The Role of Military Myth in Society

Abstract

This paper discusses the role of military myth in society, specifically modern American society. It argues that military myth, in most cases, fosters the belief that the nation's cause is worthy and should be supported by the members of the society. The paper reviews elements of military myth throughout history, including war monuments dedicated to WWI dead, the image of the aviator in WWI, the Chinese Long March, the levee en masse in the French Revolution, and the popular image of German military members after WWII. It goes on to utilize several recent American works to highlight the role of the military myth. Works examined include the novels Red Alert, The Hunters, Cassada. Catch-22, and The Ace. It also discusses movies including Strategic Air Command, Gathering of Eagles, Red Tails, and The Tuskegee Airmen. Overall, the paper explains that the military myth attempts to justify why members of a society should willingly participate in the society's defense.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2012
Accession Number
AD1022928

Entities

People

  • Matthew H. Reynolds

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Civil War
  • Cold War
  • First World War
  • Flight Training
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Pilots
  • Second World War
  • Training
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Universities
  • War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.