Hugh Martin On Three Great Lyric Passages

By: Savanna Leischer – ENGL 4450

Hugh Martin was able to join us at the humanities festival and give a speech that touched the hearts and minds of those who attended. Martin’s speech was friendly and compelling as well as down to earth and made one think of the way one views the average soldier/veteran we may pass on the street.  Martin explained that he has an extensive literary background and enjoys writing poetry that portrays the life of a soldier who was or is in Iraq.His First poem centered around the everyday tasks that he experienced while deployed in Iraq.  “How Was the War? The War Was

His first poem centered around the everyday tasks that he experienced while deployed in Iraq.  “How Was the War? The War Was Good Thank You” shows the reader just what the war was like for younger Martin, ranging from cleaning up, experiencing shells cascading down, and if the war was good or not for him. The young soldier portrayed in the poem is removed from the clouded eyes that otherwise don’t see what happens in an everyday “war” situation. The audience found that his honesty and down-to-earth attitude helped in understanding the humanity behind the war. Martin’s poem gave the Iraqi residents and the soldiers stationed there a voice, face and ground to stand on apart from media output.  Martin explained that he found literature and writing as an answering medium for those Americans who may not know exactly what to think for deployed or no longer serving veterans. The tonal shifts that his essays and poems entail also help with better understanding the humanity of war and those vets who have served.Martin then gave a recount of his earlier years after deployment and his experience as a veteran and the benefits they experience back in the states.  Martin mentioned that many vets may lie about their service in order to maintain the status

Martin then gave a recount of his earlier years after deployment and his experience as a veteran and the benefits they experience back in the states. Martin mentioned that many vets may lie about their service in order to maintain the status quo that they have fallen accustomed to. The word “three” was mentioned as a complete and satisfactory number for him to describe how many years he had served when in fact he only served one. He breaks down his service based on the places that he was deployed to three times in the same year, but the fact of the matter was that “three” was essentially a lie that sounded good. When those people hear that specific number he explained that it’s the mentality of maintaining what dignity a vet can still have. He had also explained that serving one time and telling those people about it just didn’t have the same “valor” as those who may have served more.Martin then seg-wayed into the Washington D.C. Memorial and those vets that he met there. One veteran particularly was ashamed at his inability to have been able to go overseas during the time of his service due to an arm injury. The ashamed attitude was in Martin’s eyes not necessary for the man to experience. 

Martin then seg-wayed into the Washington D.C. Memorial and those vets that he met there. One veteran particularly was ashamed at his inability to have been able to go overseas during the time of his service due to an arm injury. The ashamed attitude was in Martin’s eyes not necessary for the man to experience.  However, the man still served in the states apart from deployment and Martin still saw this as honorable. Martin explained that he would see that many veterans hold themselves accountable for not being in action or in a “specialized” area or be too “embarrassed not to shoot.”

Martin cast the word specialized down and made the idea of any “specialization” for the deployed an asinine idea because he saw that vets could only have so much valor attached to them. He explained that there really is no such thing as specialization because every deployed member was doing the same thing, filling sand bags, not sleeping, getting covered in dust and dirt, taking fire, cleaning up the camp for high-ranking visitors. Essentially he sees all vets in the same light and hopes that those who may not, change their views.  Martin explained further that Iraq for a veteran becomes one’s identity and this becomes something of a crutch for those who have nothing left in their identity to cling to. Those who served in previous wars had written about the erosion of honor the country would have to veterans after the war would be over. Martin fears that many people who hear his story will eventually not have the same respect, so like he and many other vets, skew the truth to maintain the respect before it’s too late and the great lyric passage from war dies.

Media contact: Lisa S. Icenogle
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