Commentary on the Character of Sam Damon in Once an Eagle - Part 1
My reading of Sam Damon in Once an Eagle during the Pacific Theater Engagement during WW2 (at pg. 923, Paperback, Harper Collins 2001). On Sam's Fortitude and Justice
1. Fortitude, Sam’s greatest Virtue.
Over the course of the entire novel he is never outdone in fortitude. His courage come first and his zeal to do serve his nation (Patriotism) is absolute. Nation before family, friends and even God. God is a very abstract character in the entirety of the novel, one who makes a guest appearance, typically a negative one. It is fundamentally a secular Patriotism where "In God we Trust" comes after "E Pluribus Unum" when characterizing a single soldier yet proving that a single soldier can change the course of history through his courage. A soldier lives to serve his nation with no thought to his world culture, better even, his world view is the nation, its substance and accidental realities. He lives to serve it and little outside of it.
2. Justice, Sam is Justice towards his nation.
Justice is relative to the focus of his Life, his Nation. His patriotism skews his sense of Justice so that he owes is owed to his Nation. There are times where he loses sight because of the injustices presented to Him by his Nation but he seems to be able to carry that baton of Justice despite the injustices he puts his family through. Throughout the entirety of the novel it seems to present the American ideal as the absent Father. Rather than alluding to the fact in a matter-of-fact way that Sam is truly present to his Family it presents Sam as a supporting character but not a present one. You can recognize this before, during and after his 2 years in China. There is little character development outside of Sam. His family, even his wife Tommy, are little characterized other than by her moments of temptation with Sam's unofficial rival or antihero, Courtney. Courtney himself cannot be easily vilified. Through the machinations of personality, plot and history he ends up in roles which are far from the Field. He is never driven to lead men or to 'skip-level' and be a Servant Leader. Sam's redeeming feature is his Servant Leadership, unfortunately never apparent (not even in a minor way) outside of his Army.
Conclusion:
Once an Eagle is the embodiment of the Defense Mechanism of our Country. You cannot judge Sam, in reality because he is not real, but in the abstract you admire him for his Servant Leadership, his ability under duress and even his humility through it towards his unified vision, the Army. During the WWI his ability to connect with men below his command (his soldiers, in particular his best friend), at his rank, and above it (Caldwell) shows a fundamental openness to his world-view/culture. The unfortunate reality is his inability to do the same for his own family. I believe that is the fact not to be raised on a platform of heroism.
This book achieves much in the fascination of a young leader or a future leader but asks the question, "Can you be a Patriot and a Servant Leader for your own family?"
Up to this point, unfortunately, in my judgment it seems to answer, "No".