Motivation in U.S. Narrative Accounts of the Ground War in Vietnam

Abstract

This study applied a content analysis methodology to eighteen narrative nonfiction accounts written by men who saw combat in the Vietnam ground war. The narratives were examined for evidence of the motivational factors, derived from a comparative study of experts in the field, that provided the basis for their authors' actions in a combat environment. This exploratory investigation found that the most important motivational factors were primary group allegiance, combat survival, leadership, and duty, factors traditionally ranked high in previous studies. However, it also revealed noticeable differences in motivational factors correlated with the authors' rank, previous military experience, and period of Vietnam service. While the sample size was small, the results indicate a promising area for further research.