American Soldiers' Experience of Combat, 1776-1945
- American Soldiers' Experience of Combat, 1776-1945
In the previous section Jennifer Keene explores the experience of American soldiers in World War I. In this section Christopher H. Hamner, author of Enduring Battle: American Soldiers in Three Wars, 1776-1945 (University of Kansas Press, 2011), further develops the theme of how American soldiers experienced combat in three wars: the War for Independence, the Civil War, and World War II. Hamner, associate professor of history at George Mason University, especially focuses on what motivated individual soldiers to withstand the traumas of combat in the face of technological advances that altered the battlefield. His essay, "Why Soldiers Fight," is followed by an interview with senior editor Donald Yerxa conducted in November 2011.
