Why?: The Greatest Generation

By Arthur L. Peterson

Many have written about what has been termed “the GreatestGeneration”— that stalwart group
Of women and men who with conspicuous success saw their beloved nation through the desperation’s of the “Great Depression” and the weighty woes of World WarII and the Korean Conflict.
This brief series of vignettes, packed with both humor and pathos, are very personal examples of the trials, turbulence snd triumphs that undergirded the careful crafting of patience, persistence, dedication and workforce skills all based on a long articulated and sought after but never fully achieved democratic value system—that produced a far from perfect snd still incredible “Greatest Generation”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781669800828

Book preview

The Greatest Generation

M uch has been written of what has been termed the Greatest Generation, that group of women and men who grew up and lived through the Great Depression and who, in one capacity or another, became observers and participants in both World War II and the emergence of the Soviet expansion which resulted in the Korean Conflict.

Many of us who were part of that generation have reflected often on our varied experiences during both the economic hardships and the ravages of war. Many talented writers have commented on the challenges, the heartaches as well the victories and defeats which were so much a part of our lives.

Although there have been almost endless written narratives, musical tributes and prolific poetry to celebrate the sacrifices and suffering as well as the supreme selflessness and, at times, heroic responses of civilian and combatants alike during this unforgettable era, remarkably little attention has been given to the essential elements or dynamics, if you prefer, that produced this unusual generation.

In other words, given the countless stories of almost unbelievable bravery and beneficence that emerged during the period, little analysis has been dedicated, insofar as I can detect, to the major factors that propelled those heroes and heroines onto the pages of history as members of the Greatest Generation.

How does one write a history of the deep-rooted character, of resilient physical endurance, of boundless courage and stubborn optimism often heavily tinted with great personal sadness and sacrifice?

It is difficult to write such a history because history is more or less an ornamental art, the recording of the flotsam and jetsam of our daily lives. When the days of the great depression, the devastating wars and the emergence of yet a new international threat were passed, the crises seemed to vanish. What remains are but long streams of varying perspectives. It illustrates, par excellence that fact that the whole of human history is really one long story.

It seems appropriate, then, for one who seeks to give some meaning to the evolution of the greatest generation that we turn to its life stories. Perhaps in those stories we will discover at least some of the life styles that were central to our values; experiences that helped create the endurance necessary to sustain us when our very democratic way of life seemed to be in danger of being vanquished; that gave hope when our economic system seemed about to collapse; that allowed us to continue to love when the world seemed full of systems that advocated hatred as a central modus operandi.

I offer the vignettes that follow essentially for my four children and their progeny. I hope they find them informative, amusing and perhaps even helpful in gaining a better understanding of what I am and what my old friends are what they are and why.. Should others, seeking to understand my generation find them interesting, I will be flattered and rewarded for my efforts.

Characteristics of the

Greatest Generation

T here have been a number of commentaries on the characteristics of the members of the greatest generation. I will not attempt a lengthy analysis of these descriptive efforts, rather I will rely on one of these summaries that seems to capture the essence of the development and reification of values of that era in American life. And I will add a few brief comments to help relate the following vignettes to these values.

One succinct summary is to be found in the brief description offered by FamilySearch.org. I offer their summary, with my own additions, as a reasonable, but vastly oversimplified introduction to an obviously complex phenomena..

1. Personal responsibility --The harsh reality of the Great Depression forced many of us, even as children, to a very high standard of personal responsibility. Suggestions as to why and how this particular characteristic developed is to be found is several of the vignettes.

2. Humility ––The Great Depression fostered modesty and humility in many of those who lived through scarcity. I have noted in my description of lifestyle during this era some appropriate examples of why and how a deep sense of humility developed.

3. Work ethic--Hard work literally was required frequently for survival during both the depression and the war years. Many jobs at the time were physically demanding, with long hours and inadequate safety considerations. I have noted in a number of my brief accounts of life during the depression that many people we’re not only required to spend longer than usual hours at their own vocation but that in order to provide for their families it was necessary to seek and accept employment in several concomitant jobs during an extended work week.

4. Frugality--. Saving every penny and every scrap helped families survive through times of shortage. Use it up, fix it up, make it do without was a motto of the time.. The vignettes that follow are replete with examples of this approach to life for those of us who grew up during this era of bleak economic times.

5. Commitment–– one job or one marriage often lasted an entire lifetime. Compared to the mobility of the generation that followed ours, and particularly manifest in subsequent generations, employment with a company meant a high degree of loyalty to that company and conversely loyalty of the company to it’s employees

6. Integrity–– people valued honesty and trustworthiness; values fostered by the need to rely on one another. The strong impact of lessons taught over and over again by parents or grandparents was an important value manifestly much less honored in subsequent generations.

7. Self-sacrifice––millions sacrificed to defend their country or support the war effort from home. Patriotism was something felt by virtually every American,--not something worn on one’s sleeve but something that was internalized and lived out in the daily effort, for example, of helping win the war.

The above generalizations do