Soldiers

Soldiers — page 1
SOLDIERS Introduction Whatever the technology available in the end all wars are fought by individuals The men and women who served in World War II faced hardship and danger but also often enjoyed camaraderie and excitement Although all the available figures are estimates it is likely that up to 85 million people around the world performed military service during World War II The precise nature of their service varied immensely Although large numbers fought with the army many more also served on naval vessels or in aircraft There were specialized artillery and tank crews Most armies even had cavalry detachments that still relied on horsepower There was a long list of support roles too from medics surgeons and nurses to quartermasters members of the signal corps and drivers The U S Construction Battalions Seebees for example were engineers and builders who constructed the airfields and bases that enabled the American fighting forces to advance across the Pacific Shared Experience Although the individual experiences of the men and women who served varied greatly depending on their roles and what country they came from there were some elements that were common to nearly everyone who took part They all had to leave their homes often traveling to distant countries and continents They exchanged their families and friends for the colleagues in the units in which they served They were subject to new forms of discipline and chains of command that they often found irritating They found that they lost the ability to make their own choices they became part of a larger system Not all of them faced danger and certainly not all of the time but most did to a greater or lesser extent Soldier Life Some people who joined the war were volunteers eager to do their bit for their country others were reluctant conscripts who were ordered into military service Some had specialist skills others were expected to do little more than point a rifle and shoot But all had to be recruited into the services and trained for their duties They all had to be entertained and to have their morale maintained even in the face of adversity They all had to be physically cared for especially if they were wounded or sick And at the war’s end most had to return to their civilian lives This book outlines some of these shared experiences of the men and women who took part in the war This U S poster reflects one of the primary concerns of all fighting forces to make sure that the men and women on active service were fit and healthy enough to do their jobs 4