Hawley
combines the theoretical insights of Judith Butler, Michel Foucault, and
Emmanuel Levinas with detailed research into the history of the
movement to recover the remains of soldiers missing in Vietnam. He
examines the practices that constitute the Defense Department's
accounting protocol: the archival research, archaeological excavation,
and forensic identification of recovered remains. He considers the role
of the American public and the families of missing soldiers in demanding
the release of pows and encouraging the recovery of the missing; the
place of the body of the Vietnam veteran within the war's legacy; and
the ways that memorials link individual bodies to the body politic.
Highlighting the contradictions inherent in the recovery effort, Hawley
reflects on the ethical implications of the massive endeavor of the
American government and many officials in Vietnam to account for the
remains of American soldiers.