World War I Veteran Experience
Many thought that the war would be quick, easy and similar to past wars, but as technology in the 20th century became more advanced, so did military capabilities. New weapons including mortars, chemical gases, and submarines changed the concept of war, as well as the types of injuries veterans came home with. The effects of trench warfare, constant gunfire, shelling, and the environment harmed many of the men serving, both mentally and physically.
New organizations such as the American Legion were created to help supply veterans with benefits and care. Other new resources included VA hospitals, as well as education and employment organizations, which aimed to help vets in other ways. With the aid of these groups, returning soldiers were supplied with the help they needed, whether help obtaining a jobs or receiving medical treatment.
Crowd standing in the street and on an incline as draftees from the Irving Park Division are preparing to leave, Courtesy of Chicago Daily News Inc., Explore Chicago Collections [11]
Warfare during World War I changed drastically due to the advancement of military technology and these methods of war also had a strong impact on soldiers as well. Living conditions during World War I as well as the environment of trench warfare played heavily into negative impacts of a soldiers well-being. Medical issues that began to emerge during this time included several diseases due to the lack of hygiene among soldiers from being in the trenches and infected wounds [1]. Among these medical issues included emergence of trench foot. Trench foot was first noted during the winter of 1914 [2]. Trench foot began to form due to several environmental factors such as cold weather and prolonged time standing in water as well as tight or ill-fitting shoes and boots [3]. Several other illnesses were prevalent within the trenches due to the lack of cleanliness and made the living environment difficult, uncomfortable, and unhealthy.
Another common issue that many soldiers faced was the psychological effects of the war. Because of the advancement of weaponry, many soldiers suffered from what has been named shell shock as well as PTSD and other disabilities, both mental and physical. Shell shock at the time did not have a name and was seen as an unknown condition as many of those affected suffered from several symptoms such as despondency, bouts of depression, headaches, difficulty sleeping and mood disturbance [4]. These psychological issues escalated and at times worsened into hallucinations due to fatigue and even thoughts of suicide [5]. Many of these issues stemmed from events of war such as the witnessing of the death of other soldiers as well as the act of killing itself. PTSD and issues such as shell shock were also linked to these experiences as well as constant explosions and gunfire. These experiences left many soldiers unstable and injured, making the return into society difficult.
Upon the return home, many soldiers still suffered many of these afflictions including physical disabilities. Due to the nature of World War I as it became a modern war, ways in which to care and aid veterans in need were not as developed. This led to the creation of several different organizations which supplied veterans with aid in terms of healthcare and employment. In 1914, “The Commission on National Aid to Vocational Education” was established [6]. This commission gave young adults and later veterans returning from World War I a way in order to readjust to the workforce and society. This also led to the creation of the Federal Board for Vocational Education and later the establishment of Vocational Rehabilitation agencies [7].The veterans who did receive training where trained in trade jobs, industry, and agriculture while those who attended college would receive professional training [8]. Along with re-education programs, other organizations had their creation as a result of World War I such as the American Legion and the establishment of VA hospitals and their programs. Created in 1919, the American Legion stood as an organization that was based on the soldiers of the whole country and its purpose to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism, and to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom, and democracy [9]. During World War I the establishment of VA hospitals and other health care facilities for veterans became available.This system working alongside the American Legion allowed for many disabled veterans to receive free health benefits and care [10].
33rd Division, U. S. Army soldiers marching south on North State Street upon return home, Courtesy of Chicago Daily News Inc., Explore Chicago Collections [12]
Headquarters, Medical Consultants, American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.), Neufchâteau, France, World War I. Courtesy of University of Chicago Photographic Archives [13]
World War I as a war had a major impact on the lives of many American soldiers. From physical disabilities such as blindness, burns, and missing limbs to mental issues ranging from depression and trauma, World War I affected many but also acted as a gateway into veteran care. With the aid of newly established organizations such as the American Legion, re-education programs, and VA hospitals veterans were able to receive aid in the forms of health care benefits as well as opportunities in education and employment. Despite the hardships and difficulties of World War I, the post-war time allowed for progress in regards to veteran care. Re-education allowed veterans the opportunity to continue with school and college in order to be better prepared to work and integrate back into everyday life. VA hospitals and agencies acted as a source of aid through providing affordable medical care to many veterans. The American Legion also helped in this way. By providing health benefits as well as opportunities of re-education alongside the several other emerging organizations, returning World War I veterans were able to receive aid.
Created by Samantha Peron
End Notes
[1] March, William. Company K (Tuscaloosa, Alabama: The University of Alabama Press, 1989), 54
[2] Robert L. Atenstaedt. “Trench foot: The Medical Response in the First World War 1914-18,” National Public Health Service for Wales and Institute of Medical and Social Care Research 17, no.14 (2006), doi: 10.1580/06-WEME-LH-02R7.1
[3] Ibid.
[4] Sharon Shively, Daniel Perl, “Traumatic Brain Injury, Shell Shock, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Military-Past, Present, and Future,” The Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation 27, no. 3 (2012) 235. Doi: 10.1097/HTR.0b013e318250e9dd
[5] March, William. Company K (Tuscaloosa, Alabama: The University of Alabama Press, 1989), 54
[6] Joseph W. Madaus, Wayne K. Miller II, Mary Lee Vance, “Veterans with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education” Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability 22, no.1 (2009) 11. URL: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ844247
[7] Joseph W. Madaus, Wayne K. Miller II, Mary Lee Vance, “Veterans with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education” Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability 22, no.1 (2009) 11. URL: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ844247
[8] Ibid. 11
[9] Yamagishi Takakazu, “Veterans and Americanism: The American Legion and VA Health Care after World War II” Nanzan Review of American Studies 31 (2009) 161-172.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Chicago Daily News, Inc. Crowd standing in the street and on an incline as draftees from the Irving Park Division are preparing to leave. 1917. Chicago History Museum, Chicago. http://explore.chicagocollections.org/image/chicagohistory/71/xd0r87r/
[12] Chicago Daily News, Inc. 33rd Division, U. S. Army soldiers marching south on North State Street upon return home. 1919. Chicago History Museum, Chicago. http://explore.chicagocollections.org/image/chicagohistory/71/hd7p523/
[13] Archival Photographic Files. Headquarters, Medical Consultants, American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.), Neufchâteau, France, World War I. 1918-11. University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center, Chicago. http://photoarchive.lib.uchicago.edu/db.xqy?one=apf1-04284.xml