Pre-Writing Assignment 3

To open with the research completed for photograph known as "Sailor and Girl at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" in order to shed some light on the culture and historical context of the times we'll look at two different quotes from two rather different figures in society.

"The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking... the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker."

- Albert Einstein

And the second,

"Sometimes I think it should be a rule of war that you have to see somebody up close and get to know him before you can shoot him."

- Colonel Potter, M*A*S*H

These quotes speak to the destruction and devastation of modern warfare and how the return of unidentifiable soldiers or even anything remnants worth sending home is becoming a common occurrence. With the development of the atomic bomb and other forms of modern weaponry such as the Javelin (shown above) a different light seems to have been cast on monuments such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. "The direct effects of a nuclear war, the killing and maiming effects of the blast, the thermal pulse, prompt nuclear radiation, and fire storms are too horrifying for the human mind to comprehend" (Birks, 1986). Such mutilation and defecation of our nation's proud and honorable men and women is rarely considered when a tourist views the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. When a soldier or sailor such as the one depicted in the photo visits Arlington Cemetery the flashbacks of the traumas of war must ensue.

Other aspects of the photograph and more specifically the tomb itself include the elements of the Tomb that were consciously created by the architect to invoke certain emotions.

"On the East face of the Tomb you will find three figures, carved into the marble. This is the face most visitors to the Tomb do not see. The three figures, from left to right, represent Peace, Victory and Valor.

Peace is holding a dove in her hand...Valor is holding a broken sword in his hands...Victory is holding the hand of Peace and extending an olive branch towards Valor. This symbolized the devotion and sacrifice that went with courage to make the cause of righteousness triumph."

The photograph itself was taken by one of the special photographers hired by the U.S. government upon the closure of WWI under the Farm Security Administration (later under the Office of War Administration during WWII). These photographers were instructed to capture the rural life and negative impact of the Great Depression and later shifted towards emphasis on WWII (The Library of Congress). The photographs taken by these photographers became famous for the aptitude to encompass the emotions associated with U.S. and global society during these times. People were experiencing poverty as well as the despair that accompanied a soldier once they returned home as is evident in the photo itself. The positioning of the sailor and the girl indicates a tear or offset in their relationship most likely due to the aforementioned traumas of war and how the soldier internalizes his struggles.