Love for Country
War can inspire great pride for one’s country in soldiers and home front citizens alike. Sometimes this pride is inspired in these parties to gather support throughout the conflict. The following pieces demonstrate examples of the pride people show for their country and how countries sometimes try to instill that pride.
One of the most powerful demonstrations of pride for a country is a national anthem. Written in a time of great stress, “The Star-Spangled Banner” tells the story of the British navy bombarding Fort McHenry in the Chesapeake Bay in 1814. The song became a way for Americans to express their support for the country as it became America’s national anthem in 1931.
The Star-Spangled Banner (Stravinsky): Audio courtesy YouTube via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1taQl-wOmo
National anthems are not the only means for people to express their patriotism for their country. Some songs simply express pride for one’s country, flag, and the cause at hand.
Belief is a powerful motivator. If there is belief that there is a chance at completing something, then there is a chance. As long as people continue to believe in their country, they will continue to fight for it, and the country can count on the support of its citizens.
Some songs simply express the pride one has in one’s country. The song speaks of pride in the flag and reaffirming what it means to individuals. A flag is one of the most recognizable, if not the most recognizable, symbol of a country. Taking the time to show the pride in it displays the pride one has in the country as a result.
Sometimes, countries need to drum up support for their war efforts, specifically to get people to join their armed forces. Recruitment songs are a powerful way to convince people to take their support of the war effort to the next level.
Video courtesy YouTube via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTQQGfOdbu4
Soldiers’ Love
Soldiers have families. They leave them behind to go and fight for their country and something they believe in. They sacrifice much for the rest of the country. Their feelings for those they care about provide them with something to cling to while away. These pieces illustrate their feelings for their loved ones and how much they mean to them.
Soldiers left everything behind in service of their country. This by no means indicated that they removed important people from their lives. In fact, these people often became the inspiration for songs expressing how much these people meant to them and what they missed about those people.
John McCormack, Dear Old Pal Of Mine: Audio courtesy YouTube via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADO6D1HjWAE
All parties involved in war eagerly look forward to when the war is over. Once the war is over, soldiers returning home are reunited with their loved ones. They only have to wait until the war is over.
On one hand rests the loved ones that a soldier leaves behind. On the other hand are those that he was trying to make an impression on. He harbors feelings for a certain person but is repeatedly turned down. What must he do to make his dream come true?
Upon returning home from the war and reuniting with loved ones, soldiers can be overwhelmed with emotion. Some may downplay their own contribution to the war effort and declare that those they left behind are more of a hero than they are.
People contribute to the war effort in their own way. Some go off to fight the battles; others stay behind and support from home. Soldiers rarely see what happens on the Homefront. Some soldiers want to see the efforts their loved ones take to support them.
Love on the Homefront
Sometimes forgotten when discussing war are the sacrifices families make when one goes off to war. The soldiers may go off to fight the battles, but those left on the Homefront have much to deal with themselves. Certain historical periods see an increased support for the men who left home to fight for something they believed in. These pieces demonstrate the love those on the Homefront had for their soldiers.
Leaving family behind is hard. But it is also difficult for the family to let the soldier leave. It is an emotional time. Parents say goodbye to their children all the while hoping they will survive and not forget where they came from and who raised them. The parents are proud that their children are fighting for their country—which they also love—but they also simply do not want to see them go.
During times of war, people see the importance of recognizing the sacrifices soldiers make for them. War is difficult for all, civilian and soldier alike. But recognition and appreciation for the soldiers putting their lives at risk for the freedom and rights of everyone—the soldiers and the civilians—is extremely important. Without morale, war efforts quickly fade, and this recognition is one way to help keep morale trending upward.
Sometimes all citizens on the Homefront can do is send positive thoughts to the soldiers. These people could be in no position to physically do anything to support the soldiers. Instead they keep them in their thoughts and send all the well-wishes they can.
This piece offers a slightly different example of love on the Homefront. The speaker does not want to marry anyone still at home in case she could find love with someone who was coming home from the war. Her motives were not for loving the soldiers because of pride and wanting to see family return but instead of hoping to one day have a chance at a family with one of these soldiers.
After a war’s conclusion, it is important to remember the sacrifices of those involved to help prevent a similar conflict from arising in the future. In the case of the American Civil War, it is important for Americans to remember the sacrifices on both sides of the conflict to prevent twisting the narrative into something that it is not.
Text and curation by Connor Matheson
SOURCES CONSULTED
Patriotism in peace and war: https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/patriotism-in-peace-and-war.
War of 1812 History The Star Spangled Banner: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/star-spangled-banner?gclid=Cj0KCQiAoJrfBRC0ARIsANqkS_6FET_h87bdPpPWJ2CCqorIxk7iJLrz_IW2K147RGIc5iLeyenmgGEaAkg_EALw_wcB.
World War I Recruiting Songs: Building the Military with Music: https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2017/04/world-war-i-recruiting-songs-building-the-military-with-music/.
The History of the American Flag: http://www.pbs.org/a-capitol-fourth/history/old-glory/.
Remembering the sacrifices of the past—and present: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10961922/Remembering-sacrifices-of-the-past-and-present.html.
Remembering the fallen: How a Soldier’s life brings a community together: https://www.army.mil/article/140820/remembering_the_fallen_how_a_soldiers_life_brings_a_community_together.