The state of mind and body in which veterans were left after WWII was intense for all involved. The duty of the state to rehabilitate these individuals and integrate them back into a normal way of living was great.
The themes between these readings stand clear with a sense of disability as well as stigmatization of veteran’s well-being after the war and their periods of rehabilitation. In all of the readings, there is a sense of exhaustion as the temperature rises on those in charge of these men after the war. In the reading by Christina Jarvis, there was a described number of “psychiatric casualties” (p. 101) which led to the focus on veteran mental health as a means of the study of the social effects both before and after the war. This is aligned with the reading by Robert F. Jefferson where he describes the accounts of soldiers that underwent mental or physical injuries. In his writing about Henry Williams, “he found that his battles were just beginning” (p.1102) which is establishing the relationship between veterans and a postwar struggle.
The image included was created to represent the energy felt by veterans untoward the American people during this time. This image can be analyzed and seen in its entirety that the tone is very somber and is represented through the sad expressions and dark sky. This painting represented what the veterans felt, both now and then when it came to protecting America and its citizens.
In conclusion, these readings all represent a similar theme with the sense of underlying trauma- both physically and mentally that these people went through and the duties of a nation that existed to bring these men back to a safer reality and a protected home.
I’d be interested to know who painted that painting. If it was created by someone who was a soldier themselves, then that would add an additional layer to its message. You said, “The state of mind and body in which veterans were left after WWII was intense for all involved.” I definitely agree with that. Aside from the veterans themselves, the psychiatrists treating them, and the politicians and bureaucrats organizing their care, another significant part of that situation was the wives of soldiers. As the people who probably spent the most time around their husbands, the wives of veterans with psychiatric issues were considered vital to a veteran’s return to normalcy after the war.
Along with Michael I also am very interested in the painting you chose. It is compelling and I imagine it is making a connection to the lost innocence and deterioration/aging of the war? I liked how you brought up the need to address both mental and physical healing.
The Jefferson quote you included, “he found that his battles were just beginning” greatly describes the challenges the veterans were met by after returning home. The painting you included definitely helped convey the sorrow that many veterans must have felt after returning from the war.
By ending your blogpost with your artifact, I think you were able to really hammer home a lasting impact for the audience. Considering the pain conveyed throughout your post as you include the information from the authors, the painting you chose to include is very fitting, and does an effective job at leaving the audience with that sorrow and weight you describe in your post. I liked the use of the painting at the end, especially because they are so commonly used at the beginning, great job.