The Rifleman

After reading Studs Terkel’s introduction to An Oral History of World War II and Terkel’s interview with Bob Rasmus, a rifleman for the U.S. army in World War II, I had realized how the war had changed soldiers’ perspectives on the war and countries. I was surprised by Bob Rasmus’s experiences, views on the war, and by feelings, as the rifleman passed through Europe. Rasmus explained that the war had made “young kids, who had never wandered beyond the precinct of their native city or their small hometown or their father’s farm, ran into exotic places and exotic people, as well as into one another, whom they found equally exotic.” (164) The war had played a role in Rasmus’s perspective, because on one hand Rasmus was excited to have this adventure and to be able see the world, but at the same time, the enemy “were no longer the Germans of the brutish faces and the helmets we saw in the news reels. They were exactly our age. Those were boys like us.” (163) Rasmus’s view had changed drastically after fighting in Europe. He had noticed how the emotion of war had changed depending upon what area of Europe he was in. Rasmus had mentioned that some villages were pretty and filled with small churches on the countryside, but when he entered a major city the tone would change from this pretty peaceful countryside to a beat up and destroyed city. The major cities were filled with ruble and it was that change in mood that really impacted Rasmus. Rasmus not only noted the changes that he saw in Europe, but he also had mentioned how America had changed into an even greater world power. Rasmus explained that “The United States had become the most powerful industrial as well as military power in the world.” The interview makes me question the use of propaganda and the power of nationalism. Rasmus’s view of the enemy had changed when he saw the dead bodies of young German soldiers, which makes me question the use of propaganda in World War II. It more specifically raises the question, how factual was the propaganda that was used in World War II? This propaganda had also influenced an extreme nationalism, but the question that this interview raises is how much pride could soldiers, like Rasmus, have for their country after seeing the young German soldiers that they had killed? This interview with Bob Rasmus reminds me of nationalism and propaganda and how they have played a major role in both World War I and World War II. Nationalism and propaganda had helped America enter the wars and encourage Americans to fight against Germany, but both nationalism and propaganda had once again led to the mistreatment of German Americans. This interview with Bob Rasmus also reminds of my grandfathers, who both served in the Army. Both of my grandfathers had extreme patriotism resulting from the intense propaganda and hatred for Hitler. The fact that both of my Grandfathers were Jewish magnified the patriotism and desire to defeat Hitler and his anti-Semitic ideology. This Rasmus interview reminds me of my Grandfathers service and their extreme desire to fight in the war.