Title: Bodies of war
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.
Subjects: Politics and government, World War, 1914-1918, War memorials, Monuments, Social conditions, Political culture, History, World war, 1939-1945, united states, United states, history, 20th century, Violence, Psychology, Politics, Military Personnel, History, 20th Century, World War I, Memory, Political aspects, Social aspects
Places: United States
Time periods: 20th century, 1918-1932, 1918-1933