are way less likely to shoot and kill children. This tactic of using literal children was not uncommon in Vietnam and my grandpa who served in Vietnam, during the 4th of July, actually mistook me for a Vietnamese child and started in like he was going to attack me before my dad had to snap him out of his PTSD episode. So using children in warfare definitely has physiological affects on the soldiers in war and the soldiers who survive it so that's why armies use children soldiers.
ReplyDelete2. Yes, there are many reasons why countries prefer younger people to enlist in the military. This is because they can tend to be more abrasive and less likely to think through their choices, often jumping in without realizing the consequences. This is because younger people are more likely to be drawn into the fantasies of war told through books rather than the actual, cold, hard truth. They also prefer younger people as they tend to come across as more naïve and trusting than older people are.
ReplyDelete“Are there any less positive psychological or ideological reasons why nations might rely on young people to enlist and serve and not more mature adults?”
ReplyDeleteYoung people are easy to convince, especially if peers around them are already convinced. There is very little for these young soldiers to lose, and a lot of pride to do something important. If their friends are joining it’s like a hive mind and they convince themselves that it’s the most important thing to do, to serve. These younger people also do not have any former war knowledge, they don’t know what it was like for soldiers in the world wars and likely do not even know the reason for the war they have signed up for. It is easier for the government to recruit these young lads with some propaganda about being all you can be and doing what is needed for your country. These propaganda ads are not as efficient on the older population because they have seen what it’s like being war torn and they have a greater understanding of the intent of the war efforts.
The military uses "babies" because of their young mindset. Children are easy to teach and manipulate, making them the perfect soldier. If they were to enlist older adults, the adults would not cooperate as their minds are fully developed unlike a Childs.
ReplyDeleteI think that young people are very easy to convince, also very easily influenced. One example is that if you have a family member that has enlisted and fought before it might be easy to convince them to enlist and fight since their family has. Many younger adults have a lack of experience and awareness in their lives, so they are not going to know what it is like to be away from family and be in a foreign country scared. Young adults are easy to persuade than older adults with older adults being more knowledgeable and having more time to experience or witness the "devastation" of war.
ReplyDeleteI think that he uses the language that he does because the young adults, their minds are not fully developed, and they are easy to shape and mold their mindsets. The younger the person the easier it is to do this, and I think this why they try to recruit the younger adults.
It is no secret that from a physical standpoint, young men in their late teens through mid thirties would be the best candidates for soldiers. I am sure that is PART of it. The sad truth is that they don't have enough wisdom or understanding to truly grasp the reality of the situations that they had been put in. Without saying their lives matter less than those of older men with careers/positions in politics or other aspects of the world back home, it is most definitely implied. Captain Bronson uses this language as a way to highlight the reality of what the United States of America government has resorted to in times of war.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1. A major reason as to why younger people are more sought after when it comes to enlistment has to do with how younger people do not fully understand both wars. It is no surprise to a lot of people that younger people, especially men, don't understand just how dangerous war really is and how it can result in death or life long trauma. This can be seen heavily in military enlistment where it describes how “cool” it is to a marine but doesn't express just how bad it can get. While this is noticeable with younger men, people in general just don't understand how bad war truly is especially in American culture. It is very to see as of today that war is a huge part of entertainment especially in video games because war is seen as something cool. However the biggest difference between now and Vietnam is in the modern day we see the brutality of war in thousands of angles in real time. The American military is struggling to get people to enlist because everyone can see exactly what war is. During Vietnam people didn't get that blessing and made it much easier to get them to enlist.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2. I think the way Captain Bronson responds is because he understands what I mentioned in question 1. These soldiers are young and have no idea what they have gotten themselves into. He calls them “babies” because he completely understands that if his soldiers do not mature and understand what is happening it will get themselves and everyone else killed. Another major factor about the Vietnam war is that nobody really wanted to be there. The Vietnam war is one of the greyest wars in American history to the point where nobody can really give a good reason as to why we were their in the first place. It was overall a terrible scenario and it really bled into why Captain Bronson needed them to understand what's going on.
One less positive reason nations rely on young people is that they are still forming their identities, which can make them more open to influence from authority figures and national messaging. Younger individuals may also be less skeptical of their country’s foreign policy because they have had fewer life experiences that challenge what they were taught about patriotism or trusting their government. This can make it easier for leaders to frame military service as a duty or a noble cause. Captain Bronson’s use of the word “babies” reflects both his frustration and his sympathy. He sees how young and unprepared many of these soldiers truly are, and the term shows his awareness that they are being placed into situations far beyond what most people their age should have to handle.
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