Veterans Studies is a growing field of research that addresses the significant impact of military personnel transitioning from active duty to civilian life. Outside the trauma of military existence is the rich sense of community that exists in the humorous aspects of providing service to one’s country. These stories and experiences have provided mass media laughs in periodicals like Reader’s Digest’s “Humor in Uniform” and in television shows like Gomer Pyle, Hogan’s Heroes, The A-Team, and Mash. No tragedy is complete without inferences of comedy. This session invites papers that explore the many humorous facets of military experience exhibited in literature, theater, film, and poetry written about or by military veterans.
A significant justification for this session is the opportunity to submit completed papers to the Journal of Veterans Studies, “an open-access, peer-reviewed journal…whose goals are to sustain research in veteran’s studies, facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations, and narrow gaps between cultures, institutions, experiences, knowledge, and understanding.”
This topic is especially relevant because the session occurs during the Veterans Day national holiday in a region that proudly features Naval Base San Diego, Naval Base Point Loma, Marine Corps Base Miramar, Naval Air Station North Island, and a host of National Guard units statewide.
Posted on 10 Jun 2019
In November 2016, we established the Journal of Veterans Studies (JVS). JVS’ mission was to narrow the gaps between veteran and civilian cultures, experiences, and institutions. Our logo, which featured a book adorned with images of a rifle and a pen, represented how we would accomplish this mission during our formative years—by collaborating with an international and interdisciplinary scholarly community to write the underrepresented voices of veterans and their families into our academic and historic records.
Now, a mere three years later, JVS has published nearly 80 original peer-reviewed articles and reviews, in effect recognizing countless stories belonging to veteran communities. While it is clear that awareness to the veteran experience has grown with JVS, it is important that we do not stop here. We must continue growing.
Our new logo is a red poppy developed by graphic designer Vassilissa Semouchkina. During World War I, Canadian soldier John McCrane wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields” and described red poppies as the first flowers to grow on the graves of soldiers who died in war. Inspired by McCrane’s poem, university professor and YMCA Overseas War Secretaries volunteer Moina Michael, featured the poppy in her 1918 poem “We Shall Keep the Faith” and campaigned to have it adopted as America’s national symbol of remembrance. In 1920, The American Legion adopted the red poppy as a commemorative symbol, and before long, the poppy's symbolic use expanded across veterans’ groups in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
With National Poppy Day approaching on May 24th, JVS draws upon the red poppy as a symbol of remembrance, community, and expansion to remind us—as an international group of veterans and scholars—to continue growing together until our mission is complete.
Posted on 10 May 2019
We have several books in need of reviews: we are looking for reviewers! We look for reviews between 1500-3000 words and completed within 90 days of receipt of book. Below are the available titles.
1. Pathways to Pacifism and Antiwar Activism among U.S. Veterans by Julie Putnam Hart and Anjel N. Stough-Hunter
2. War Veterans And the World After 1945 by Angel Alcalde and Xose M. Nunez Seixas
3. Shoot Like A Girl: One Woman’s Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front by
4. Congress and U.S. Veterans: From GI Bill to the VA Crisis.
Interested? Please email Sarah Austin Sarah.Austin@usafa.edu
Posted on 07 Oct 2018
The Journal of Veterans Studies has several opportunities for new media reviews, and we are looking for reviewers. We ask that reviews are between 1500-3000 words and completed within 90 days of confirmation of the subject. Below are just a few of the available opportunities. If you don’t see one you’re interested in, let me know. There’s a chance we have something that fits your interests. Interested reviewers should contact Katt Blackwell-Starnes at kattstarnes@gmail.com
Posted on 08 Aug 2018