Bodies of war : World War I and the politics of commemoration in America, 1919-1933
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
History
xviii, 317 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm
9780814799901, 9780814725184, 0814799906, 081472518X
326418453
Repatriation
The journey's end
Origins
A daunting pledge
Charon's price
A problem of policy
Make way for democracy!
Troubled waters
Bringing them home
Remembrance
Republican motherhood thrives
A star of recognition
A reluctant giant
A commission is born
Sacred space and strife
We the people
Americans make waves
Return
A country for heroes?
Pilgrim or tourist?
Commemoration or celebration?
Pilgrims' progress
Mothers and politics
Mathilda's victory
Stars of black and gold
Highballs on the high seas
A personal experience