We’ve often heard the term “GI,” and many of us associate it with the popular GI Joe doll. But what exactly does GI stand for? This acronym came about in WWII, when many young Americans left home to join the Allied powers. During their service, the U.S. government provided all the necessary food and supplies, which were labeled “government issue.” These young troops started to call themselves GI soldiers, or GIs, and the name popularized and is still used today.
What astounds me most is the apparent eager willingness of so many young American men to leave the safety of their homes and become GIs. They understood that their lives were at risk by deciding to fight in WWII, yet, even after learning the horrors that soldiers faced in WWI, they happily signed up to fight. The textbook explains that the war gave many the opportunity to show their patriotism by fighting for America, and that immigrants and ethnic minorities especially wanted to prove their loyalty to America by enlisting in the military. By the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. army expanded from 300,000 to more than 1.5 million troops. By the end of WWII, almost 6 million people had enlisted.
One of those people who enlisted in WWII was my grandpa, not because he wanted to show patriotism or wanted a grand adventure, but rather to prevent him from being drafted as a foot soldier. As soon as my grandpa turned 18, he enlisted into the U.S. Merchant Marine, in the hopes that working on ships and carrying cargo would be a much safer option than any other job in the military. He figured that if he didn’t enlist in the Merchant Marine, he could be drafted as a soldier and face the horrors of war. Because of this, he never completed high school or went to college.
To me, my grandpa’s logic behind his actions of enlisting in the Merchant Marine is completely sensible; however, we never hear about this perspective in textbooks or documentaries. We are always told that American citizens were raring to fight in all wars we learn about, ready to prove their patriotism and die for their country. However, my grandpa’s story shows that this idea isn’t always true. It is apparent that the information we are able to access in America most often has a bias that makes history appear much more pro-America than it actually is. I wonder what other events in history are recounted with such a patriotic spin?
I thought it was really interesting how you made the present day connection to the GI Joe Doll to familiarize your readers with the historical situation. It served as a strong hook and was something that I did not know before. I had always just thought that it was a company name or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea about you grandpa's involvement in the war and I do find it strange now how no one ever talked about the men forced into the army. I do also find his decision sensible, and still important to the war. I also had no idea about what GI actually meant, which makes sense now.
ReplyDeleteIt is so cool that you have this personalized feeling of this awful war because your grandfather was part of it. He was definitely one of the more lucky one's who had the chance to choose their fate of where they would fight during the war. The peacetime draft, resulted in many young men having to go fight across the world, without any choice of where they would go whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very interesting to hear your opinions on the enlisting patriotism about the war in a personal perspective. As you said, the reason there was over 6 million soldiers enlisted by the end of the war was caused mainly from the eager for many to show patriotism to the country. It's unfortunate to hear that your grandpa had not finished high school nor gone to high school during the time of war. I think agree with your opinions that history has definitely painted the more patriotic and honorable sides compared with the other more ugly side of the war. However, looking in another perspective I think it is also because of the patriotic propaganda that encouraged so many Americans to enlist and fight the war.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about how all we're really shown is the patriotic side of the US in wars, regardless of the victories or losses. Humans aren't made to be fearless nor brave, their choices of doing so shows them conquering that sort of fear. But behind every brave man, there's a feeling of being scared and not being able contribute to the nation's effort. Your grandpa, with all respect, is a prime example of that.
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