posted September 12, 2013 11:14 AM              

Its this tough attitude I notice that makes Military History the most popular branch of history as people look to veterans of war for inspiration of toughness.

I admit when I was younger I had a strong inferiority complex to Soldiers because of this image. That despite being a high grades student who could get scholarships to become a doctor,etc. if I put the effort I really despised myself as a cowardly weakling esp. when I compare myself to brave veterans of many wars. I literally worshipped the soldier. But I couldn't join the Army due to a host of medical conditions.

As some of you may seen by my previous posts, I've been attacking this popular image of the soldiers with various questions. That many Soldiers are CRIMINALS and CROOKS. However despite what some people interpreted, I never said all Soldiers were thugs (though many are). In fact there is another group of Soldiers-the unwilling volunteers. People who joined only out of desperation for a job.

My father is an Officer in the Army and he was really adamant against me enlisting. My father didn't want me to go through the same hardships he did when he was in the Army and my mother would often state the only reason he joined the Army years ago was because he was in need of financial aid. If he wasn't so desperate, my mother tells me he would never have even considered about joining.

(Not that I could join even if I wanted to today-I got scoliosis).

One time I even told him that the only way I felt I could be happy is if I chose to Soldier for a living. My dad chuckled and told me that most Soldiers would exchange Soldiering for a higher paying occupation and a better life. That if they had the ability and opportunities too, they would exit the Army and go to college or become a rich celebrity like Movie Star,etc.... that most Soldiers ENVY millionaire celebrities like Brad Pitt, Bill Gates, etc.... They only chose to become Soldiers out of desperation.

At the time I was too thick-headed and stubborn to believe him because I literally thought that the Soldier was the embodiment of VIRTUES and BRAVERY.

When I was reading Hell In a Very Small Place and Street Without Joy both by Bernard Fall I despised myself as I read of tales of bravery as the French Colonial Soldiers and the French Foreign Legions fought fiercely to the death. I really ENVIED such COURAGE and Military Virtues.

However years later I reread parts of the book and I opened my eyes. There was a page saying that many of the Algerian and Sudanese Soldiers began to desert or fight less efficiently because they were tired of fighting a bloody war far away from home that didn't seem to end.

This began to make me wonder.

As I reread parts of the book, there was a section saying that the French Foreign Legion consisted of Foreignors who escaped to France desparately looking for employment out of post-WW2 Europe.

In an example specific to Street Without Joy, Fall mentions about a French Soldier who was fighting in the jungles as member of a Colonial Paratrooper batallion. It stated how he felt bad he couldn't be there for his beloved young daughter's birthday and was fighting a war all the way in another country. That he'd rather be in France than fighting this brutal war and attend his daughter's birthday party.

I began to wonder about the HERO WORSHIP Soldiers often receive.

I began to read firsthand accounts of British Soldiers in the Age of Imperialism. Many of them were indeed criminals trying to escape prison sentencing but there were also others who were descent people. The descent soldiers of the British Army in accounts I read seem to show a strong hate for their posts in various parts of the World they were sent to conquer. That it was hell and as soon as their duties are done they can't wait to leave the Army. There are other diaries by good British Soldiers of this type saying how much they wish they had the fundings so they can get educated and a higher paying jobs. I even seen some descent soldiers stating how much they envied the upper classes of Great Britain at the time and expresseed jealousy towards Officers (who often came from Aristocratic Families). In other words the general spirit I got is that most of them don't want to fight those wars and only enlisted because they couldn't find jobs elsewhere. That they would quickly change places with a rich Noble or a Doctor if they could. It was at that point what my dad told me years ago starting ringing a bell and I've opened my eyes.

Despite how much people-especially pro-military families and students of Military History-worships the Soldiers for their Valor and fighting for the country, most Soldiers actually don't really care about such causes like expanding Great Britain's wealth or fighting so France could gain territory or so. They joined because they WERE desperate.

I began to understand what my dad meant.

Most Soldiers could care less about the glory of being a battle harden veteran.

As I read examples throughout history-this goes as far as the Roman Legions. Many of whom joined out of financial incentive but given the choice of being born among the upper classes, would rather be a rich man than join the Legions to fight in foreign lands. Its only the opportunity to move up in the social ranks and wealth that they joined the Roman Legions and not because they enjoy military life and its hardships.

What do you think? The more I read about the average Soldier in history PoV, the less it seems like the image of a Soldier as Glorious Embodiment of Virtues and Bravery seems credible and the more absolutely ludricous.

Of course some societies like the Spartans are exceptions.

But all in all if most Soldiers throughout Military History would leave the Army and never return if they can find better lifestyles elsewhere.

To use another example, I got a friend in Israel. He tells me most Israelis (who have to enlist in the Army because it is REQUIRED BY LAW) think the Army is HELL. Most of them save for Madman and Diehard Patriots are eager to get out of the Israeli Army as soon as they fulfill the draftee requirements.

That only the criminals, madmen who love fighting and violence, and diehard of Patriots enjoy the Israeli Army lifestyle.

Despite the realities of Military Life, so many civilians esp. students of Military History and pro-military family members who never even attended a JROTC class in High School let alone been to Bootcamp have this viewpoint that Soldiers love Soldiering and wouldn't exchange it for a higher paying job like being a model or Movie Star Paid Millions off $$$$$$$$ or being a Scientist,etc.....