Armed with Abundance: Consumerism and Soldiering in the Vietnam War. Meredith H.Lair. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011.

Abstract

Armed with Abundance: Consumerism and Soldiering in Vietnam War. Meredith H. Lair. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011.The Vietnam War was an extensive, bloody conflict with enormous ramifications nationally and globally. Prior to war, Vietnamese had resisted Chinese occupation for over thousand years; America's invasion would be no different. Meredith Lair delves into this popular subject taking radically different direction - breaking with conventional ideas about war. The book's iconoclastic argument explores how soldiers' experiences during this conflict were abounding with comfortable living accommodations, entertainment, and relaxed access to consumer goods. This is certainly not how most Vietnam War books are depicted, and Lair took major leap writing this compelling book.Many soldiers' experiences, especially those of rearward personnel, included luxurious living within Vietnam. Lair describes Long Binh Post, major command headquarter for United States Army, as so big - by army's estimate, comparable in area to Cleveland, Ohio (32). This enormous base, and others like it, contained plethora of basketball courts, swimming pools, miniature golf courses, and even go-cart track - to name just few of amenities. As wonderful as this might seem, tragedy, according to Lair, did reach soldiers within these leisurely compounds. Falling mortar shells? A Viet Cong infiltration? The August 1971 issue of The Long Bing Post states that a dangerous conjunctivitis (pink eye) 'epidemic' began ravaging soldiers (37). In midst of war, trivial problem such as an eye infection became major concern for support units. Lair goes on to comment that American military constructed an Americanized world in Vietnam to soldiers, since 75 to 90 percent... labored in supporting roles, out of danger and in relative comfort (5). Vietnam soldiers' experiences varied significantly, depending on when and where they served.Causalities on Vietnamese side were immense. Meanwhile, as Lair suggests, most American soldiers enjoyed R&R in exotic countries, steak dinners, and quality time with prostitutes - American government's way of maintaining high morale, which was necessary to produce efficiency within stressful atmosphere. The author bluntly states that the U.S. military's inability or unwillingness to exert control over its forces encouraged American soldiers to indulge their appetites for fun, sex, and violence in ribald celebration of power, youth, and life. …