The term "spoils of war" has typically meant the movable property of an enemy that is lawfully captured and becomes the property of the side who captures it, in accordance with the U.S. laws of war. Various media have used this term to include a 2000 Argentian documentary, an 80's British series, a 2017 episode of the Game of Thrones, a 2023 Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode and others. Yet there is another meaning to the term: war itself spoils—in the sense of damaging or corrupting—almost everything it touches. Even the "victors" come out with deep scars. Land is spoiled as cities are destroyed and environments are damaged for decades. Lives are spoiled through trauma and disability. Institutions are spoiled, destabilized, and trust is eroded far more than built, even between allies. Morality is spoiled where war normalizes actions that might be unthinkable before the world has desensitized to them. The irony is that "spoils" suggests reward when in fact there is far more degradation than value added. Don't worry, we won't get too heavy into this at our event, yet will touch on how WSI moves with this to help our Veterans heal and move forward. For the most part, we will celebrate them and "eat, drink, and be merry."

The Spoils of War

An event to support military war survivors