Larry Minear’s political science/oral history hybrid offers a cautiously non-partisan account of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from the diverse perspectives of the men and women in the armed forces. From the title, readers might expect (and look forward to) a collection of sustained narratives from individual soldiers. However, the book is instead an overview of the two combat theaters that strings together isolated quotes to paint a general picture of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom through the enlistment, combat, and reentry experience. Drawing on some 150 accounts selected randomly from the Veteran’s Oral History Project, Minear weaves together selections from different narratives to underscore the complexity and diversity of perspectives present in the military. The resulting composite narrative is thorough and readable, and an impressive range of voices is heard from. However, the inevitable counterpart is that there is not sufficient time spent with any one narrator to approach real insight into their experience, which is the book’s professed aim.
Part I, The Setting, is a brief introductory chapter, which provides social and political context for the War on Terror. Readers will find nothing new here, though Minear does navigate through a political minefield with remarkable skill. Part II, The Experience, covers a range of recurrent themes in the stories of soldiers (for the sake of simplicity Minear extends this label to service members from all branches of the military), from reasons for enlistment, battlefield ethics, politics, patriotism, culture shock, and winning hearts and minds. Minear places particular, welcome emphasis on the ways this war differs from previous ones—notably, the ease of communication between overseas soldiers and their families at home. Gone are the long lines for public phones and letters blacked out by censors. Instead, soldiers blog from the frontlines—though the concepts of a “frontline” and “rear echelon,” many note, no longer apply to the kind of war being fought now. The ubiquity of media has changed the nature of war; soldiers point out that when they can google the statistics the day after a battle, no one has any right to be uninformed.
By bringing different narratives into conversation and setting diverse opinions against each other, Minear re-constructs fascinating debates over issues like the military’s role as a peacekeeping force. Some feel strongly that humanitarian efforts are better left to organizations like the Peace Corps, while others feel that hearts-and-minds operations like distributing school supplies to children is the first and best thing about the presence of American troops in the Middle East. The question is a serious one: is there such a thing as neutral humanitarian aid? While civilian organizations can afford to offer nonpartisan charity, soldiers are keenly aware that extending free medical care to villagers who might return with IEDs is poor wartime strategy. Hearing this complex issue addressed by the men and women who experience it firsthand is a compelling argument for more books like this one.
The veterans have insight into problems facing a modernizing military that the general public is largely oblivious to. Especially interesting is the discussion of private contractors and the extent to which commercial suppliers have colonized the military. Some bases overseas are miniature cities where the comforts of home, like fast food and expensive electronics, are available for purchase. Despite the comfort and convenience, many soldiers expressed disgust and frustration at the privatization of services that were once taken care of in-house—particularly when those conveniences cost lives. Being assigned as security detail to shipments of big-screen televisions or kitty litter rubbed many the wrong way.
Part III, Reentry, deals with the difficulty of readjusting to civilian society, when hard-won survival skills like quick reflexes, snap decision-making, and keeping communication to a minimum, are suddenly a liability and embarrassment. Good soldiers become merely tightly-wound, reckless, taciturn civilians, because the transition from soldier back to ordinary citizen is ambiguous and underfunded.
Minear notes that of the 864 billion dollars spent on the war between 9/11 and 2009, less than one percent was spent on medical care for veterans, a shocking statistic—particularly in light of the advances in medicine that have resulted in much higher percentages of returning wounded than in any previous war.
Minear’s approach is painstakingly unbiased; for every outspoken anti-Muslim voice there is a culturally-sensitive counter-quote, and if one Marine has grown disillusioned with his mission there is a National Guard member who, initially unsure, is now convinced of the good her service has done. Every chapter ends with a brief paragraph of summation, usually reiterating that the issue is complicated and conflicting opinions numerous. The effect is rather frustratingly flat, but is undeniably fair. Through Veteran’s Eyes is a solid, even-handed overview, but it does sacrifice depth for comprehensiveness.
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[Review length: 784 words • Review posted on January 19, 2011]