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Griffen Rohr-Clark
Mrs. Sauer
American Literature
22 February 2016
War Is Hard
Warfare has been treacherous for soldiers and families alike for centuries. Whether it be
for religious or political means, it always manages to tear families apart. Men and women test
their bravery when they put themselves into the field of combat, risking their lives as they go.
With the introduction of advanced technology into warfare, there also seemed to be an
introduction to the mental health of soldiers. The trauma of putting their lives at risk for extended
periods of time showed a change in many soldiers mental state. Curt Bennetts poem Young
Men perfectly illustrates the effects of competition of the political battlefield in the world of
combat on a persons mental state and how it still affects the United States today.
Bennetts poem demonstrates how the pressures of joining the Vietnam War
changed the soldier's personalities. During the time of the Vietnam War, the United States
patriotism was at an all time high. Coming off of the victories of the two World Wars as well as
their place as a superpower in the Cold War, Americans believed they had the power to influence
the world around them. One of the main ways of influence was warfare. In their fight to end the
spread of communism and implement a more democratic dominate world, their efforts in
Vietnam had to be victorious. Previously in past wars, the size of the army had generally
determined the victor, meaning the government believed sending more men into combat would
guarantee victory in Vietnam. When Bennett says, And that is why they are at war, / Where they
would rather be / Then face the shame of not going, he is talking about the pressures to enlist

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into the war (Bennett 28-30). Nobody wants to be called a coward. That pressure proved to be
costly as the constant combat toyed with many of the soldiers mindsets. When Bennett states,
Their casual indifference to death / That masks that deep seeded fear of dying, he is talking
about how the soldiers became a shell of themselves, masking their old personality into the
soldier they were built up to be (Bennett 20-21). War became not the only price the United States
had to pay in the fight against communism.
Bennetts poem Young Men effectively expresses the political competition
surrounding soldiers in the battlefield. Communism versus Democracy, also known as the
Cold War, was a huge deal when Bennetts poem was written. Many events complicated the
relationship between the two. The Vietnam War, what the poem was based off of, was one of the
major events that occurred during the Cold War era. The United States sent soldiers there to try
and stop the spread of Communism throughout the country, in turn, stopping the spread of
communism within the region. Sadly, soldiers had to stop everything and give up their lives to
fight for an ideology. Bennetts message when he states, A faade of wary acceptance, / A
weariness in their movements / As they slowly walk the war, shows how they were put into a
mess they didnt fully comprehend (Bennett 11-13). In theory, each side was paranoid of the
other, which turned costly for both parties as they tried to make themselves out to be superior.
Although Communism ended up winning that specific feud, the Cold War ended with the
breakup of the communist power Soviet Union, in turn marking the democratic victory.
While Young Men is clearly about soldiers during war, some of its message could be
related to the everyday school life in America. Walking through the halls everyday, there are
always things you have to consider about the people you pass by. Appearance, intelligence, and
friendships are common things that determines who you are in society. Not everyone is fortunate

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to have as many reliable friends as they wish, nor the intelligence to get accepted to Harvard.
When Bennett says, With their reputations on the line / And they proudly carry their
reputations / For that is all that remains of their dignity, his message could relate to those who
feel their reputation is all they have going for them (Bennett 33-35). Those are the types of
people who fear their dignity is on the line whenever they get into a huge fight with their friends,
fail a test, or get made fun of over their appearance. High school is a hotbed for those feelings.
Once you are in the process of figuring out exactly the type of person you are, someone could
falter your process with an insult. High School could be a rough time in someones life, yet there
are those who try and ruin the experience for people.
The effects of ideological competition in warfare on a persons mental state and how
it affects the world today is perfectly expressed in Curt Bennetts poem Young Men. War has
a certain effect among people that makes them respect those who put themselves through it, yet it
decides to torture those who put themselves through it. Humans are strange beings in that their
entire lifestyle came become effected by themselves or other factors. Whether the purpose is
intended for good or not, things can change you. Do you think war, whether fighting for a
religion or ideology, is worth the cost it places onto those who survive it?

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Works Cited
Bennett, Curt. "Young Men." Poems of the Vietnam War by pilot, Curt Bennett. War Poetry
Company, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

YOUNG MEN

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In quiet dignity they trudge
With only the slurping sounds
Of jungle boots sucking mud
As they carry their burden
Of expendable youth at war.
There is a poise about them,
A quality not found in peers,
A bearing common only
To young men in combat.

There is a stoic resignation,

A faade of wary acceptance,
A weariness in their movements
As they slowly walk the war.
Struggling with all its elements,
And inside, struggling with themselves,
For just below the surface,
They keep the well-known secret,
The haunting cowardice common to all.

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Twenty-four hours a day they walk the line,

Living up to the reputation,
Assuming the swagger, the hard line,
Their casual indifference to death
That masks that deep seeded fear of dying,
The overwhelming urge to break and run,
The paralyzing instinct to freeze or hide!25
Praying silently in secret
That whatever happens they won't look bad.
And that is why they are at war,
Where they would rather be
Then face the shame of not going,
Of being accused of not having "it",
To uphold that fragile concept of honor,
With their reputations on the line.
And they proudly carry their reputations,
For that is all that remains of their dignity,
Even if it means they must die for it.
Curt Bennett

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