Using war memoirs, war journalism, and the personal experiences of John Paul Wallis as a Marine with two tours of duty in Iraq, Wallis and Mechling analyze the folklore shared by male warriors in the combat zone to understand how the traditional everyday practices of these men in groups serve as a form of psychological first aid for relieving the symptoms associated with the stress of living, working, and fighting in the combat zone. The authors study how boys and men are socialized in American culture, the context for their examining the folk traditions, including pet-keeping, rough-and-tumble play fighting, video game play, masturbation, dark play, and deep play.

John Paul Wallis isveterans advocate, attorney, and author.Jay Mechlingis professor emeritus of American studies at the University of California.

Introduction

Part I: Cultural Contexts, Trauma, and Therapy

Chapter One: The Socialization of American Boys

Chapter Two: Male Vernacular Culture as Therapy in the Combat Zone

Part II: Folklore Genres

Chapter Three: Animal Companions

Chapter Four: Rough-and-Tumble Playfighting

Chapter Five: Playing Video Games

Chapter Six: The Jack Shack

Chapter Seven: Dark Play and Deep Play

Conclusion