The new praetorians : American veterans, society, and service from Vietnam to the forever war /
Contemporary veterans belong to an exclusive American group. Celebrated by most of the country, they are nevertheless often poorly understood by the same people who applaud their service. Following the introduction of an all-volunteer force after the war in Vietnam, only a tiny fraction of Americans...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Amherst :
University of Massachusetts Press,
[2021].
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| Series: | Veterans (University of Massachusetts Press)
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Contemporary veterans belong to an exclusive American group. Celebrated by most of the country, they are nevertheless often poorly understood by the same people who applaud their service. Following the introduction of an all-volunteer force after the war in Vietnam, only a tiny fraction of Americans now join the armed services, making the contemporary soldier and the veteran by extension, increasingly less representative of mainstream society. Veterans have come to comprise their own distinct tribe-modern praetorians, permanently set apart from society by what they have seen and experienced. In an engrossing narrative that considers the military, economic, political and social developments affecting military service after Vietnam, Michael D. Gambone investigates how successive generations have intentionally shaped their identity as veterans. The New Praetorians also highlights the impact of their homecoming, the range of educational opportunities open to veterans, the health care challenges they face and the unique experiences of minority and women veterans. This groundbreaking study illustrates an important and often neglected group that is key to our understanding of American social history and civil-military affairs. |
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| Physical Description: | ix, 214 pages ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781625346100 1625346107 9781625346117 1625346115 |