SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS

SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS: AN ORAL HISTORY OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TO THE PENTAGON. By Carl Mirra.
New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. 224 pp. Hardbound, $100.00;
Softbound, $31.00.

Part of the Palgrave Studies in Oral History series edited by Linda Shopes and Bruce M. Stave, Soldiers and Citizens presents a collection of oral history interviews primarily with American soldiers, but also with family members, pundits, policy officials, and a few international interviewees. After providing a useful introduction and initial chapter focused on sketching out a brief history of American contacts with Iraq, Mirra groups the oral histories into four thematic chapters. He is admittedly anti-war, but he minimizes his partiality by sharing authority with the interviewees concerning the book’s editing. The open exchange of conflicting perspectives makes the book ideal for students (especially undergraduates) and the general public desiring to make sense of American perceptions of involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mirra contends, “The central argument of this book is that a sane civic dialogue is needed, one that can confront the errors of the Bush administration, while at the same time respecting the commitment of veterans and their families as we attempt to grasp the war’s reality and move beyond sensationalized media images” p(1–2).
Carl Mirra is a former Marine who left the service as a conscientious objector during the Persian Gulf War. He is unapologetic as a critic of war and advocate for peace. Currently an associate professor at Adelphi University in the school of education, he teaches courses involving peace studies, human rights, and childhood literacy. His experiences within the military and on the front lines of education lend a practicality to Soldiers and Citizens. The book avoids jargon and complicated academic prose; rather, it pleasingly presents a dialogue from differing perspectives concerning American viewpoints of involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Each of the four thematic chapters begins with an introduction that seeks to place the interviews into context. For example, the second chapter’s theme is the patriotism of anti-war soldiers. It begins with a discussion of post-traumatic stress disorder, the Laws of Armed Conflict, and the history of GI resistance, especially during the Vietnam conflict. Mirra follows the second chapter’s short introduction with eight oral history interviews with soldiers. Especially interesting is the information concerning the different experiences of soldiers attempting to gain conscientious objector status. Some felt the process was fairly straightforward, while others experienced administrative difficulties. Individual circumstances, like commanding officer support or opposition, shaped the narratives and demonstrate the value of oral history as a descriptive tool. Each oral history passage is preceded by a short biography of the interviewee. Mirra edits the interviews to remove the interviewer’s questions to improve overall flow, a format he continues to use in subsequent chapters.
The most valuable conversations in this book occur in chapters 2 and 3. As mentioned, the former chapter contains interviews with anti-war soldiers, while the latter provides the perspective of pro-war soldiers. In the introduction to chapter 3, Mirra remarks that the issue of support for Operation Iraqi Freedom does not necessarily make these veterans pro-war, but rather pro-victory. This distinction is important because Mirra does not want to present his interviewees in chapter 3 as warmongers; instead, they are thoughtful individuals who have concluded that U.S. intervention abroad is necessary and appropriate to ensure U.S. national security and to provide Iraqi humanitarian relief. The anti-war veterans in chapter 2, on the other hand, dispute the idea that the U.S. presence has created a better situation for Iraqis. This dispute allows the reader to comprehend the varying experiences that U.S. soldiers underwent during their time in Iraq. Some felt welcomed as liberators, while others felt only suspicion from the local population. Capturing these divergent individual narratives demonstrates the complexity and contingencies that shape understandings concerning military service.
One would expect to see many such oral history efforts in the near future dealing with the other recent U.S. military interventions. Carl Mirra is leading the way and has managed to minimize the distortion of time by interviewing those associated with Operation Iraqi Freedom soon after their involvement. Even with the lack of great temporal distance, Mirra is able to critically assess interviewee narratives. He echoes the general oral historical approach contained within Alessandro Portelli’s corpus, which he cites, when he writes, “Of special importance is the means by which interviewee’s answers are constructed and presented” p(5). Mirra successfully lets the soldiers, pundits, and policy makers relay their mindset and understanding of events.
Soldiers and Citizens is a short work, only 224 pages including the notes, bibliography, and index. This easy-to-read book does not explain the lead up and prosecution of the war in new terms. It reiterates points that anyone familiar with the debates surrounding U.S. involvement will be aware of. Mirra works toward humanizing the war effort through the examination of divergent viewpoints and perspectives. A dialogue emerges that challenges readers to interrogate their own understandings beyond the dominant narrative that mainstream media outlets too often present uncritically.

Christopher Atkinson
University at Buffalo

Source: Oral History Review, 327-329: (2) 39 (2012); First published online: July 30, 2012