Meaning and Dimensions of Service: Duty, Loyalty, and Culture in War

FAIN: AV-286749-22

St. John Fisher College (Rochester, NY 14618-3537)
Carolyn Vacca (Project Director: October 2021 to present)
Frederick Henry Dotolo (Co Project Director: May 2022 to present)

The training and mentoring of student veterans to facilitate dialogues on service in WWI and in Afghanistan and Iraq, followed by discussion programs with veterans and military interpreters in the Rochester community. 

St. John Fisher College will offer a discussion series on the Meaning and Dimensions of Service: Duty, Loyalty, and Culture in War. This program builds on two previous Dialogues grants, which have engaged students, student veterans, and veterans, extending their reach to include Afghan interpreters/Special Immigrant Visa holders and delving into discussions about the definition of service, the lines of duty, the claims of loyalty, and their relationship to culture. Using humanities resources on World War I and the ‘small wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan, including literary, historical, television/film, and archival sources, trained discussion leaders will facilitate community dialogues with veterans. The thematic content of the dialogues will be informed by community partners and content experts who will provide a unique cultural awareness. The project will build an inclusive veteran community, one that recognizes interpreters, and provide historical context on these compelling issues.