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Hardship Made Them the 'Greatest': Brokaw

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 6, 2009 4:17 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Even before enlisting, World War II soldiers were made great by the “deprivations and lessons of the Great Depression,” Tom Brokaw writes in the Wall Street Journal. Shared sacrifice and lack of staple goods forged the outlook of the "Greatest Generation," and made the Army almost a relief. “So many veterans told me they got their first new pairs of shoes and boots when they enlisted."

“Their sacrifices at home and on the frontlines make our current difficulties look like a walk on the beach in comparison,” Brokaw writes. And we would do well to learn from them. “If we're to get through this time of crisis a better nation with a fundamentally stronger economy, we'd better learn how to work together and organize our lives around what we need—not just what we want.”

American soldiers wade ashore off the ramp of a Coast Guard landing craft during the Allied landing operations at the Normandy, France.
American soldiers wade ashore off the ramp of a Coast Guard landing craft during the Allied landing operations at the Normandy, France.   (AP Photo)
D-Day.
D-Day.   (AP Photo)
A US solider walks the grounds of the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, near Caen, Western France.
A US solider walks the grounds of the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, near Caen, Western France.   (AP Photo)
American soldiers land on the French coast in Normandy during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.
American soldiers land on the French coast in Normandy during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.   (AP Photo)
World War II veterans.
World War II veterans.   (AP Photo)
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If you look at the old black-and- white photographs of the physicals conducted during induction, there's no obesity in that crowd of young men. In fact, some look malnourished. - Tom Brokaw

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 14 comments
PosterNutbag
Jun 8, 2009 7:19 AM CDT
Both of my grandfathers fought in WWII. Thankfully, both survived. A lot people make arguments based on what would have happened if the opposition had come out on top. It is a compelling argument, but not one grounded in the actual facts of what happened. Being a couple of generations removed, it doesn't make sense to me to look at what might have been. Instead, I look at what did take place, how the war ended, and what has followed in the years since. Looking objectively at the facts, forgive me if I don't feel like putting on a uniform and singing "God Bless America."
kokuaguy
Jun 7, 2009 12:17 PM CDT
Never having served in the military I'm reluctant to opine-- but both my parents were WWII vets who became highly skeptical of American militarism. Had the U.S. taken on its proper role after WWI and worked for a just and stable international order, it is conceivable that the history of the 20th century could have been far different.
brawne
Jun 7, 2009 4:40 AM CDT
OMG. Please opine. Your knowledge is valuable. May father was still active-duty Army when I married--a West Pointer. I've known nothing but the life of a dependent. I was in grade school in Berlin when the Wall went up. People think that I'm just a liberal shmuck, but it isn't that. I just know things, like you, from experience.

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