I've been watching a program on public television tonight, what an incredible group of people that lived during that era, but what about the people, now, the soldiers and their families that have to deal with the Iraq ordeal. During WWII, you had the genuine support of everybody in this country (not that it made it any easier,mind you), but now do you really have the support? Is it just fashionable to "support the troups"? At, any rate, God Bless you now and then, and thanks to all of you back in the '40s that made my time in the US Army in Germany , almost a vacation, when I was there 25yrs ago.
Thanks to all of our armed force members (and vets). I get goose bumps everytime the National Anthem is played, thinking about the opportunity that has been provide by each member in every conflict for the last 300 years. I wish that more people supported the people in the positions, regardless of their support of the war. Unfortunately, it seems too many people are to small minded to see that. God bless and thank you.
Yeah I agree. In the 40's you had good vs evil where the evil was a concrete bad guy in Germany that was trying to take over the world. Of course we'll have support for that. I miss the 40's. "It was a day much like today..."
I was told that here in the 40's you had rationing even though you didnt actually need to ration anything. Very smart idea - if you make everyone ration their food it really brings home the war to the people at home and fosters that feeling of "pulling together". Its difficult nowadays to really connect with the struggles of the troops when we're all over here enjoying abundant food, cars, play-stations etc etc....
I never considered myself a vet... the vets were always the old guys with the hats with the unit pins and awards all over them... but I guess its true. Who else here is a vet?
I agree these people were made of a substance that is fast becoming lost America.. "The Good War" By Studs Turkell (SP?) is a collectiopn of letters, viganettes from thay period that gives a good look into the spirit of the people during that time.....truly amazing stuff those folks are made of
I'd also suggest "Citizen Soldiers" by Stephen Ambrose. More on the military aspect of WWII than the home side. But, the theme is how a nation went from less than 200,000 in the Army pre-war to around 8 million by the end. Interesting read.
You're talking about the same people who in '39 were poor, sliding towards socialism, isolationist, weak, and willfully ignorant of the evil of Germany and Japan. They let Hitler take half of Europe, "re-settle" jews, gays, roma and a bunch of others. They let Stalin purge Russia over and over. They let Japan take most of Asia. It was only after a really stupid move by the Japanese that the "sleeping giant" was awakened. Then, and only then, did the people of the US rise to the occasion. And they did so spectacularly well. To believe that those people were fundamentally different than the current generation is a speculative leap that totally ignores how weak and banal the US was in '39, and also belittles the current generation. Sure, you're going to bring in 9-11, but a couple thousand Allah cultists, who can hijack planes, is not even in the same universe of threats as the Hitler-Tojo combo was. Perhaps I am nievely optiminstic, but I believe that the current generation of Americans are the equal of any generation. We're just faced with different challenges. It would be impossible to recreate WWII because any real threat will have nukes, and there's hardly a point of having an all out conventional war if your enemy has nukes. Also, after the war they gave Eastern Europe to Stalin, and ignored his purges of '48. The also let Mao have China. How great was that? For information about the "great adventure" of WWII you can read Norman Mailer, Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut, and many others.
My grandma still saves grease from bacon and still grows a "victory garden" every year. When I was in high school, I was nominated by my local VFW to attend Boy's State ( a mock state government made up of roughly 400 boys). I had to make a presentation as part of the nomination process. I chose to interview vets about their expierences in the war. I was lucky enough to live within 15 minutes of 2 WWI vets. Those two fellows were real people. The way they spoke of America and the support they recieved from home amidst some of the most gruesome tales of trench warfare, made me realize for the first time where I thought America fit into big picture. They spoke as though service was their duty, and they were heralded as heros of the highest regard when they returned home. I was very proud.
WW II vets came home to ticker-tape parades. Gulf War vets come and go home to random hugs at the airport. Vietnam War vets came home to be spit on. Korean War vets came home to be ignored. The last is the saddest commentary on our society, IMNSHO.
If today's generation is so great, why do they look down their noses when it is suggested that they enlist in the military, instead of going to college or getting a job?
Darrin, I didn't say we ARE great. I said the "greatest generation" wasn't great in '39, but were by '43. I think, if challenged, we could rise to the occasion as well. The US Army had something like 200,000 troops in '40. Lots of people looked down their noses at a career in the military then too. That changed. It could change again.
Thanks Darrin. I'd say more, but Papa's right. Back to racing (sort of). Has anyone here been on a Vincint Black Shadow? Are they the death trap HST made them out to be?
There are a lot of differences between then and now. In '39 we did not have the most powerful miliary in the world, FAR from it. Now we arguably do. Then we didn't give a rats-a$$ about the rest of the world (isolationism) now we do (too much, imo, but nevertheless...). Then our economy wasn't much to brag about, now while it has it's issues is one of the strongest (richest? most powerful?) in the world. Then we were 20 years or so removed from the biggest war in the history of the world, and about to get thrown into the war that broke all the records. The conflict we are in now doesn't even compare (although it is not minor by any means). My point is that it isn't apples to apples and it is difficult and shortsighted to assume that today's generations don't or couldn't stack up. I for one am grateful they did in the 40s but believe we still could and would.
One of the main ideas of america was not to beinvolved in all the european wars. So they stayed out of others affairs unless they were threatened. Well, obviously Japan threatened them and in Europe democracy was being threatened along with american allies. So you are saying that the US wasn't involved enough in WWII? And now (do you?) others are saying the US is too involved. I personally support the war in iraq, but not going into it too deep just to say that it affects the US via oil prices, so we should be there, but not so much as there should be a draft.
