Born on July 4th: A Narrative of Heroism and Justice
Born on July 4th puts the readers' foundations for judging the course to which a person has dedicated his life to the test. The text's narrative touches many people's hearts because of the narrator's descriptions of terrifying encounters and actions. The narrative takes the reader through horrific sights and acts. These all occur in circumstances that put the narrator, Kovicpersonal ,'s patriotism to the test. The historical period covered by the article represents the height of global tensions following World War II. And as a young man, the tensions that Kovic grew up reading and seeing in the news shaped his ambitions. Stories of generals leading troops in combat and the patriotic unity of citizens due to the rise of nationalism to have one's country overpower others. However, the heroism of Kovic in the circumstances of the text is neither in terms of the battles that he is part of nor in the tumultuous times he staves. Instead, it is in the way his believe in fighting for a good course, recognition of the moral injustice of the war and the triumphing of his own basic principles he wanted to live for even after regardless of what the war did to him.
The Ambitious Pursuits of a Young Kovic
From the start of his life, we see Kovic as a young man wanting to overdo everyone to make up for his short stature. He even engages in arm workouts to bolster his masculinity and enrolled with the cub scouts to be among those who on the Memorial Day parade marched (Kovic 51). As a wrestler, he most often than not came first place. He describes how not winning in wrestling could emotionally break him to even cry. He could stop at nothing to be a winner even if going through excruciating pain was what it took. This is seen in the way that he describes the training to be a marine. They made them "do sit-ups, push-ups, and spinning drills until sweat poured down our faces and we were sure we'd pass out" (Kovic 81). In fact, Kovic pursued such heroism that he aspired to be a bundle of other of his heroes in one.
A Man Dedicated to Serve His Country
However, a man who wanted to serve his country was always embodied in the person of Kovic. Upon the assassination of President Kennedy, he remembers his words, "remember not what the country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" (Kovic 67). This is why he believed in the war in Vietnam and the good in it. He fought valiantly for the good that war could achieved that he did not see what evil war can be bring. That is why when he kills his corporal he becomes devastated and broken by guilt. His values, the good that he thought the war was bringing started to turn ugly. Fighting in the war as an avenue to enact his heroic pursuits start to loose meaning and to matter less.
The Triumph of Heroism After Returning Home
The heroism of Kovic, however, comes into light after his return as a wounded and paralyzed ex-serviceman. He starts question activities of the war. He reconsiders the war missions in Vietnam and starts pursuing the same good he wanted to bring through heroic pursuits in the marines through activism. This time, however, he is with the anti-war faction. Images of how unarmed children inhabiting a hut were killed torment him (Kovic 123). He is haunted as he does not take it a fault of the war itself or the issues that caused it. He puts it upon himself and blames himself. This is the humane person who seeks justice overpowering the one who seeks only ambitions to stand out in battles and be recognized a hero. Even when he had suffered badly due to the war, he still dedicated himself to help end unnecessary involvement of USA in other countries. When President Nixon was giving his acceptance speech, he yelled at him to bring the war to an end.
Celebrating the Heroism of Kovic
The book is in itself a reason to celebrate the heroism of Kovic. He had been devastated by the war and paralyzed from shoulder down. He, however, did not choose to go low-key but to express his ideals concerning his wartime experiences. He has the courage to expose war and its ills even when it casts a negative light on his own contribution to it as a result of his ambitions for heroism. Standing up to expose what went wrong in the war and to try to avert future unjustified war is an act of heroism for which Kovic deserves to be acknowledged.
Testing the Principles and Values
On the whole, the text shows how the war tested the principles and value of the narrator. The Vietnam War does not turns out to be nothing of his expectations. He even uses the space towards the end of the book recommending ways to make up for everything that went wrong in Vietnam when new missions arise. He let his principles and values of justice triumph over his bitterness for what he suffered in Vietnam and over his other interest in recognition.
Works Cited
Kovic, Ron. "Born on the Fourth of July (1976)." New York: Pocket (1977).
