American War Experience through California Voices

Cal Poly Pomona's the American War Experience through California Voices is a project that explored the California stateside experience of modern American wars. This project was organized as a year long discussion series that examined how war shapes identity, culture, and society, as well as values such as patriotism, loyalty, community and sacrifice.

These discussions were led by veterans and military dependents affiliated with Cal Poly Pomona's Veterans Resource Center and were organized into the following war chapters:

• World War I
• World War II
• Cold War
• Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
• Future of War

As part of the Iraq and Afghanistan War discussion series, this initiative collaborated with Cal Poly Pomona's Theatre and New Dance Department to create the original play, Here and There. It is about a day in the life of Cal Poly Pomona's military affiliated students as they grapple with the legacy of military service on campus and abroad.

This project was led by Cal Poly Pomona’s Veterans Resource Center (VRC) and the California Center for Ethics and Policy (CCEP) with a $65,000 National Endowment for the Humanities’ Dialogues on the Experience of War grant.