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I was in the military (not a time of war) and by far the majority of young people who enlist are poor to lower middle class. My parents couldn't afford to send me to college, so I joined for the GI Bill. Most people who join do so for opportunity, not some sense of serving their country. I'm sure there were a number in recent years who joined out of some sense of loyalty to Bush, but probably not most.
I would like to overlay that map on one of low incomes and or Hispanic/Black population density. The current military adventures are even more of a 'rich man's war, poor man's fight" than Vietnam.
Blacks are over-represented in the military. Asians are WAY under-represented. Whites are very slightly under-represented. Hispanics and non-hispanics are pretty much the same.
What was most interesting is that poor people are under-represented. I always assumed, like the previous poster, that the poorest people were the ones who joined the military. Apparently this isn't the case.
My family has always been middle class, we have 3 generations still living that belong to the same VFW post.....
Maybe I phrased that in a misleading way.
I mean, I always assumed that the poorer 1/5 of people were over-represented in the military. I didn't mean that the middle and upper classes flat-out didn't join the armed forces.
I would like to overlay that map on one of low incomes and or Hispanic/Black population density. The current military adventures are even more of a 'rich man's war, poor man's fight" than Vietnam.
You know that the Armed Forces have a much larger percentage of people who actually finished high school than the general populace, right?
And the Air Force has a higher percentage of people with university degrees than the general populace.
Which we all know are very important indicators of how likely one is to escape/avoid poverty. But I guess it is easier to picture the armed forces consisting entirely of semi-literate blacks and Latinos who dying for a bunch of oil executives who wouldn't want them to join one of their country clubs.
You know that the Armed Forces have a much larger percentage of people who actually finished high school than the general populace, right?
And the Air Force has a higher percentage of people with university degrees than the general populace.
Which we all know are very important indicators of how likely one is to escape/avoid poverty. But I guess it is easier to picture the armed forces consisting entirely of semi-literate blacks and Latinos who dying for a bunch of oil executives who wouldn't want them to join one of their country clubs.
Good post, Frank.
For anyone interested in demographic facts about the men who served in Vietnam, here's a link which dispels some myths:
I would kindly suggest, macmeal, that the "point" would depend on who you are and what you're looking for. Perhaps this map meant nothing to you when you saw it, and that's okay.
For me, it represents all the lives lost in our country in this one war that both my husband and son are involved in. Maybe it's a female thing, but seeing the hometowns of these fallen men and women represented on one map satisfied some need of detail for me.
This map represents just a fraction of the brave Americans sacrificing their lives for the sake of others outside their own neighborhoods - the ones who would fight another day for freedom... if they could.
It represents the families and friends left behind to cherish and honor their memories. It links those families and friends together into a larger group of people who want to support each other. It reminds the rest of us how many people are truly affected by loss outside our own little world.
Statistical value of the map may still need to be explored, but I see value in it for historical, perspective, and unity purposes.
My thanks to 18Montclair for posting this map - whatever the point was.
I'm off now to find an updated version that includes the casualties from my son's tour of duty. He survived his attack, but many of his comrades didn't and there are families and friends out there who need our prayers.
God bless,
Tracy
Didn't mean to sound insensitive. I HAD a son in Kuwait--(He's home now)--and am a Viet Nam vet myself. I thought we were supposed to see some pattern (?) to the map.
If the point was only sheer NUMBERS, then yes, I get it. It's sad, discouraging, and depressing---every single dot. Thanks for your brave family's service..
Didn't mean to sound insensitive. I HAD a son in Kuwait--(He's home now)--and am a Viet Nam vet myself. I thought we were supposed to see some pattern (?) to the map.
If the point was only sheer NUMBERS, then yes, I get it. It's sad, discouraging, and depressing---every single dot. Thanks for your brave family's service..
I didn't mean to make you sound heartless! (typing leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to inflection) I truly meant that if you didn't get it, that was okay... not everyone would. I just wanted to write in detail what I saw, I think in part, because I was surprised by how much I saw in it and if it helped anyone else see something they weren't seeing that it would be a good thing.
You pinpointed my first thought on seeing it though - sheer NUMBERS. Wow. And that's not even the full count, as it ends in May 2007.
So I hope all misunderstandings are out of the way now and I also offer your family my thanks for their brave service.
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