'We are All Enlisted': An LDS Family and the Persian Gulf War

38 Pages Posted: 25 Oct 2013

Date Written: 2008

Abstract

On August 2, 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait. In the next month, political discussion centered around how the United States should react to this invasion. Not just political parties or groups of citizens debated about what to do in the face of war, individual families struggled through politics, patriotism, and ideology to deal with the possibility that one of their own would be marching off to war. As opposing groups argued their cases, families around the world stood at attention waiting to hear the fate of their enlisted members. When faced with the threat of separation, relocation, even possible death, it is fairly common to assess, even reassess politics, patriotism, and ideology. More importantly, it is not uncommon for individuals to reassess the meaning of life itself. For one family this war thrust its members into just such a dialogue. For this family, where traditions were cherished yet envisioned differently among each generation and each individual, the significance of religion, love, and the very meaning of family became the central focus of daily letters sent to their soldier activated in the Persian Gulf War.

Keywords: War, letters, soldiers, Persian Gulf, family, love, religion, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Mormon, LDS, patriotism, politics, ideology

JEL Classification: Z10

Suggested Citation

Murphy, Thomas and Murphy, Kerrie and Harmon Bills (Bean), Cheryl, 'We are All Enlisted': An LDS Family and the Persian Gulf War (2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2283912 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2283912

Thomas Murphy (Contact Author)

Edmonds College ( email )

20000 68th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98036
United States
425-640-1076 (Phone)
425-771-3366 (Fax)

Kerrie Murphy

Independent ( email )

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