During the antebellum era, many enslaved Americans would undergo significant trauma and hardship as their family structures were subject to rapid and harsh separation due to slavery, however, the civil war differed from this as although this practice maintained its horrible grasp, slaves had the ability to potentially escape this once iron-gripped fate. It is undeniable that slavery caused the separation of many families, as “There were numerous occasions, by no means all involving sale, in which slaves were forcibly removed, either temporarily or permanently, from their loved ones” (Kolchin, pg. 125). Systems of selling or transporting slaves across plantation and state lines were commonplace, with “wrenching - and permanent - disruption of families” being a primary symptom of this common practice (Kolchin, pg. 125). Throughout this period, “about one first marriage in three was broken by forced separation and close to half of all children were separated from at least one parent.”, and though the Civil War did not eradicate this stain upon society, it did provide alleviation in some forms (Kolchin, pg. 126). As Union soldiers marched further south, “With their own eyes, soldiers saw slavery snap bonds between parents and children”, and many took deep within themselves a hatred of what tragedies they saw (Manning, pg. 49).
This meant that all able-bodied white man, between 17 and 35, would serve in the Confederate Army. The only problem was that the universal conscription law was not appealing to the poorer soldiers, it favored the wealthy more. (284) The wealthy families were able to escape the harsh effects of wartime scarcity for a while. The poorer families, who were affected almost immediately, were unable.
You’ve probably heard of the Civil War, but do you really know the motivation behind the fighting? Just imagine, the year is 1861 and a war starts to break out. However, it is not just any war, it is the Civil War. This war dragged on over 4 years, taking down nearly 15,000 young men with it. These men were in their twenties and thirties, as young as thirteen, and were turned into soldiers.
In my life I have faced some extremely trying experiences and, from them, learned some very valuable lessons. My father, SPC Theodore “TJ” Ingemanson, an Iraq War Veteran and Wounded Warrior, passed unexpectedly, from injuries he suffered during his deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was twelve years old. Two months after this devastating event, my mother was sent to prison for choices she made that impacted our lives in a negative way. Life, as I knew it, became a chaotic tailspin, changing rapidly and drastically.
It took 250$ and good deeds to create some doctor like me. Growing up I was the kid who looked at the world with open optimistic eyes. I grew up in a small city called Dora located in Iraq, the middle of three girls. I was born in the late 90s, I have been told that I was born "at the end of the good days". That's when Iraq's political circumstances were not at peace at all, at 2003 another war broke in Iraq.
During the Civil War, it is said that almost 180,000 Black Soldiers served in the Union Army. The families of these soldiers would camp in nearby makeshift villages to be near their husbands, sons and fathers. The soldiers assisted them the best they could by share food and clothing from their military rations. Nearly 40,000 Black Soldiers died during the course of the war with 30,000 due to infections and diseases. Although Blacks were giving the chance to fight for their freedom, they were still not looked as equals.
The United States military I consider one of the best in the world which is one reason I love learning about it. The U.S. military is well funded and generally has some of the newest and most advanced technology out there such as a railgun that fires ferrous projectiles using magnets to 3 times the speed of sound. For reasons like this I also want to join the marines to get to use technology like that. My family has joined the military often and it’s usually the navy. One of my cozens is in the navy and so was my uncle who operated the sonar on a Cleveland class cruiser which was apparently hit by a torpedo.
Diversity has been an integral part of the fabric of my life. Growing up as an Army Brat was very multi faceted. One of the most positive elements was the exposure I received in my schools and on post. My childhood neighborhoods were rich with different cultures, races and religious backgrounds. Many of my oldest friends share unique traditions that to the average town, would seem remarkable and even unfathomable.
Growing up in a single parent military family I spent a lot of time away from my mom. When she would have to go away, my sister and I would stay with our mom’s friends or co-workers for weeks at a time. So when my husband came home, and told me that he thought joining the military would be a good move for our family, it was a difficult decision for me. However, we were struggling in our current situation. We were young parents without high school diplomas trying to make it on our own with our two daughters, and it was becoming harder and harder to find a steady job to support ourselves.
As much as I want to stay and help out the army, I’ve chosen to come back home. I have been homesick and don’t want to be so cold all the time. As good as it sounds to have freedom, I rather have a warm place to stay at and nicer clothes than I have now. Lots of sickness, too much death, and terrible conditions are the reasons why I am not going to re-enlist. One reason I am choosing to leave is that there is too much sickness.
I don’t really enjoy picking fights, or committing any acts of violence. Truthfully, if I got into any type of conflict, my lanky body would probably give up on me halfway. That’s what my wife told me after I said I was going to be joining the US armed forces. “Mark, are you an idiot? You can’t even walk without limping, how will you serve our country?!”
From the moment I was born I was considered a military brat, I was born in Hawaii at tripler hospital because my mom was in the army and stationed there, my biological father was in the marines. When my mom remarried when I was 7, she married a man who was in the Navy. Everyone thinks being a Military brat just means you know more than other people because you 've been more places and seen more things and you get a lot of stuff you want. This is not true at all. Coming from a military background means you never have stability, you are held to a higher standard than all the other kids, and sometimes it makes you want to be in the military and only focus on that.
Have you ever just thought about going to other countries and being able to say you served your country over there? Well I have and that is what I plan on doing right after High school. I am going to go to the Marine Corps and serving my country the way I feel I have to serve it. Going into the Marine Corps is something I have been trying to do, since I figured out what the Marines were.
Eight years ago I walked into a Navy recruiter's office and said, " If I join today, when is the soonest I can go to boot camp? " I did not know what to expect. However I was sure of one thing, and that was that I wanted to join the United States Navy. As those eight years ensued, the Navy began to mold me physically and mentally. Some of the changes I underwent were positive, and others were rather uncouth.
It doesn’t get easier. It won’t get easier. It’s been 12 years since he passed yet despite everything it still aches just as it did the second I found out. I wish I could go back in time to that morning.
