LordBalfor's Full Review: Tom Brokaw - The Greatest Generation
First off, let me state that this review has been submitted as part of a write-off hosted by ed_grover. The subject is “aging – or things related to aging”. If you have the time and inclination, I strongly urge you to check out the submissions by the authors listed at the end of this document. On a purely personal note to the reader: Situated as we are not only in Older American’s Month but also, midway between Mothers Day and Memorial Day (both days in which we pay homage to those who came before), it seems to me that the timing of the release of this Epinion adds to the significance of the message. I hope you will take a moment to REALLY think upon what I am about to say...
I recently finished reading Tom Brokaws best seller “The Greatest Generation” in which he chronicles the wartime and post-wartime experiences and achievements of the World War II generation. These were the people who truly saved the world from two of the most systematically brutal dictatorships the world has ever seen, then came home and built the America (and indeed the world) we know today.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
Born into the prosperous years of the 1920’s, as children they suddenly found their world turned upside down by the great financial crash (and subsequent depression) of 1929. Like a series of fragile cards delicately balanced on edge, banks and businesses began to fail one after the other in a domino effect as the economic disruption spread first across American and then throughout the world.
The causes of the great crash are debated even to this day and it is not my place to say I know all the answers. This much is clear however; the crash set up a vicious downward spiral of economic destruction. Many people had bought stocks on margin (essentially borrowing money to invest). As a result, when the market collapsed, people found that their life savings had been nearly wiped out – and I’m not just taking about those who had plunked their money down in the market directly. Far too often, the money placed in “safe” bank accounts was also lost because those very banks (caught up in the frenzied expectation of ever-greater profits) had in turn invested the money in the market themselves. Now that money was gone and to make matter worse, there was no FDIC insurance in those days – so there was no getting it back. This was bad - very, very bad - for now those same banks were forced to call in loans to individuals and businesses in order to try and raise the money lost. As word got out that some banks had squandered their depositor’s money, panic spread. Everyone of course worried that their bank would be one of those going under - and folks flocked to their lending institutions to try to get their money out before the banks collapsed – this in turn caused many otherwise healthy banks to collapse as well.
Like some unbelievably horrible nightmare, the cycle began to feed on itself, dragging first the country, and then the whole world, down into the depths of economic and social despair. People had no money, so they quit buying. Stores didn’t sell merchandise, so they quit ordering it. Factories stopped receiving orders, so they laid people off. People had no jobs, so they quit buying. Etc. Etc. Etc. It just got worse and worse and worse as things spiraled further and further out of control. This was more than a mere economic recession - this was a depression. Millions of people, whom just weeks or months before had faced a future unbelievably bright, now found themselves absolutely destitute. There was simply NO WORK! To make matters worse, there was no government safety net: no social security, no medicare, and (for most people) no unemployment – zip, nada, nothing!
As families were forced to improvise in order to survive, children and teenagers found their childhoods suddenly over. In order to make ends meet, everyone in the family was required to pitch in and do their part. These kids found odd jobs wherever they could - bagging groceries, collecting empty soda bottles, working in the fields - every little penny helped. They grew up fast, learned to cooperate, found ways to improvise, and took on awesome responsibility at an early age. Taken as a group, they were exceptionally hardworking, diligent, and uncomplaining – and were uniquely suited for the terrible task that lay ahead.
Far across the cold gray waters of the North Atlantic, Europe too, lay in misery. Though all the countries of the continent suffered, perhaps none had as hard a time as Germany. Only recently recovered from the massively unfair debt load dumped on it by the victors of World War I*, Germans found themselves once more plunged into grinding poverty. In desperation, the German people sought out scapegoats and looked for hope wherever they could find it. They found it in Adolph Hitler (an aspiring artist and decorated hero of the First World War, with a knack for oratory and a ruthless determination to succeed) – and thereby sold their souls to the Devil. Determined to build Germany into the greatest power on earth (and avenge the humiliation of Germany after World War I), Hitler immediately launched upon a program of German re-militarization. He would put people back to work by building guns, tanks and airplanes – and once he had the tools he needed, he would take back German honor and make Germany the most powerful and feared country in the world. Needless to say, these ambitions were sure to lead to war.
Across the far Pacific, Japan’s military leaders too, had dreams of glory – but to be a great power, Japan needed resources and the labor to exploit them. Japan had dreams of a vast overseas empire – much like what Britain had achieved over the past couple of centuries. The fact that these lands already belonged to someone else didn’t faze them in the least – after all, it hadn’t stopped the Europeans from taking them from the native people in the first place (somehow it never does). Soon Manchuria, and then vast areas of China fell to their ambitions. But the Japanese found the war in China to be a seemingly endless affair as it dragged on year after year. “Who were these foolish Chinese?” the Japanese high command wondered. “Didn’t they know when they were defeated?” But somehow the Chinese held on, their determination fortified by the unrelenting brutality of the Imperial Japanese military. These events were soon to drag “The Greatest Generation” into the crucible, where the fires of global combat were to truly test their metal.
As Germany flattened Poland (in less than a month) crushed Demark and Norway (in just about the same amount of time) and swarmed over Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg and France (accomplishing in 6 weeks what Germany had failed to do in 4 years during World War I), it looked as if Hitler’s dreams were destined to come true. Only Britain stood in his way - a powerful country surely, with a fearsome navy and a vast overseas empire - but bruised and beaten, and with a tiny, under-equipped army. Surely, he thought, his U-boats would soon strangle the island into submission. The determination of the Winston Churchill and the British people was something he had not counted on, however.
In the Pacific meanwhile, Japan, having grown frustrated with the endless war in China, asked permission of the French government (by then under German control), to use the French colony of Indochina (later to become Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia)** as a second front against the Chinese – allowing the Japanese to attack the Chinese rear and cut them off from foreign supplies. France of course could do little but agree (Germany and Japan were “buddies” after all), and soon thousands of Japanese troops were rushed into Indochina and set upon the Chinese flank. The US, which had favored China in its war with Japan, immediately responded by freezing all Japanese assets and slapping a trade embargo on Japan (similar to what we’ve done to Cuba, Iraq and other countries our government finds “troublesome”). The Dutch government-in-exile (which had taken refuge from Hitler in England) followed suit, cutting Japan off from the rich Shell old fields of Indonesia. The Japanese, 100% dependent upon foreign oil to keep her navy steaming and her airplanes flying, decided that the days of democracy were over. Germany was stomping the rest of Europe – it was time for Japan to take its place as the Lord of Asia. If they were not allowed to buy oil, they would simply take it. The Japanese High Command knew however, that seizure of the Dutch East Indies (as Indonesia was known in those days), would almost certainly lead to war with the United States, so they decided to strike hard and fast, removing the threat of the American Pacific Fleet right off. The result, as I’m sure you know, was the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7th 1941.
Suddenly, just when the American economy was starting to turn around and life to finally improve, “The Greatest Generation” faced its greatest challenge. At the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, America was woefully unprepared for war. Nowadays people recognize America as a great military power (for good or bad), but in 1941, that was hardly the case. Compared to the forces of its adversaries, the American military was tiny. Though its navy was large (what remained of it after Pearl Harbor), its army and air forces were small and ill equipped, lacking much in the way of tanks and other modern equipment. Thrown on the defensive everywhere and facing utterly ruthless and highly skilled opponents equipped with far more effective weapons of war, the men and women of America fought back with fierce determination and boundless ingenuity (both on the battlefield and the home front). With their allies (the British, Russians, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and others), they first halted the onslaught, then finally beat it back into the enemies own back yard. It was brutal and bloody, but it was necessary, and few involved had any doubts that they were on the right side. World War II has been called “the last good war”, and as much as any war can be called good, World War II qualifies. Surely, there is little doubt of the evilness against which they fought. And fought they did, whether on the battlefield or the factory floor, the country pulled together in a way seen neither before nor since – with a selflessness later generations (including my own) could not even begin to fathom. The sacrifices these people made were extreme, and by and large they made them willingly and without complaint. They were dedicated, they were loyal, they were persistent – and above all, they were humble. To them, it was “no big deal”. They did what they had to do because someone had to do it. It wasn’t glory, or fame or booty they were after. They just wanted to do the job that had to be done, then go home.
And when the war was over and evil vanquished (at least for a time) – that’s exactly what they did: they went home and rebuilt their lives and their nation – and in doing so, rebuilt the world. Aided by a grateful country (through the G.I. Bill – providing money for college) – these folks returned to school in unprecedented numbers, becoming far and away the most educated generation the world had ever seen. And this education was put to immediate use (was it ever). The postwar era has been a time unlike any other in history – a time of unprecedented freedom and social, scientific, and economic advancement. Out of this era, the American Dream began to come true for millions upon millions of people. The shape of our lives was forged by these people during the late 40’s 50’s and 60’s. Virtually every aspect of our lifestyle stems from that time – the groundwork laid. Life in 1930 was very different than life in 1950, but life in 1950 is not that different from today – the underlying structure is the same. Think about that a moment and you will realize that I am right. It was out of this era that suburban America was born. Think too of the incredible technological advances of the last 60 years – advances in electronics, engineering and medicine that have to potential to literally redefine every aspect of life. This was the work those people began. The last 60 years has probably seen more scientific advancement than the rest of human history put together – advances that will have implications (both good and bad) that we can’t even begin to understand yet.
And just as “The Greatest Generation” rebuilt their own country, so to they rebuilt the world. Never before has a conquering nation been so generous to those it vanquished. Through the Marshall Plan, American money and expertise rebuilt Europe (both friend and former foe alike) and Japan. There are those who argue that there were ulterior motives in all this, that America merely wanted markets for its products. There is some truth in this, but bare in mind, in 1945 America was in a position to do anything it wanted to do to Europe and Japan. It could have looted and pillaged those countries in any manner it chose (as the Russians did in Eastern Europe) – but the leaders of “The Greatest Generation” chose not to do that, and instead embarked upon a course that would lead those countries to the greatest standard of living they have ever known. If you have any doubt about the generosity and wisdom of this course, just think back to what Eastern Europe was like before the “wall” came down – then compare it to Western Europe. It is true of course that “the Greatest Generation” had its share of faults. Every generation is a product of its environment, and they were no exception, but all told they were (and still are) a truly remarkable bunch.
THE BOOK:
This is the story “The Greatest Generation” tells. Largely through their own words Brokaw describes the world in which they lived and the vast changes they wrought, one person at a time. From the battlefield to the homefront, to the postwar suburban streets, he weaves a web of lives intertwined by chance and fate. It is a story of triumph and tragedy, of courage and cowardice, of the very best the human spirit has to offer and the very worst. These are real people, with real lives, who witnessed and participated in the most significant events in history. Some of the people are famous, many are not, but all have a story to tell. These are emotional events (for the period in question was the fulcrum of these people’s lives) and sometimes the speakers have problems coming to terms with them.
Essentially, this book is a collection of essays, each about the life experiences and achievements of a single individual (or in some cases 2 or 3 individuals whose lives are interrelated). Each essay is short – often just 3 or 4 pages. The essays usually begin with a bit of background on the subject(s), then moves on to their wartime experiences, and finally tells about their postwar lives. Among the people profiled:
John and Peggy Assenzio: Married within a month of Pearl Harbor, they were true childhood sweethearts, having known each other since they were kids. John served as a medic in a Construction Battalions (the famed Sea-Bees) in the Pacific, (winning the Bronze Star at Leyte Gulf) and was eventually assigned to Kure, Japan (not far from the ruin of Hiroshima) – where he had a touching encounter with the family of a Japanese postmaster. At home, Peggy was a schoolteacher and Red Cross volunteer. These are ordinary people, whose lives were caught up in extraordinary events, and who shared a life-long love and commitment (unfortunately) rare in today’s world.
Julia Child: Working in an advertising agency at the outbreak of the war, she was determined to do her patriotic duty. Denied enlistment in the WAVES because of her 6 foot 2 inch height, she finally managed to get a position as a clerk-typist in Washington D.C. before somehow securing a position in the OSS (the precursor of the CIA) where she moved up quickly, eventually managing an office of 40 people. Later, she took an overseas assignment, ending up in India. What she did is never really made clear, but the fact is, she was indeed part of the American Intelligence apparatus during the war. Later of course, she went on to television and culinary fame.
Dr. Charles Van Gorder MD: An army doctor who served in North Africa, he volunteered to serve in an airborne surgical unit with the 101st Airborne Division at Normandy, dropping into the middle of the war zone in the belly of a fragile wooden glider. Here he worked round the clock, under unimaginable conditions to save the lives of hundreds of allied soldiers. Later, during the Battle of the Bulge, he found himself in the middle of surgery as bullets ripped through his operating tent. Captured by the Germans, he somehow managed to escape during the chaos of the German retreat and made his way back to Allied Lines. After the war he became a well-respected reconstructive surgeon in New York, before moving to a small town in rural Appalachia and setting up a small clinic and mini-hospital where there had been no medical services before. Here, he raised a family and helped build the small clinic into a modern medical center. He is perhaps a perfect example of “The Greatest Generation”, with a life dedicated to service both abroad and at home.
Nao Takasugi: Nao was a junior at UCLA when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Like other Japanese-Americans, he and his family were rounded up and sent to a “relocation” camp in the Arizona desert. In spite the of terrible treatment of he and of his family, Nao did not hesitate to sign up for the army and was placed in the famous 442nd Regimental Combat Team (destined to become the most decorated unit in US military history), where he performed admirably during some of the most brutal fighting of the war. When peace came, Nao turned to politics and continued to serve his fellow Californians at the local and state level.
An interesting side note on this story: When Nao’s family was forced to leave their shop a Hispanic neighbor promised to take care of the business until the detainees returned - which the neighbor duly did without even disturbing their personal possessions – and then willingly and cheerfully gave it back: yet another story of the self-less common decency “The Greatest Generation” displayed again and again.
Obviously, this is not a complete list of the people profiled – there are dozens more whose lives are documented in this book – each of which truly represents thousands more.
Though I think the book has its share of problems (after awhile the stories get kind of repetitive), there is no denying the authors sincerity. His awe and admiration for these people comes through on every page. I do not think this book is for everyone, but it ought to be.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
In my younger days I wrote a poem entitled “The Backdrop People” about those folks peripheral to our everyday lives: the people in the waiting room at the doctors office, the people along with you on the bus ride to work, the people watching the movie on the same day that you do. In that poem I speculated that those people were not real, that they were merely some sort of automatons that would mysteriously vanish the moment I left the room and that they were just “the extras on the stage of life”. Though I’ve forgotten much of the poem, one particular line stands out:
“The backdrop aged, molded to their Early American rockers,
Reminiscing about the old times they never had”.
Unfortunately, this is how most folks seem to think.
I call upon you however to really think about the people I speak of – look around you: they are there (though their numbers shrink every single day). These are real people I’m talking about, with real lives, real memories, and real hopes and fears. That “old woman” sitting on the porch is not just an “old woman”. She is a beautiful and vibrant young woman, trapped in an old and decaying body, and tempered with years and years of experience. Young people seem to think that older folks were somehow born that way – that they were always old. They forget that that the wrinkled old man with the stooped back and the wooden cane was once a wild and adventurous teenager excited about first getting his drivers license – just like you may be now. They forget that he had dreams and ambitions of his own, that he squabbled with his younger brother over every little thing, that he faced the heartbreak and ridicule of that big nasty zit on the end of his nose the night before the big dance, that he sweated over his math homework late at night as he struggled to understand fractions, and that he worried and fretted about asking out the beautiful young girl with the flaming red hair and laughing green eyes. They forget that as a young man, he risked his life (watching many friends get cut down around him) under utterly unimaginable conditions, so that others may live to enjoy the simple things we all take for granted. They forget that he was once a newlywed intoxicated with a lovely young girl who was the love of his life. They forget that he was once a brand new father, so very excited about the birth of his little girl, that he went with his wife to school pageants and plays, that he picnicked with his kids and took them to the beach (allowing himself to be entombed in sand before rising like some grim monster to chase them across the sands as they giggled with joy). They forget that he labored all day in the broiling sun to lay asphalt for the modern freeway system that today ties all of America together in ways we somehow just take for granted. They forget all those things. To them the old man is just “an old man”.
One day however, they will understand. One day they will be old themselves and they will wonder where the time went. Trust me on this (I’m getting to the point in my life where I can tell) – no one ever feels old on the inside. Oh, the outside may ache and groan and creak – but on the inside, everyone feels like they are still a youth. The body ages, but the soul does not. I still feel much like the awkward teenager I once was, and suspect I will until the day I die. So take the time to say hello to the next young man or woman that you meet – even if they look old on the outside – for someday, that will be you.
And finally, an apology to all you non-Americans out there. This review in no way is meant to belittle the courage and sacrifices your people made during the Second World War. Much of what is said here can easily be applied them. The Allied victory in World War II was a joint effort, with peoples of many nations (perhaps most notably the Soviet Union) uniting together to gain victory. The fact remains however that first of all, Brokaws book (the subject of this Epinion) is about the Americans of that generation, and secondly, that without a doubt the past half century has been “America’s Time”. Just as Rome had it’s time and the Mongols had their time and Incas had their time, this has been “America’s Time” – the major difference here is that “America’s Time” has had a global impact – such is the nature of the world we are entering. Personally, I suspect that the time of “individual nations” may be coming to an end. We are entering into a New World, one in which national boundaries mean less and less – a world only made possible by the sacrifices and achievements of “The Greatest Generation”.
FOOTNOTES:
* The Treaty of Versailles imposed on Germany the entire cost of the First World War, every single Franc, Pound, and Ruble spent by the victorious countries during the conflict, plus the entire cost of rebuilding every allied house, road, bridge and railway, plus the hospitalization costs of every allied veteran and civilian injured, plus the cost of every pension due to every allied injured soldier and every lonely allied widow. This was in addition to the cost Germany faced in its efforts to deal with its own losses and reconstruction. If ever a treaty could have been designed to foster bitterness and resentment, this was it. The treaty was so blatantly unfair, that by the 1930s, even the victors realized their folly. As a result, Hitler was able to use their guilt as leverage in his pre-war diplomatic and military dealings with them.
** It is ironic, that this small part of the world, which played such a critical role in America’s involvement in World War II (it’s greatest victory ever), would again come into play some 20 years later, leading America to it’s only military defeat.
"In the spring of 1984, I went to the northwest of France, to Normandy, to prepare an NBC documentary on the fortieth anniversary of D-Day, the massiv...More at HotBookSale
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