Tom Brokaw named the World War II generation The Greatest Generation, and there is still much discussion about this. I’ve been reading a bit on the subject and have some thoughts.
On one hand, I am reticent in calling any generation ‘greatest’ as all generations have their virtues and vices. This particular generation, however, may, in fact, be worthy of the title.
They had flaws. It was in this generation that we were subjected to likes of Joe McCarthy, racism, and sexism. The world, however, has changed and, I suspect, those changes became possible because the World War II generation set the table for them.
This was the generation that survived the Great Depression. They were the generation that fought World War II. World War II saw the world change faster than any other time in history.
When the war began it began with two great military super powers, Germany and Japan. The Soviet Union, in 1939 had a large miliary but it was very poorly trained and poorly equipped. Western European powers were not as strong as they would have liked to believe and the United States was not a super power. When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 the United States Army was small and not that well equipped. The Navy had a minimal force, as did the Marines. The Air Force was a part of the Army and had some excellent bomber technology but very obsolete fighter planes.
When World War II began, many nations still were using biplanes. Many were using horses to carry soldiers and equipment. When Germany invaded Poland with tanks, the Poles gallantly attacked the tanks on horse back with long spears. The slaughter was awful.
By the end of the war, jets were in the sky, guided missiles were flying, and the nuclear age began. People became proficient at killing and the results were dreadful.
Within the United States many went to war and many others went to build weapons for the war. No new automobiles were built. Gasoline was scarce and rationed. Chocolate was strictly used to feed soldiers as a specially fortified battlefield food. Fresh meat, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables were not available unless you raised it or grew it yourself. People sacrificed.
The war was expensive and people purchased war bonds to help fund the war.
But this generation did something very unusual. After the war, they saw the wisdom in rebuilding the nations of Germany and Japan. The wisdom of this remains to this day when we see Germany and Japan as allies, trading partners, and friends. This is a generation that developed Medicare, transitioned and supported civil rights, and took care of one another. They were and remain a generation of people who believed in duty, personal responsibility, responsibility for the care of others, honor, and faith. This generation built schools, hospitals, churches, and the Interstate High way system under President Eisenhower. When President Kennedy said those immortal words, “Ask not what your country and do for you, but what you can do for your country,” he was saying words not of a political party, but as a person of this generation. This was a generation that saw personal sacrifice and generosity as virtues, not vices. The American government was different with these people. In foxholes in Europe and the Pacific soldiers shared everything they had with people they didn’t agree with because they knew their comrades in arms were not their enemy, but fellow citizens. Washington DC was led by people who cared for country over party, other over self.
What is remarkable is that they did so humbly. No one extolled his or her virtues; over-flamboyance and braggadocio were not part of the equation.
They were a generation that came from hardship and overcame it and nurtured so many of us. Their character should not be forgotten or ignored.
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