"To prepare for an NBC program on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, the vast and audacious Allied invasion of Europe that signaled the beginning of the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, I traveled to Normandy in the northwest of France in the spring of 1984. I experienced something there that changed my life. I was touched and very appreciative of all that these guys, who were American soldiers in their sixties and seventies, had accomplished, as we strolled the beaches together and heard their tales. When I visited Normandy for the invasion's 50th anniversary ten years later, I had a better understanding of the historical significance of this generation of Americans. I think this generation is the best that any civilization has ever produced."
In this outstanding book, Tom Brokaw travels throughout America to recount the tales of a generation of American citizens who grew up during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on to shape the country that we know today. Along with a shared goal, this generation was bound by values like as duty, honor, economy, bravery, service, love of family and nation, and most importantly, self-responsibility. You will get to know individuals in this book whose day-to-day experiences demonstrate how a generation overcame adversity and learned from it to go on to build intriguing and valuable lives as well as the modern-day America.
"They were fighting in the most primitive conditions possible across the bloodied landscape of France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, and the coral islands of the Pacific at a time in their lives when their days and nights should have been filled with innocent adventure, love, and the lessons of the working world." They heeded the call to defend the world against the two most formidable and vicious military weapons ever put together—conquest tools in the hands of fascist fanatics. Despite the steep odds and the delayed start, they did not object. They were a complete success. They rescued the planet and prevailed in the battle. After brief but joyful festivities upon their return, they set about reconstructing their lives and the world they desired. They gave birth to the Baby Boomers, another unique generation, and married at a record amount. More of them were able to attend college than any civilization had ever educated anywhere in history thanks to a grateful country. They bestowed to the world innovations in science, literature, art, industry, and economic might unseen in the lengthy course of human history. They are now in the latter stages of their exciting and fruitful lives, yet they have remained remarkably humble for the most part. They feel that what they were doing was nothing exceptional since everyone else was doing it too, which is why they have so many tales to share, many of which they have never shared before.
"This book, I hope, will in some small way pay tribute to those men and women who have given us the lives we have today--an American family portrait album of the greatest generation."
You will encounter someone like Charles Van Gorder in this book; he established a MASH-style medical center in the midst of the combat on D-Day and then returned home to establish a clinic and hospital in his community. You will hear George Bush discuss how one of his responsibilities as a combat pilot in the Navy Air Corps was to check the enlisted men's mail to make sure no classified military information was leaked. Thus, according to Bush, "I learned about life." Trudy Elion, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in medicine, is among the several women featured in this book who succeeded in their jobs against the altered social landscape brought about by the war. One of the first black women to serve in the newly established WACs is Martha Putney, whom you will meet. Additionally, you'll meet the lifelong buddies of the Romeo Club (Retired Old Men Eating Out).
You will experience alongside common men and women, military heroes, well-known individuals who have achieved great things, and local leaders via these and other tales in The Greatest Generation how these unusual times shaped the ideals and provided the training that made a people and a country great.
taken from the hardback copy.