The Greatest Generation Essay Example

What made the “greatest generation” so great? The fact that they killed nearly

half their generation in war is what most view as the defining achievement of this

generation. Not to say that they didn’t do great things but they should not be recognized

as the greatest generation. Every generation will have differences but they also have

similarities, the most common trait between the “greatest generation” and the “millennial

generation” is hard work and motivation. The “greatest generation” may have had their

downfalls but they did leave behind values that have become virtually nonexistent in the

recent years. The true greatest generation has not come around yet. The “greatest generation” is not great because of what they did nor should they

be recognized as such. The havoc and destruction of World War II was not a great

accomplishment it was a massacre for both sides. Members of the armed forces who

saw combat in WW II are looked upon as heros. What in our society caused the public

to look at war as a heroic and good thing. Hollywoods glorification of war films such as

“Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down” cause people to look at these films and believe

that is an accurate portrayal of war. These movies push along the values of war and

violence as a good and honorable. The soldiers who did these things did not even view

them as honorable, to them it was merely their job. The American society put these

soldiers on a pedestal with huge homecoming parades and celebrations.

To the “greatest generation” the most important values were hard work,

responsibility, and self reliance. There are a lot of similarities between the values of the

“greatest generation” and the “millennial generation.” Although these values are looked

upon in different way by the two generations, they do have things in common. For the

millennial’s the major values are being motivated, ambitious,