The Duality of War

Author: Ryan Negron

There are always two sides to any conflict in life. In my time studying History at Pitt, I’ve narrowed the focus of my studies on learning the untold narrative, the stories that are often left out of general history textbooks. As I began my internship at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, the complexity of historical events like war and their human dimensions began to stick out for me.  Most of my work in the museum was done in collections and archives. I accepted donations, cataloged and assessed items for display and inventory, and evaluated the condition of artifacts. As I worked on items that came directly from people’s homes and personal lives, I came to realize how important individual experience is in even the most major historical events. Though I have studied history by sitting in lectures and reading textbooks, this hands-on experience at Soldiers and Sailors brought to life how no matter the conflict or the ideology behind it, both sides have human beings involved with their own stories.

For instance, I processed a donation by the family of a WWII veteran who served in the Pacific Ocean theater of the war. In this collection was a letter taken from the body of a deceased Japanese soldier. The US veteran had this letter which was originally written for the Japanese soldier’s home village translated from Japanese to English. In it, the soldier explained how uncertain he was about being in this war and that he was afraid how far they must go to be victorious. Nevertheless, he assured his family he was alright and that he was simply fulfilling his duty to his country. Reading this letter opened my eyes to the reality of war and how often the soldiers who risk their lives, on either side, dedicate their lives to causes they may not even fully believe or support. I was able to takeaway a fresh perspective on the reality that history is often written by the victors, and to be able to truly study the untold narrative one must be able to see how conflicts have multiple sides to them.

Along with this personal awakening of sorts, I had the pleasure to be apart of several ceremonies where local veterans who went above and beyond the call of duty, were honored and celebrated with the Museums ever expanding Hall of Valor. The experienced I gained setting up the event and preparing speeches for inductees’ family members to read, rounded out my work at Soldiers & Sailors, to include aspects of both the education and collection side of museum operations.

With the experience and knowledge that I gained by having my hand in a variety of efforts at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, I hope to continue my interest in exploring history in the museum setting, telling the stories of the past and speaking for those who no longer can share for themselves.

Ryan Negron, Spring 2020

Constellations Group