Well on this Veteran’s Day let’s just accept the “Greatest Generation” accolade as true and go on from there.
Assuming acceptance, you then might ask what enabled that generation to be so “great”? That is the important question. If you can define the source of that greatness, you might then reproduce a “greatest generation” with some repeatable frequency.
Therefore, the answer to the question could be “nation saving” in the extreme.
Here goes:
One element had to be living close or with memories of the depression that preceded World War II. That certainly contributed to thoughts of thrift and conservative spending habits along with self reliance.Also, in the depression there was lots of human compassion voluntarily given which may have provided the genesis for the Marshal Plan that provided a lot of sustained prosperity for the American economy. (We were the only store in town for a long while.)
A second contribution to the generation’s assumed greatness had to do with the discipline and focused unity required by the war effort. This discipline went far beyond early reveille, unending pushups and six mile runs. It extended to tolerating rationing, critical shortages, victory gardens, blackouts and an almost unselfish focus on a common goal not seen since except on fleeting moments like the flying flags after 9/11.
The immediate postwar years saw a terrific rebirth of individual determination. Crowded college campuses accommodated students in Quonset huts, mobile homes and dank basements. The students rushed through college “eager to make up” for lost time. (Few five year plans and Books ranked higher than Beer, generally.) Most of that generation believed entitlements were earned (not just granted) and that was a big factor in the winning psyche of those critical times.
On looking back, this Veteran’s Day, we have to conclude that at least something worked right. If you had to reduce it to today’s “soundbite”, it would probably be:
“Focus, Discipline, Compassion, Self Reliance, and Luck
and maybe a few more clichés that fit-----does “integrity” come to mind?
Meanwhile, we can only say to that generation which is rapidly passing on “Thank you for the example.”Perhaps we will learn something------Something Great!!!
