Courage

The History of Courage

Throughout U.S. history, men and women who served in conflicts overseas and at home, whether in victory or defeat, displayed the utmost examples of courage through their acts of bravery and honor. [Page 415]While one usually imagines courageous acts as that of a commander leading his troops over a trench or a private soldier rallying his unit around the flag, the majority of soldiers call on courage to withstand the fear of battle on a daily basis. How did soldiers have the courage to do such actions? First, one must look at the broader culture of society to understand how a particular generation views the concept of courage. Soldier motivation can be closely tied to why men and women risk their lives on the battlefield. Studies of the common solider correlate the degree to which a soldier believes in a “cause,” also known as ideology, to how strong his dedication is to follow orders in spite of fear. Second, many soldiers fought to display their manliness or manhood, which was a significant virtue in 19th-century society. If soldiers went to war to define their manhood, the solidification of this attribute is through committing courageous acts, just as the opposite reaction would be to retreat or desert. Finally, the leadership understands that while courage is necessary, asking soldiers to serve as cannon fodder demoralizes them, and they have thus modernized the tactics to keep up with the technology. Because early tactics did not allow for soldiers to take cover or reload under the protection of defenses, soldiers were forced to shed fear and doubt by pursuing the enemy. Since modern technology outweighed the tactics, the officers made adaptations to decrease the number of casualties and protect their soldiers by digging trenches and building fortifications, which was once viewed as cowardly. Therefore, the concept of courage is modified throughout a war based on the soldier’s lived experience and ability to withstand the imminent fear of death.

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