Men's Appraisals of Their Military Experiences in World War II: A 40-Year Perspective

Abstract

Using data from the longitudinal Harvard Study of Adult Development (N = 241), the authors examined how veterans of World War II appraised specific dimensions of military service directly after the war and over 40 years later, as well as the role of military service in their life course. The authors also examined how postwar appraisals of service mediated the effects of objective aspects of service, and how postwar psychological adjustment and health mediated the effects of postwar appraisals, on later-life appraisals. Men's appraisals at both time points were generally, but not highly, positive, and remarkably consistent over four decades. Postwar appraisals strongly predicted later-life appraisals and mediated the effects of objective service variables. The effects of postwar appraisals were not carried forward through psychological adjustment or midlife health; they retained power in their own right. Results are discussed in light of the sample characteristics, the historical context of World War II, and the complexities of appraisal and retrospection.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research has been supported as part of the National Institutes of Health-funded research network on the Lifespan Outcomes of Military Service (R24-AG039343, A. Spiro and C. Aldwin, co-principal investigators). Settersten is a co-investigator, and Professors Elder and Waldinger are members of the network. Additional support was provided by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (R01AG034554, R. Waldinger, principal investigator).

Notes

¹Only pride in outfit, 1988, was on a 6-point scale, because the bottom category from the 1946 measure (“complete dislike and contempt for outfit”) was not included as a response category in the 1988 measure. Yet even the bottom category of the 1988 measure (“generally disliked and had no respect”) had only two individuals, so it is unlikely that a substantial number of participants would have chosen the eliminated category had it been included. We therefore still include the percentages for the top three responses.