CHRISTOPHER S. DEROSA. Political Indoctrination in the U.S. Army from World War II to the Vietnam War. (Studies in War, Society, and the Military.) Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 2006. Pp. xiv, 328. $49.95

The belief that U.S. forces regularly violate the norm of noncombatant immunity (i.e., the notion that civilians should not be targeted or disproportionately harmed during hostilities) has been widely held since the outset of the Iraq War. Yet the evidence suggests that the U.S. military has done a better job of respecting noncombatant immunity in Iraq than is commonly thought. It also suggests that compliance has improved over time as the military has adjusted its behavior in response to real and perceived violations of the norm. This behavior is best explained by the internalization of noncombatant immunity within the U.S. military's organizational culture, especially since the Vietnam War. Contemporary U.S. military culture is characterized by an “annihilation-restraint paradox”: a commitment to the use of overwhelming but lawful force. The restraint portion of this paradox explains relatively high levels of U.S. adherence with the norm of noncombatant immunity in Iraq, while the tension between annihilation and restraint helps to account for instances of noncompliance and for why Iraqi civilian casualties from U.S. operations, although low by historical standards, have still probably been higher than was militarily necessary or inevitable.

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7. Displaying Heroism: Media Images of the Weary Soldier in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War

Warring over Valor ◽

10.36019/9780813597577-008 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 129-142

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

Vietnam War ◽

Korean War ◽

World War ◽

Media Images ◽

The Korean War ◽

The Vietnam War

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The Role of Leadership

Adaptation under Fire ◽

10.1093/oso/9780190672058.003.0005 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 73-98

Author(s):

David Barno ◽

Nora Bensahel

Keyword(s):

Organizational Change ◽

World War Ii ◽

Vietnam War ◽

World War ◽

Chain Of Command ◽

The Vietnam War

This chapter explores the role of leadership in military adaptation, which may be the most important factor of all. Adaptable tactical leaders must rapidly assess the battlefield and identify the need for change, remain willing to abandon accepted procedures when required, and candidly advocate for organizational change when needed. At the theater level, adaptive leaders face more challenges in identifying the need for change. They need to actively seek out ideas from throughout the chain of command, and to lead rapid battlefield change within their formations. The chapter examines the successful tactical adaptability of Captain John Abizaid during the 1983 invasion of Grenada and the failed tactical adaptability of Lieutenant Colonel Robert McDade in 1965 during the Vietnam War. It also examines the successful theater adaptability of Field Marshall William Slim during the Burma campaign of World War II, and the failed theater adaptability of General William Westmoreland in Vietnam War.

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Central Thai Food Culture and Acculturation During World War ii and the Vietnam War

MANUSYA ◽

10.1163/26659077-02302004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 205-223

Author(s):

Ratiwan Watanasin

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

Vietnam War ◽

Economic Value ◽

Food Culture ◽

World War ◽

Full Data ◽

Cultural Encounters ◽

Consumer Behavior Analysis ◽

The Vietnam War ◽

Central Food

As food has a substantial cultural and economic value, globalization and the Internet have posed challenges to traditional culture. As previous research on Thai food has focused on recipes and the consumption behavior of the royal family and upper-class Thai citizens, this study therefore aims to investigate the Thai food culture of ordinary Thais before the proliferation of a foreign food culture. Senior citizens from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in central Thailand who witnessed two major cultural encounters, specifically World War ii and the Vietnam War, were interviewed until full data was obtained. Content analysis within the guidelines of consumer behavior analysis was conducted. The findings confirm that central food culture has been passed down over generations and has become firmly established. Unless there has been convenient access to provincial centers, then, food from other regions has seldom been consumed. Also, before globalization, acculturation with foreign foods was barely noticeable. Overall, a key driver of this acculturation was so-called “food availability”.

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