Bodies of war
Subtitle: World War I and the politics of commemoration in America, 1919-1933
By: Lisa M. Budreau.
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 317
ISBN-13: 9780814799901
Subjects: World War, 1914-1918 -- Monuments -- United States; War memorials -- Political aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century; War memorials -- Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century; World War, 1914-1918 -- Social aspects -- United States; Political culture -- United States -- History -- 20th century; United States -- Social conditions -- 1918-1932; United States -- Politics and government -- 1918-1933
Description: World War I marked the first war in which the United States government and military took full responsibility for the identification, burial, and memorialization of those killed in battle, and as a result, the process of burying and remembering the dead became intensely political. The government and military attempted to create a patriotic consensus on the historical memory of World War I in which war dead were not only honored but used as a symbol to legitimize America's participation in a war not fully supported by all citizens. In this book, the author unpacks the politics and processes of the competing interest groups involved in the three core components of commemoration: repatriation, remembrance, and return. This book emphasizes the inherent tensions in the politics of memorialization and explores how those interests often conflicted with the needs of veterans and relatives.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: pt. 1. Repatriation; title: The journey's end; title: Origins; title: A daunting pledge; title: Charon's price; title: A problem of policy; title: Make way for democracy!; title: Troubled waters; title: Bringing them home; title: pt. 2. Remembrance; title: Republican motherhood thrives; title: A star of recognition; title: A reluctant giant; title: A commission is born; title: Sacred space and strife; title: We the people; title: Americans make waves; title: pt. 3. Return; title: A country for heroes?; title: Pilgrim or tourist?; title: Commemoration or celebration?; title: Pilgrims' progress; title: Mothers and politics; title: Mathilda's victory; title: Stars of black and gold; title: Highballs on the high seas; title: A personal experience.