The ancient Greeks had The Iliad. The Romans had The Aeneid. We have Once an Eagle. Once an Eagle is our great American military epic. Indeed, it has been called America's War and Peace and a "battle hymn of our republic." Once an Eagle is a work of historical fiction that covers a defining period in American military history: the half century in which the modern professional American military came of age during in World War I, achieved greatness in World War II, and withered in Vietnam. Since its publication in 1968, it has been an "icon of military life" representing "the spirit, the heart, and the soul of the officer corps" and serving as a moral touchstone for American military professionals. In this 1-credit half-semester course, we will read Once an Eagle with our eyes focused on discerning the many lessons if offers about leadership and the essence of what an American military officer is and should be. This class is an elective for the Military Leadership minor and is open to all students interested in leadership, the military, military history and modern American literature.
LDR 403: Reading Once an Eagle
Class Program