BackStory with the American History Guys » remembrance

Coming Home: A History of War Veterans

Tony (BackStory Producer) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:54:43 +0000

(Originally produced in 2008.) Most news coverage of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan focuses on troop movements, suicide bombings, and the geopolitical developments at work. Only rarely do we hear the stories of individual men and women fighting there, and hardly ever do we hear what it’s like for those Americans when they return home.

Has it always been thus? How have veterans been treated in the aftermath of America’s previous wars? How much depends on the politics of the war – are vets only as popular as the wars they’ve fought in? These are some of the central questions on the table as we explore veterans’ experiences through three centuries of American life.

Guests Include:

Frank Earnest, past Commander of the Virginia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
Rebecca Jo Plant, historian and author of Mom: The Transformation of Motherhood in Modern America
Ed Tick, Director of Soldier’s Heart, a nonprofit serving America’s war veterans and their families

Show Highlights

Conflicting Loyalties
Sons of Confederate Veterans spokesman Frank Earnest tells 19th Century History Guy Ed Ayers how he reconciles his Confederate heritage with his identity as a veteran of the U.S. Navy. And he explains what the Confederate flag means to him.
Soldier’s Heart
Psychologist Edward Tick counsels combat veterans and studies historical accounts of war. He discusses the ways war was understood in the years before Post Traumatic Stress Disorder existed as a diagnosis.

Grave Matters: A History of Death and Mourning

VFHwebdev — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:46:50 +0000

On Memorial Day, we pay public tribute to those who lost their lives fighting for our country. But how do we live with the memory of the dead the rest of the year?

In this hour, the History Guys explore Americans’ changing attitudes about death. A Gold Star Mother explains why she thinks there should be more media coverage of military deaths in Iraq. Historian Drew Gilpin Faust talks about how the Civil War altered the American way of dying. And BackStory‘s own Ed Ayers tours Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery — and visits his own gravesite (see photos here).

Web Exclusive: Wisconsin Death Trip

In 1967, Michael Lesy stumbled upon an otherworldly collection of photographs from late-19th century Wisconsin. He talks about some of the darker images and their meanings in this audio slide show.

Web Exclusive: Extended Interview with Drew Gilpin Faust

19th Century Guy Ed Ayers speaks with Drew Gilpin Faust about how the Civil War altered Americans’ attitudes about death. Listen here.