Pat Horn and the American Perception of the US Military
Above are two photos displaying American soldiers. One photo looks as though the soldier is living in blissful coexistence with the local civilians of Iraq. This coexistence is shared over the game of soccer. It is a beautiful thought that a sport can bring people of completely different backgrounds together. Here, war is not evident. The story goes that the Iraqi civilians had not been able to view the historical Ziggurat behind them for 10 years. Many people react to this information by thinking, “This war has distanced civilians from their heritage.” War causes suffering on multiple fronts. The other photo shows a different human, but the same American soldier. This is the same soldier because they wear the same uniform. They received the same training. They answer to the same Commander and Chief. In the latter photo, the brutality of war is displayed. The American soldier looks on with wonder and questions, "How?" Does the US soldier experience both the joy of coexistence and the depression following destruction? Does the US soldier wish to be there? Does the US soldier transition from photo to photo as one continues to serve?
Patrick Horn is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and teaches high school English. He was on active duty in the Air Force for seven years and in the Air Force Reserves for six years. He was an intelligence officer in the War in Afghanistan where he rode in F-16 planes as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. A Princeton and UNC-CH graduate, Horn is well-educated. Being in the military allowed Horn to travel the world. Horn displays in the interview that he believes the shortfalls of understanding both the US military and global circumstances stem from a lack of knowledge regarding global military affairs. If one is educated about geopolitics and understands US military history, Horn believes they will question why the American military does what it does, as well as question why Americans react to military members the way they do. A well-informed American public will question typical military social norms.
In the clip to the left, Horn discusses how the military is a reflection of our country. Furthermore, he discusses how the perception of the military fluctuates and changes over time.
Released in December of 1966, “For What It’s Worth” is a song by Buffalo Springfield that was written for the Californian counter-culture movement. Yet, the song has been adopted to be anti-war and has evolved into Vietnam War-era art. The song gives a nod to public perception by saying, "Everybody stop, hey, what's the sound, everybody look what's going down." Song is a piece of folk art that displays emotion and feeling. This song represents Pat Horn perfectly by adding rhythm to his words. This song displays Pat Horn by asking the audience to question their surroundings. In the oral interview, Horn makes a note to be cautious and question everything. Although Horn declares himself and cynic, he brings up a valuable point. People were largely disgruntled with Vietnam, yet had they not questioned the war, America may have never ceased to be involved.
Pat Horn causes us to question the change. He asks us to question the dissent. He asks us to look back at the statistical fact cited on paper. He asks us to review the initial photos of two different soldiers. He asks us to look at our history, even our art history like For What it's Worth. He asks us to question and reflect and form a better America.
This graph is displayed on page 23 of the article. The results of those answering yes, decreased as the questions were asked. While those answering no increased.
The data shows that those who fought in the conflict believe that future generations are more likely to criticize the war than those who fought in the conflict of World War II. Why do the veterans of World War II not criticize themselves, but believe they will be criticized? Horn discusses how people admire him for his military service. It is almost as though everyone who puts on the uniform of a US service branch is automatically clothed in glory. Indeed, glory and honor, pride and sacrifice, are all closely associated with the military. Why are they associated? Because the American public has a perceived notion of war. Humans value the photo of coexistence, but we feel the photo of destruction must fit the picture of war. Why did the veterans of World War II think they would receive criticism in the future? Did they think they were wrong to stop fascism? I think not, but I do believe that every soldier, no matter what rank, no matter what branch, experiences a period of reflection. During this period, they discover that war is not glamorous and fun, but is cruel and dark. The voices reflected in the article are not ashamed of what they did, but are conscious that war is no celebration.
The first slide on “How Well Do You Think the American People Understand…?” reflects that Americans believe other Americans are not as informed regarding both the positives and the negatives of the military. Furthermore, Americans are less informed regarding negatives opposed to positives of the military. This is a unique study because it is asking Americans to be self-critical.
Next, regarding the data of civilian reflection as a result of 9/11, the statistics prove extremely positive. Although the percentage shrank as the tiers were raised, the initial survey describing the bare minimum (feeling proud) was so high, that the drop has little overall impact.
In the confidence slide, notice how after 1985, the military holds more public confidence than church. Furthermore, notice how Congress has a rather low representation despite Congress and the military being closely related.
Lastly, regarding “Sacrifices Since 9/11” the American people believe that military families have sustained a larger brunt than the average American, by almost double.
Looking at all of this data combined can be puzzling. Two scenarios are produced. One is that the American people have such positive feelings towards the military because they are less-informed than they should be. The other is that despite Americans knowing the negatives of the military, when compared to other institutions, the military is the best, and therefore requires admiration and praise. This data reflects what Pat Horn says when he talks about how people are consumed with the aura of the military. They were consumed with asking Horn questions and getting to his experiences.
The Invisible War is a 2013 documentary that the class which built this site watched as a part of the Spring curriculum to better understand the US military. The documentary draws back nearly 30 years to explain the horrors of sexual assault in the military. The documentary makes one think about what they believe the US military to be. Horn advises us all to question, and gain a more well-rounded perspective. A large portion of our society knows nothing of The Invisible War because they have not questioned, yet if they saw The Invisible War would their thoughts change? The link to the website which describes ways to access the film is attached. https://itvs.org/films/invisible-war
In these oral interviews Horn discusses the evolution of the American military and the perception that has changed from Vietnam to the 1990s and how then the American perception changed drastically after 9/11. He discusses how some Amercians have a cluelessness about American affairs. Horn through these clips displays his convictions about what the American people believe. This combined with the above data should make the American citizen question their own understanding and help them gain perspective.
Pat Horn serves as a catalyst to the American and makes them question the American perception of the US military. Like Pat Horn, perhaps you can simultaneously be proud, yet “question everything.”