The American People And Ron Kovic's Born On The Fourth Of July

In the modern day, many students fail to realize the magnitude of history. It is not simply specific events but the experiences of individuals during the time period. These experiences that individuals had brings history to life, allowing an individual to understand the magnitude of an individual’s personal experiences and the importance of national events. Gary B. Nash’s The American People, Creating a Nation and a Society, and Ron Kovic’s Born on the Fourth of July display this concept by presenting the personal feelings of Americans and national events that occurred during the 1950’s to 1960's in the United States of America. Kovic and Nash describe America’s evolution of ideals through displaying America’s conformity, their subsequent

feelings of disillusionment, and a prolonged reckoning with that decade. America’s conformity is seen through society’s glorification of war and the American dream. American citizens feelings of disillusionment manifested itself into animosity against the war and anti-war protests. Following Americans feelings of disillusionment which brought negative ideas and events, Americans strove to reckon the previous decade within their ideas on the war and providing equality.
Throughout the 1950’s conformity consumed American society.

Citizens acquired the same ideals, standards of living, and aspirations for success which entailed living comfortably in suburbia. A prominent ideal that riddled American society was the glorification of war. Members of the army, marines, the navy, and more were seen as heroes. The horrors of war were never brought up, the war was portrayed as an adventure rather than a battlefield filled with wounded and dead American men. Young men and boys saw this glorification of war and they too wanted to be war heroes. This provoked young men not even out of high school to enlist. Ron Kovic was one of these young impressionable men. In his novel, Born on the Fourth of July, Kovic recounts his reasoning for enlisting, he states, “Just as we dreamed of playing for the Yankees someday, we dreamed of becoming United States Marines, and fighting out first war and we made a promise that the day we turned seventeen we were going … to sign up for the United States Marine Corps” (Kovic, 71). Kovic made a pact to join the marines with his friend when he was simply a child. Children should not have to think of such serious matters such as war. But children did think of the potential of joining the war due to it’s glorified image. That they too will be glorified and praised for becoming a war hero. It was with the conformity of American ideals of serving your country that the glorification of war was created, propelling an

entire generation of boys to join the war effort in Vietnam during the 1950’s.
During the 1950’s conformity dominated American culture through citizen’s aspirations of achieving “The American Dream”. This dream encompassed economic stability. Individuals wanted to live in the suburbs, have cars, home appliances, new clothing, and more. After World War II the white flight continued, millions of white Americans moved out of cities. Prior there was movement of white families out of cities but this movement was intensified during the 1950’s (Nash, 622). This movement into suburbs caused citizen’s need to attain the American dream to intensify which led to conformity. In Gary B. Nash’s The American People, Creating a Nation and a Society, he describes how this conformity and compliance affected American citizen’s ideals, he states, “As the economy expanded, and millions of Americans bought similar products, an increasing sense of sameness pervaded American society. Third and fourth generation ethnic Americans became much more alike” (Nash, 625). The trend of sameness was enabled by the American dream, citizen’s willingness and need to become the “perfect” family by owning a washing machine, a suburban home, a car, and more. Although these families simply wanted to achieve happiness and provide economic stability for their children, it caused the growth of conformity and compliance. This resulted in sameness continuing, preventing original thought or rebellion, a result of the American dream.
The age of conformity consisted of compliance and unity amongst American citizens, however, the 1960’s sparked a new era which consisted of many citizens feelings of disillusionment in regards to the Vietnam War. American citizens were not unintelligent, they witnessed the growing number of death notifications and the war continuing longer than expected. People were disappointed and angry, upset that an entire generation of young boys were continuing to die for the Vietnam War, a war the United States may not win. Among this frustration resentment accumulated amongst individuals, they thought that war was useless, that it only produces innocent lives lost. That they were continuing to send and take away the lives of their sons, husbands, brothers, and friends lives for a useless cause. Ron Kovic, a Vietnam veteran patented this mindset. After spending two tours in Vietnam Kovic was paralyzed from the chest down, Kovic lost his body which caused him to reflect on his sacrifices in regards to the war, he states, “I have given my dead swinging dick for America. I have given my numb young dick for democracy. It is done and numb lost somewhere out there by the river where the artillery is screaming in. Oh God oh God I want it back” (Kovic, 125)! Kovic was furious that he lost his body, that he gave up his chance to have a family, children all for America. This was and currently is the price of war. War was supposed to make a boy a man, however, the Vietnam War took away Kovic’s masculinity. This went against Kovic’s beliefs that war should be glorified causing him to feel disillusioned. Kovic was not alone, many fellow Americans felt lied to regarding America’s ability to win the war, the soldier’s safety and more, all of which riddled the 1960’s.
After the 1950’s, an age of conformity, many American citizens experienced disillusionment.

This disillusionment, manifested itself into anger, causing Americans to form antiwar protests during the 1960’s. Disillusionment is the feeling of disappointment from false beliefs, American civilians felt this dismay in regards to the continuation of the Vietnam War. Prior to the 1950’s civilians entered the Vietnam War with confidence in the United State's ability to win, however, many individuals were disappointed when they realized that winning the war was not possible. This angered many civilians because if the Vietnam War was a futile effort then why were young men still fighting and dying in Vietnam. Citizens felt lied to, prior they were told that America could easily win the Vietnam War and that war was not gruesome. But the American people soon found out of the horrific conditions in Vietnam, the humid climate that resulted in soldiers receiving heat stroke, the constant ambushes by the Viet Cong, the bombing raids on innocent Vietnamese citizens and more. In reaction to this anti-war protests developed, one, in particular, was Kent State. Gary B. Nash describes this event, he states, “Nixon announced in mid-1970 that American and Vietnamese troops were invading the country to clear out Community enclaves… Two days after the president announced his move, students at Kent State University in Ohio protested by setting the ROTC building on fire” (Nash, 671). Although

the Kent State protest ended tragically with the deaths of two students, it does indicate citizens willingness to object against the continuation of the Vietnam War. Many other citizens participated in anti-war protests, even including Veterans who joined protests and threw away their medals. Anti War protest was the reaction of citizens feelings of disillusionment which dominated the 1960’s, a major shift from America’s compliant society in the 1950’s.
The era of disillusionment left many Americans depressed and upset by their conclusions of war. In their efforts to overcome this anger many individuals strove to reckon their past experiences and thoughts of war, get over them. However, this task was not that easy. War brings irreversible damage to individuals and society. An example of this is the story of Ron Kovic, while serving in Vietnam Kovic became paralyzed from the chest down. With no movement or control of his body below his shoulders, Kovic had the constant reminder of the effects of war and his damaged body. When Kovic was preparing for a parade, Kovic describes his emotions in his novel, Born the Fourth of July, he states, “ He was lifted out by the heavy guy and he saw the people around him watching, and it bothered him because he didn't want them to see how badly he had been hurt and how helpless he was, having to be carried out of the car into the chair like a baby” (Kovic, 118). Kovic is unable to be truly independent, he can not get out of a car without the assistance of others and Kovic knows this. With this knowledge and constant reminder, Kovic’s ability to reckon his anger towards the war is hindered. Although Kovic did overcome his anger he is still paralyzed reminding him of his previous anger, preventing him from fully recovering. Similarly, Kovic’s fellow American citizens had prolonged reckoning due to the death of family members, seeing disabled veterans, and more, demonstrating how war has lasting effects.
After the era of disillusionment created chaos, there were many different protests, mobilization of minority groups and more, the late 1960’s was an era of reckoning, fixing previous problems. During the 1960’s many minority groups demanded for equal rights these included African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, women, gay and lesbians, and more. The United States made efforts to retribute racial discrimination through the integration of public schools with white and African American students. These efforts were favorable, separate but equal was not equal and integrated schools would ensure that all students no matter their race would receive an equal public education. Despite these intentions to reckon the discrimination regarding race in regards to a students education and in daily life, previous attitudes caused problems. Gary B. Nash describes the first steps of integration as seen through busing, in The American People, Creating a Nation and a Society, Nash describes this and the effects of movement towards equality. Nash states, “In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled that district courts had broad authority to order the desegregation of school systems by busing if necessary… Buses bringing in black students were stoned, and some children were injured” (Nash, 670). National efforts to reckon the discrimination against African Americans was futile due to many white Americans distaste for integration. This distaste was manifested in white boycotts, stoning African American buses, and injuring African American students. Many families moved away from cities where integration was occurring or sent their children to private schools. These actions increased conflict in the United States and caused the initiative to reckon discrimination as a failure. Although schools are integrated in the modern day schools still seem to be segregated, many public schools contain primarily white or students of minorities. This is because of white Americans movement from cities to suburbs which creates divisions in different school’s races. There is also a huge amount of violence and discrimination between white individuals and those of minorities which cycles back to a failed reckoning against discrimination that continues to the modern day.